HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05252010 - C.15RECOMMENDATION(S):
SUPPORT House of Representatives 3745, the Community Access Preservation Act, a bill
that would guarantee that PEG channels are treated the same as all other local commercial
stations or network affiliates and made available to all subscribers, as recommended by the
Chief Assistant County Administrator.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact to the County from this action.
BACKGROUND:
Introduced last year by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), House of Representatives 3745,
the Community Access Preservation Act, would guarantee that PEG channels are treated the
same as all other local commercial stations or network affiliates and made available to all
subscribers.
These local access channels allow local governments to provide greater transparency for
their citizens and locally operated channels feature programming such as school board
meetings, forums, lectures and sporting and community events that would otherwise not be
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 05/25/2010 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I
Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: L. DeLaney,
925-335-1097
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: May 25, 2010
David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: EMY L. SHARP, Deputy
cc:
C.15
To:Board of Supervisors
From:David Twa, County Administrator
Date:May 25, 2010
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Support House of Representatives 3745, the Community Access Preservation Act
available to citizens. Communities also may develop programming to suit the specific needs
of their communities.
The bill does not assume a “one size fits all” PEG structure, instead leaving the decision to
negotiate for PEG channels to franchising authorities and the local communities they
represent.
H.R. 3745 also would allow local governments to have more flexibility in allocating funds
collected from cable subscribers — funds already being collected as a monthly fee on cable
bills. Currently, this fee, known as the PEG fee, may only be used for equipment or
facilities needed to provide PEG programming. H.R. 3745 would allow PEG funds to be
used for both capital equipment and operations.
As technology has developed, the price of equipment has fallen as a percentage of the cost
to operate local access channels. With local budgets constrained, this flexibility would
allow local governments to use the funds for capital equipment and operations to ensure that
locally produced programming is available.
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
Official Summary
10/7/2009--Introduced. Community Access Preservation Act or the CAP Act - Amends
the Communications Act of 1934 to require, with a specified waiver authority, that
public, educational, and government (PEG) channels be:
(1) carried in the same channel capacity as local commercial television channels, or if no
such stations are required to be carried, in the same channel capacity as network-affiliated
commercial television stations carried on cable; and
(2) provided to every cable subscriber without additional service or equipment charges.
Requires a cable operator to:
(1) carry PEG signals to subscribers without material degradation and without altering
content; and
(2) provide facilities adequate to fulfill such requirements.
Requires cable operators in states that have adopted statewide franchising to:
(1) make PEG support payments equal to the greater of the cash payment required under
state law or the value of historically-provided PEG support;
(2) carry PEG signals from the point of origin to subscribers; and
(3) provide at least the number of channels for PEG use provided as of May 31, 2005.
On October 7, 2009, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and
Commerce.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
ATTACHMENTS
HR 3745