CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Concerned about the long-term financial health of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, members of the Educational Broadcasting Authority Wednesday ordered executive director Dennis Adkins to come up with a strategic plan for the agency's organization and finances by July 31.

Authority member Mark Polen said afterward that the authority has concerns about the long-term viability of Public Broadcasting, noting, "You've got to have a plan for dealing with it."

Authority members adopted the motion, along with a call for a formal review of Adkins' job performance, after meeting in closed session Wednesday.

That followed a financial report showing that Public Broadcasting is still struggling financially, with declines in fund-raising and corporate underwriting in the post-recession economy -- and the potential for a major cut in state funding in 2013.

"As a member of this commission, I get very uneasy knowing we could be facing serious budget issues in the next six months," authority member John Dahlia commented.

Through April 30, contributions to public broadcasting are down 7 percent from the same point last year, while corporate underwriting is down 8 percent from 2011 and has plunged 36 percent from 2008.

That amounts to an $112,274 drop in revenue from 2011, and more than a $280,000 plunge from the same point in 2008.

Meanwhile, Public Broadcasting Finance Director Mike Meador said the agency has been advised by the Tomblin administration to expect a 5 percent cut in its state appropriations next budget year, which would amount to a reduction of nearly $300,000.

The state appropriation, which will be $5.64 million in the 2012-13 budget year, provides more than half of Public Broadcasting's total operating budget. However, out of the amount, the Legislature requires Public Broadcasting to transfer $300,000 to Mountain Stage, and $45,000 to the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.

Adkins said it will be no problem to put together a strategic plan in less than two months, saying he did that regularly working for commercial television stations.

"It seems to me, they want to look at all the "what-ifs" -- what if we lose that 5 percent state funding?" he said. "I did that for many years in the corporate world."

Earlier, Polen made the motion to defer approving the agency's 2012-13 spending plan until the authority can get a better handle on the funding issues.

"There's just a lot of issues that need to be brought together and resolved," he said. "Right now, we're highly unstable."

Polen noted that corporate underwriting through April 30 is at $447,993, or more than $200,000 below the $650,000 goal for the budget year. He said the proposed 2012-13 budget anticipates $593,500 in underwriting revenue and questioned whether that is a realistic estimate.

"I feel very comfortable with that $593,000 number," Adkins responded.

He said that in May, Public Broadcasting signed contracts for $65,000 of new underwriting, including $50,000 for "The Law Works" television program -- funding that doesn't show up in the April 30 financial report.

He said the upcoming season of the program, which features lawyers from around the state discussing everyday legal matters, will be sponsored in part by a $30,000 grant from the state Supreme Court, and a $20,000 grant from Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

"All PBS stations across the county are suffering when it comes to underwriting," Adkins said, noting that advertising and marketing budgets are the first items companies cut during tough economic times.

Likewise, Adkins said the June pledge drive for public television is underway, and needs to raise only about $80,000 to reach the membership fund-raising goal for the budget year of $1.225 million.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting operates three public TV stations, and a 15-station radio network, and has a staff of about 100.

Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.