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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2001 0404 CC REG ITEM 11IITEM lI • L anol MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL :u AGENDA REPORT rGCom m e ►-f nn . _ _ TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Kim C. Chudoba, Senior Management Analyst ke DATE: March 23, 2001 (CC Meeting of 4/4/01) SUBJECT: CONSIDER SUPPORT FOR STATE FUNDING TO HELP PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS MEET MAY 2003 DEADLINE TO CONVERT TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND KCET sent a letter to elected officials and business leaders in Ventura County urging support for state funding to help public television stations convert to digital technology. Councilmember Mikos asked staff to agendize this item. DISCUSSION Pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission mandated public television stations to convert from analog to digital technology by May 2003. Stations that do not meet this deadline will lose their analog station license. Since the federal government has not funded digital conversion, California's public television stations are trying to raise the needed $100 million. In Fiscal Year 2000/2001, the Governor and the legislature appropriated $7 million to help public broadcasters convert to digital signals ($5 million in the state budget and $2 million in SB 2012). The proposed Fiscal Year 2001/2002 budget does not include funding to convert to digital technology. SB 2012 provides $2 million in matching grants to public broadcasting stations to purchase and install digital equipment. To receive the funds, stations must enter into permanent agreements with the state Office of Emergency Services to dedicate, as necessary, a broadcast channel for the provision of emergency information in a format accessible to the deaf, hearing- impaired, and non - English speaker. Honorable City Council March 23, 2001 Page 2 Although "public broadcasting" includes both public television and public radio, the federal mandate to convert from analog to digital signals only applies to television. A similar mandate for radio seems inevitable. There are 14 public television stations and 23 public radio stations in California. The total estimated digital conversion cost for California's public television and public radio stations, including both the broadcast and production functions, is $140 million. Some of the cost may be covered by the federal government (although no federal money is available yet), but most of the cost will be funded by other public and private sources. About 19 other states partially or totally fund digital conversion. Digital broadcasting offers numerous benefits, including a clearer picture, compact disc quality audio, interactive features, and more broadcast capacity. Public broadcasters will be able to simulcast four television channels and two data channels over the digital television spectrum assigned to each station. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Direct staff to prepare a letter for the Mayor's signature in support of state funding. Attachment 1: KCET Letter Dated February 5, 2001 O:L i, i N F I N I T E L Y M O R E February 5, 2001 KCX`.�hT ATTACHMENT 1 Dear Ventura Elected Officials and Business Leaders, I am asking for your support of continued state funding to help preserve California's public broadcast stations for all the citizens of California, and help protect their lives in the event of an emergency. In the FY 2001 state budget, Governor Davis and the Legislature appropriated a total of $7 million to assist public broadcasters meet the federal mandate to convert to digital technology by May 2003 or cease to exist. Public television/radio is more than just entertainment. It is an important cultural and educational institution that serves your local communities. In the age of digital technology, public television/radio can be an even greater public servant. It can also provide important IA saving communications during an emergency. During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, public broadcasting was the most listened to station in the period after the `quake, and the most utilized by the Office of Emergency Services. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, residents of the San Fernando Valley naturally turned to their local public broadcasters for comprehensive news and information about the rebuilding of the community. OES and the state would benefit from the many new technical capabilities of digital transmission, because it would allow for the simultaneous transmission of emergency information to people with disabilities and non- English speakers, in text and spoken form. Please read the attached fact sheet and write your state legislators to include continued finding for public broadcasting in the FY 2002 state budget Thank you for your consideration of this request. 6�V-0� Peter E. Rodriguez, Vice President of Community and Government Relations (323) 953 -5290 Acm 4401 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles. Ca. 90027 Phone 323. 666. 6500 ri e L .. i 0 :1 - FACT SHEET In Fiscal Year 2001, Governor Davis included $5 million in his state budget to assist public broadcasters in meeting the May, 2003 deadline to convert to digital technology our ceases to exist. The state legislature approved an additional $2 million, bringing the total to $7 million. California's Public Broadcasters ask that you read this summary and MAIL THE ATTACHED LETTERS TO THE VARIOUS INDIVIUDALS LISTED. PLEASE MAIL ON YOUR ON YOUR LETTERHEAD. Background In 1997, the FCC mandated public broadcasting stations to convert from analog to digital transmission. Stations, which do not convert to digital by May 2003, will lose their analog station licenses. Since the federal government did not provide any funding for the conversion, public broadcasting stations in California have begun fundraising campaigns to assist them with this extremely expensive endeavor. Approximately 19 other states have provided either partial or total funding for this conversion, Senate Bill 2012 enabled California to do the same. The bill provides an investment of $2 million dollars (plus $5 million in Governor's budget) to help public broadcasting stations defray the $100 million cost of conversion. The bill also defines the state's ability, in an emergency as defined by the Office or Emergency Services (OES) to access some or all of California's public broadcasting stations in order to communicate with Californians. Just as California residents automatically call 911 in case of personal emergencies, this bill will create a similar opportunity for residents to turn to the public broadcasting stations (radio and TV) for information in a state emergency. The Necessity for Public Broadcasting Stations in this State. Emergency Access Experience during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake found that public broadcasting was the most listened to station in the period after the earthquake and the most utilized by OES. OES and the state would benefit in general from this defined access to broadcast transmission and, in particular, OES would benefit from the many new technical capabilities of digital transmission in their attempt to communicate with hard to reach communities such people with disabilities and non - English speakers. Examples of this capability would include text bulletin boards, which could make information and referral available after an emergency. Socially Valuable Programming The digital conversion will also allow a significant increase in the amount of socially valuable programming. Digital conversion will allow, at the least, 4 additional channels for PBS TV stations. It is expected that this capacity would immediately allow 24 hour education and children's' programming in addition to normal PBS programming. Specific elements of SB 2012: Bill gives California's Office of Emergency Services (OES) access to any public broadcasting station's channels — both radio and TV -- in California so that in a state of emergency, OES and the administration will have stable access to broadcast transmission to California citizens. Digital TV and radio will possess new technical characteristics that will improve communications with hard to serve communities such as people with disabilities and non - English speaking communities. Specifically, this new digital technology will allow text communication along with visual and aural communication, for the hard of hearing and deaf and will allow multi - language communication. Senator John Burton Senate Pro Tern Rm 205 State Capitol Sacramento, Calif. 95815 Hon. Robert M. Hertzberg Speaker, State Assembly Rm 320 State Capitol Sacramento, Calif. 95814 Mr. Tony Cardenas Chair, Assembly Budget Committee Rm 6026 State Capitol Sacramento, Calif. 95814 Senator Byron D. Sher Chair, Budget & Fiscal Review Sub #2 Rm 2082 State Capitol Sacramento, Calif. 95814 Senator Steve Peace Chair, Budget and Fiscal Review Rm 3060 State Capitol Sacramento, Calif. 95814 Mr. George Nakano Chair, Assembly Budget, Subcommittee #4 Rm 2148 State Capitol Sacramento, Calif. 95814 FEEL FREE TO EDIT TO YOUR STYLE/PLEASE MAIL INDIVIDUAL. LETTERS ON YOUR LETTERHEAD: Mr./Ms. (last name), I would like to thank you for your support of California's Public Broadcasters and in particular our local station KCET. The funds you included in the FY 2001 state budget will help our public broadcasters begin the costly but necessary conversion from analog to digital technology as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. However, there is still along way to go and the political stalemate in Washington DC has prevented legislation providing federal funding from moving forward and only so much can be accomplished by the capital campaigns many stations have launched. So as you begin work on the FY 2002 state budget, I (we) ask that you include funding for California's public broadcasters. You have through your support, recognized, that California cannot afford to lose a single public TV station because of the enormous financial challenge in meeting this federal mandate. Again thank you for your support this past year and I appreciate your consideration of this request. Sincerely,