Agenda Text
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For a unified response to a potential FCC rule change that could allow cable companies to charge in-kind services, such as the channels that carry local programs, against the franchise fee.
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Official Text
WHEREAS: There is a great deal of uncertainty about the future of local programming due to the potential of a Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rule change, that if approved as proposed, could allow cable companies to charge in-kind services, such as the channels that carry local programs, against the franchise fee, and
WHEREAS: The City of Somerville’s PEG Access channels, including public access television provider, Somerville Media Center (SMC, formerly known as Somerville Community Access Television, SCATV), City Cable TV, and The Educational Channel have, since the early 1980s, provided a valuable community service by making Community, City, and School content available to the community, and while SMC, has also provided local access television studios, equipment, broadcasting, training, and professional staff available to volunteers who wish to produce their own programming, and
WHEREAS: Cable companies provide the franchise fees that are used to cover PEG Access television operating costs, and
WHEREAS: Municipal Leaders and others predict that allowing the FCC to reduce franchise fees by the value of in-kind donations could cut spending for local programs by up to 30 to 70 percent, a loss of $100,000 to as much as $500,000 a year, depending on the community, and
WHEREAS: At a time when local newspapers are shrinking, PEG Access stands out as a vital outlet for meeting the informational needs of communities, the negative results of which could include in the following losses to Somerville:
• Loss of information shared with the City’s residents
• Loss of broadcasted meetings including City Council, School Committee and local access
• Loss of educational and youth programs such as after-school and summer programs, internships, volunteer opportunities, and collaborations with public high schools and colleges to teach television production
• Loss of individuals to have the ability to share their voice broadly in their community
• Loss of an important emergency communications outlet, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED: That the Somerville City Council and the City of Somerville work together with unified response to the potential FCC changes in the form of a letter, AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That the Somerville City Council, in session assembled, hereby adopts this Resolution to support that the City of Somerville provide information to the public on how they can communicate to their federal officials regarding this issue as well as learn more about these proposed changes.