sr-091410-1c
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City of
Santa Monica
To: Mayor and City Council
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: September 14, 2010
Agenda Item: ~
From: Kathryn Vernez, Assistant to the City Manager,
Community & Government Relations
Subject: Continuation of Pilot County Channel Provided by City TV
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a contract with Los Angeles County for the City to receive up to $249,500 from
the County in exchange for CityTV providing the County with programming, channel
operations and video services to maintain the Countywide channel as provided for in the
Time Warner franchise.
Executive Summary
In August 2007 the City Council approved the execution of a Delegated Authority
Agreement with Los Angeles County for CityTV to activate a Los Angeles County cable
channel as a pilot partnership with Los Angeles County. In July 2008 the channel was
activated. In August 2008 the term of the Delegated Authority Agreement was extended
for 90 days. In October 2008 the City Council approved an amendment to extend the
term of the agreement to August 31, 2010, add additional funding to the agreement and
amend the Statement of Work/Deliverables. The maximum amount of the agreement
was $305,000. The funding from the County was used to cover on-going City costs to
air live and replayed coverage of Board of Supervisors meetings, produce and air
programming on the channel and maintain the technical systems necessary to support
the channel's operations.
Los Angeles County would like to execute a new contract with the City for a term of up
to one year. The maximum amount of the agreement is $249,500.
Discussion
The City of Santa Monica has six cable access channels activated in Santa Monica.
CityTV, the City's cable television operation, is responsible for programming four of the
six channels.
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 CityN's public meeting coverage. Cable channel
99 currently airs lifelong learning educational programming on CityTV's channel named
Forte.
In July 2008 CityTV launched the Los Angeles County Channel on cable channel
75. Programming on the County Channel includes live and replayed Board of
Supervisors meetings and other programming produced by Los
Angeles County departments. It also includes programming of regional interest
covering events and topics such as the MTA/Metro-sponsored rideshare program,
transportation alternatives and bike path locations, arts and cultural destinations, and
programs about County programs and services.
Funding is provided by the County via a contract with CityTV. Specifically, the contract
conveys funding to CityTV for production and related services provided to Los
Angeles County. This allows CityTV to partner with the County to produce programming
of interest to both Santa Monica and Los Angeles County cable TV viewers.
Santa Monica is the first City in the County to have the County Channel programming.
The contract will allow the City to receive the funding necessary to 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 will be for one year. During this one year time period CityTV
staff will work with Los Angeles County Channel staff to transition LA's playback
operations to their own master control center and provide other support to assist Los
Angeles County Channel staff with developing their own production and channel
operation capabilities. The Los Angeles County Channel will continue to be available to
cable television subscribers in Santa Monica. At the end of the term of this agreement it
is expected that the pilot project will be concluded. In future years, operations and
programming will originate primarily from Los Angeles County.
2
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
Los Angeles County will provide the complete funding necessary to cover the costs of
programming and operating the channel. Monthly telecommunications costs are
estimated at up to $1,600 per month to provide a live feed from the Los Angeles County
Hall of Administration to CityTV. Operating costs are estimated to cost up to $5,000 per
month depending on the amount of new programming created and includes preparing
programs to air, scheduling the channel, preparation and airing of graphic bulletin board
messages and program listing services. 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
FY2010-11 and make them available for program use.
1. Establish a revenue budget in the amount of $200,000 at account 01207.407820
for Fiscal Year 10/11.
2. Appropriate the same amount at account 01207.544010 for Fiscal Year 10/11.
Prepared by: Robin Gee, Cable TV Manager
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
Kathryn Vernez
Assistant to the City Manager for
Community and Government Relations
Rod Gould
City Manager
3
Reference Contract No.
9270 (CCS).