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Roseburg city councilors agreed Monday night to spend the money needed for local cable users to tune into the world of policy setting.
The council unanimously agreed to use $100,000 to establish a Public Education Government channel to broadcast its regular meetings, expected to be up and running in the next few months.
City officials plan to work with various community partners such as Douglas County, Umpqua Community College and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians in their efforts to provide the public service. Those involved would eventually be able to share the channel and broadcast their own meetings or classes, for example.
"We've been able to bring together a lot of partners," said City Manager Eric Swanson.
Douglas County plans to expand its current system of taping meetings for Internet viewing and eventually get meetings on cable, said Kevin Potter, the county's information technology director.
"The county's still very interested in pursuing pushing this out to Charter television," he said.
The $100,000 for the city's broadcast equipment will come from contingency funds through a supplemental budget process. That money will pay for the necessary equipment and storage space to film meetings in the City Hall council chambers.
It's expected that continuing annual operating costs will reach $75,000, which is about how much the city receives each year in Charter Communications franchise fees.
Currently, the franchise fees flow into the general fund budget. City officials will consider negotiating -- in partnership with Douglas County -- a 50-cent fee for cable users to help pay for the PEG channel. The county is also pursing franchise fees, Potter said.
Mayor Larry Rich asked Pete Belcastro, director of Ashland-based Rogue Valley Community Television, whether cable users might be upset about an extra fee.
Belcastro said few people in Josephine and Jackson counties and Ashland had a problem with it.
He said as the city negotiates with Charter about the service channel, the cable company may see the need to begin upgrading its other services, such as cable Internet access, premium channels and fiber optics.
Cable is also the only method of providing such a channel, as satellite companies don't rely on the city's infrastructure for its services, he said.
"They have no capacity to carry public programming," Belcastro said.
The federal Cable Act allows cities to request public access channel opportunities through cable providers.
City Councilor Mike Baker said having a PEG channel provides many opportunities that could lead to more people getting cable.
"It increases the desirability of having cable," he said.
The city plans to partner with UCC to eventually run the program through its existing studio facility. In the meantime, operational services would likely be provided through Charter.
Other users such as the county and the tribe would need to pay for their own control rooms and equipment.
Robert Taylor, director of curriculum and instructional support services at UCC, said the PEG channel can help the college expand.
For example, plans are in the works to begin providing an associate's degree in communications and the channel operation would provide real-world experience for students.
Taylor added, though, that issues pertaining to costs and liability factors need more study.
"It's a big undertaking for us," he said.
* You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@newsreview.info.
The council unanimously agreed to use $100,000 to establish a Public Education Government channel to broadcast its regular meetings, expected to be up and running in the next few months.
City officials plan to work with various community partners such as Douglas County, Umpqua Community College and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians in their efforts to provide the public service. Those involved would eventually be able to share the channel and broadcast their own meetings or classes, for example.
"We've been able to bring together a lot of partners," said City Manager Eric Swanson.
Douglas County plans to expand its current system of taping meetings for Internet viewing and eventually get meetings on cable, said Kevin Potter, the county's information technology director.
"The county's still very interested in pursuing pushing this out to Charter television," he said.
The $100,000 for the city's broadcast equipment will come from contingency funds through a supplemental budget process. That money will pay for the necessary equipment and storage space to film meetings in the City Hall council chambers.
It's expected that continuing annual operating costs will reach $75,000, which is about how much the city receives each year in Charter Communications franchise fees.
Currently, the franchise fees flow into the general fund budget. City officials will consider negotiating -- in partnership with Douglas County -- a 50-cent fee for cable users to help pay for the PEG channel. The county is also pursing franchise fees, Potter said.
Mayor Larry Rich asked Pete Belcastro, director of Ashland-based Rogue Valley Community Television, whether cable users might be upset about an extra fee.
Belcastro said few people in Josephine and Jackson counties and Ashland had a problem with it.
He said as the city negotiates with Charter about the service channel, the cable company may see the need to begin upgrading its other services, such as cable Internet access, premium channels and fiber optics.
Cable is also the only method of providing such a channel, as satellite companies don't rely on the city's infrastructure for its services, he said.
"They have no capacity to carry public programming," Belcastro said.
The federal Cable Act allows cities to request public access channel opportunities through cable providers.
City Councilor Mike Baker said having a PEG channel provides many opportunities that could lead to more people getting cable.
"It increases the desirability of having cable," he said.
The city plans to partner with UCC to eventually run the program through its existing studio facility. In the meantime, operational services would likely be provided through Charter.
Other users such as the county and the tribe would need to pay for their own control rooms and equipment.
Robert Taylor, director of curriculum and instructional support services at UCC, said the PEG channel can help the college expand.
For example, plans are in the works to begin providing an associate's degree in communications and the channel operation would provide real-world experience for students.
Taylor added, though, that issues pertaining to costs and liability factors need more study.
"It's a big undertaking for us," he said.
* You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@newsreview.info.
