SR-11-D (16)
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Council Meeting 1/10/89
Santa Monica, California
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11- 7>
JAN 2 (1::'89
TO: Mayor and city council
FROM: City staff
SUBJECT: Cable TV Coverage of City Council Meetings
INTRODUCTION
Subsequent to the launching of Santa Monica's municipal cable
channel CityTV 16 on December 1, 1988, several Councilmembers
have requested information regarding the possibility of providing
regular cable television coverage of City Council meetings.
This report will address short term and long term options for
council consideration.
BACKGROUND
The city currently owns much of the equipment necessary to tape
city council meetings. However, there is one piece of equipment
which is not in place that is necessary to efficiently produce
coverage on an interim basis.
The Cable Division is in the process of purchasing video
equipment to create a mobile production truck. The truck will
contain an entire miniature studio control room and was ordered
for use in covering live events in the field. Once the remote
production truck is in full working order and can be powered, it
may be available for use as a control room for Council meeting
coverage.
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JAN 2 (1989
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staff has also asked Century Cable what would be involved to
permit video feeds from city Hall to be transmitted via cable to
Santa Monica subscribers on municipal channel cityTV16 so that
Council meetings can be shown live. Century has indicated a
willingness to install the necessary lines.
OPTIONS FOR CABLE CASTING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Short Term
If Council wishes to have their meetings cablecast Staff suggests
delaying initiation of the coverage until the mobile production
van is completed. It is estimated that coverage using the van
could begin in March.
The truck would be used with existing cameras and lighting
equipment. staff does not recommend that this form of video
coverage be adopted for long term use for the following reasons:
1) The amount of labor involved to meet the set-up requirements
of such a system demand at least a four hour set up time
using a team of 3 technical support personnel.
2) Camera placement is using up desirable aisle space which may
make Council Chambers less wheel chair accessible.
3) Lighting equipment could pose a fire hazard if the lights get
too hot and are not properly mounted.
4) Labor costs are expensive. staff costs would be
approximately $700 per meeting utilizing 3 people each
working a 13 hour day, and 3 interns working 6 hours to
operate the cameras.
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If Council wished to begin cablecasting meetings prior to the
completion of the van, additional engineering and rental costs of
$500 per meeting would be incurred and the rented switcher would
be positioned in the hallway. This was the method employed for
the November 29th council meeting.
Long Term
Councilmembers also requested information on the costs to
cablecast meetings on a more permanent basis. Staff would
recommend that the Council Chambers be equipped with 4 wall
mounted remote control operated, low light level cameras, and
that all wiring be installed within the walls of the Council
Chambers and hidden from view.
The four camera angles proposed for the automated camera system
would be: 2 cameras to provide head shots of council Members
from either side of the room; one centrally located camera at the
back of the Chamber which could provide either close-ups of the
Mayor or a wide shot of the whole Council; and one camera located
behind the Council to get shots of either the public, staff or
the podium.
Control, switching and recording of these cameras could take
place either from the remote production truck, parked on the
street below the Council Chambers or possibly from the on-line
production switcher in the editing room in City Hall. (staff is
currently comparing the electrical and wiring installation
requirements of both options) .
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staff would coordinate installation of the cameras and any
additional lighting equipment required with plans currently being
developed for possible remodel of the council Chambers. The
audio signal for cable coverage comes directly from the city
Council Chamber's sound system.
The capital equipment and installation costs for this type of
camera system are estimated at $50,000.
The primary advantage of this proposed wall mounted automated
camera system are:
l) It reduces the labor requirements of providing coverage of
Council meetings. Once the system has been "fine tuned", it
would take two people less than an hour to "set up" for a
meeting. The meeting itself could be covered by a staff of
two people because of the reduced need for camera operators.
2) Cameras do not block aisle space and maintain the
accessibility of Council Chambers.
3) Lighting requirements would be greatly reduced.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
To implement the proposed short-term solution using the remote
truck, an additional $700 per meeting in salaries and wages would
be needed beginning in March, 1989.
Purchase and installation of a wall mounted remote control
operated camera and lighting system is estimated to cost $50,000.
It is anticipated that staffing needs for Council
meetings/commission meetings coverage in Council Chambers once
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the remote camera system is in place would average about $200 per
meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council discuss the options presented
and provide direction to City staff.
Prepared by: Lynne C. Barrette, Assistant City Manager
Laura Greenfield, CityTV Manager
(TVCCmtgs)
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MAY 1 2 1987
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city council Meeting: May 12, 1987
Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and city Council
FROM: City staff
SUBJECT: Approval of Resolution Supporting KCET
INTRODUCTION
This report transmits a resolution in support of Public
Television Station, KCET, in their effort to prevent cable
television channel realignment.
BACKGROUND
The Southern California Cable Marketing Council has proposed a
universal channel line-up which would move KCET, from channel 6,
in the Santa Monica cable system, to Channel 28. Channel 28 is
currently the off-air channel assignment of KCET. Approximately
39% of this
Public Television station's viewers watch the
station on cable. This move may jeaopardize KCET's viewership, as
cable viewership statistics generally maintain that the services
offered on lower channel numbers are more frequently watched.
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By unanimous vote, the Executive Committee of SeAG recently
supported KCET's effort to prevent any realignment of this
important source of qual i ty programming.
KCET relies on its
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viewers for financial support. Any decrease in viewership could
threaten the quality of its program offerings.
The cable operator in Santa Monica supports the theory of a
universal
channel line-up, although the company has not
implemented any realignment of KCET to date. By supporting this
resolution, the City of Santa Monica, may influence the operator
to reconsider any such changes.
The jurisdiction over channel
alignment is now vested in the cable companies and not with the
cities according to recent must carry rules and the Cable
Communications Policy Act of 1984.
RECOMMENDATION
city staff recommends that the city council approve the attached
resolution of support for Public Broadcasting station KCET, in
recognition of their continued commitment to quality programming
for the citizens of Santa Monica.
Further, staff recommends
that the city council go on record as supporting the current
channel assignment so that the cable operator in Santa Monica may
reconsider any future plans to realign this channel.
PREPARED BY: Laura Greenfield
Cable TV ~anager
(kcet)
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RESOLUTION NO. 7427
(city Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OPPOSING CHANNEL REALIGNMENT OF
KCET
WHEREAS, KCET, cable television Channel 6, is the only Public
Television Station in the top six national media markets that
operates in the Ultra High Frequency Band (UHF), and is therefore
subject to the problems associated with UHF broadcasting:
WHEREAS, Public Television station KCET, despite such
disadvantages, has diligently and meritoriously served the city
of Santa Monica and its adjacencies for the past 23 years;
WHEREAS, KCET through excellence in programming and quality
of service has risen to the position of a maj or station and a
true alternative to other forms of broadcasting;
WHEREAS, KCET in the process of such service has gained the
goodwill and dedicated support from the public, who has helped it
become one of our major cultural resources;
WHEREAS, KCET needs a maximum of visibility to continue its
public service, and generate community support,
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NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.
The city Council expresses its strongest
recommendation to the Cable Owners and Operators in Los Angeles
and Southern California to retain KCET in the area of most
favorable access to the public, in close channel proximity to the
major and independent stations operating in the VHF band, as a
gesture of goodwill and civic cooperation towards one of the
area's most valuable cultural resources.
section 2. The city Clerk shall certify to the adoption of
this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be
in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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ROBERT M. MYERS
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved
, 1987.
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I hereby certify that th
was duly adopted by the city
Resolution No. 7427(CCS)
il of the City of Santa Monica
at a meeting thereof held on May 12, 1987 by the following
council vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Jennings, Finkel, A. Katz, H.
Katz, Zane, Reed, Mayor Conn
Noes: Councilmembers: None
Abstain: Councilmembers: None
Absent: councilmembers: None
ATTEST:
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Ac~y Clerk