City Council Meeting: August 28, 2007
Agenda Item: 1-F
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kathryn
Vernez, Assistant to the City Manager, Community & Government Relations
Subject: Authorize the City Manager to
Negotiate and Execute Delegated Authority Agreement with Los
Angeles County for
CityTV to provide programming services and activate a County Pilot Channel in Santa Monica, and make
necessary budget changes and appropriate funds.
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the
City Manager to negotiate and execute a Delegated Authority Agreement with the
Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles County for up to $104,300 for CityTV to provide
programming, video production services and support to activate the Countywide
channel as provided for in the Time Warner franchise in Santa Monica.
The City’s cable
television franchise with Time Warner provides for a total of six (6) access
channels to be available on the Basic Service tier for Public, Educational and
Government (PEG) access uses. One of those channels was earmarked in the
franchise to become a Regional Government channel. CityTV is proposing that the
regional government channel be developed into a Los
Angeles County
government channel as a pilot project partnership with Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles County potentially will reach over 2.5
million cable households and this pilot project would be the springboard for
programming Countywide. The County would
provide the funding to cover the hard costs to start-up, equip and operate the
channel. CityTV would provide the production expertise to operate the channel.
Discussion
The City of Santa Monica has six
(6) cable access channels activated in Santa
Monica. CityTV, the City’s cable television operation,
is responsible for programming four of the six channels. Of the remaining two
channels, one is for public access and operated and programmed by Time Warner;
and the other channel is operated and programmed by Santa Monica Community College.
CityTV’s main channel is cable channel 16 which runs live public
meeting coverage, local news, event coverage and other original and acquired
programming. CityTV2, cable channel 20, features repeats of CityTV’s public
meeting coverage. Cable channel 99 currently airs area event information and a
CityTV program that encourages residents to get out and explore Santa Monica. The event
listings are provided at no charge by ExperienceLA, a non-profit that promotes
using public transportation to go to area events.
CityTV is proposing to program cable channel 75 with content
developed in partnership with Los
Angeles County.
Channel 75 is currently a full-time
graphics bulletin board that promotes City and community events and services. Programming
on the County Channel
will include live and replayed Board of Supervisors meetings and other
programming produced by Los
Angeles County
departments. Programming of regional interest, covering events and topics such
as the MTA/Metro-sponsored rideshare program, transportation alternatives, and
bike path locations, “green” initiatives and sustainability tips for homeowners
and businesses, and programs featuring arts and cultural destinations, as well
as programs like CityTV’s recent live call-in program on homelessness, could
also be presented on the channel.
Funding would be provided by the County via a Delegated Authority
Agreement (“DAA”) with CityTV.
Specifically, the DAA would contractually convey funding to CityTV for
production and related services provided to Los Angeles County.
This will allow CityTV to partner with the County to produce programming of
interest to both Santa Monica and Los Angeles County cable TV viewers.
With the approval of this Delegated Authority Agreement, Santa Monica will be the first City in the County to have
the County Channel programming and will serve as
the launch site for the channel. Santa Monica
residents will be the first to have the benefit of viewing this dynamic, new
regional channel and the City will receive the funding necessary to launch, operate
and maintain the channel for Los
Angeles County. In other words, there will be significant
value-added at no additional cost to Santa
Monica residents.
The term of the agreement initially will be for one year. At that
time the parties will evaluate the pilot project partnership and determine the
future of the project.
The current graphics that are on cable channel 75 will continue to
air on CityTV2 and will also be aired on cable channel 99 so that local
residents will still benefit from information on local services and events.
Alternatives
If Council chooses not to approve the Delegated Authority Agreement, only
graphics will continue to run on cable channel 75.
Los
Angeles County will
provide the complete funding to necessary to cover the costs of launching, activating
and operating the channel. The estimated one-time costs are $21,500 for
telecommunications and playback systems. Monthly telecommunications costs are
estimated at up to $1400 per month to provide a live feed from the Los Angeles
County Hall of Administration to CityTV. Operating costs are expected to cost
up to $1100 per month for preparing programs to air, scheduling the channel, and
preparation of graphic bulletin board messages and program listing services.
Additional funding is available to jointly produce programming that could be made
available to air on both the Los Angeles County Channel and CityTV. The following budget changes are needed to
record receipt of the County funds in FY2007-08 and make them available for
program use.
1.
Establish a revenue budget in the amount of
$51,500 at account 01207.407820.
2.
Appropriate the same amount at account
01207.544012.
Prepared by:
Robin Gee, Cable TV Manager
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Forwarded to Council:
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Kathryn Vernez
Assistant
to the City Manager for Community and Government Relations
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P. Lamont
Ewell
City Manager
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