Alaska Legislative Council approves $851,400 for KTOO's Gavel Alaska coverage

Alaska lawmakers voted 8-0 Tuesday to pay up to $851,400 to keep their own floor sessions and committee meetings streaming.

The Legislative Council approved the contract with KTOO Public Media, which has produced Gavel Alaska since 1995. KTOO went to the Legislature for funding after Congress cut the Corporation for Public Broadcasting last year, Chief Technology and Outreach Officer Tim Powers said. Lawmakers appropriated the money last budget cycle.

The contract was sole-sourced. Powers said KTOO already holds the broadcast equipment and has more than a decade of working relationship with the Legislature, and that switching vendors would mean duplicating infrastructure and risking delays. "It's impractical to put this out for competitive bid," he said.

Council approval is required for any contract above $50,000 in a single fiscal year.