A Public Access Channel in Fresno?

A Public Access Channel in Fresno?
By Mike Rhodes

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today (June 13, 2006) to accept their staff's recommendation to renew the Comcast cable franchise agreement. The agreement includes 5 channels, with one designated as Government and the other Education. John Navarrette, director of the Fresno County General Services Department, specifically excluded a Public Access channel saying "one or more of the 5 channels may be shared with the public." Several speakers at today’s public hearing asked that the Supervisors specifically designate a Public Access channel.

The franchise agreement, negotiated by Navarrette and Comcast, was not available to the public at the time of the meeting. Navarrette said some of the "final details were being worked out" and that a draft would be ready soon. He suggested that the final draft be shown to the chairperson of the Board of Supervisors before the final signing of the agreement, effectively leaving the public out of the loop of knowing the specific details in the document.

Supervisor Susan Anderson, addressing the issue of a Public Access channel moved that they "designate unused airtime" for the public’s use. Supervisor Bob Waterston expressed his concern that "some extremist group" would be able to produce a show and have it on the Public Channel. Waterston said that if a group like the KKK or Nazi’s got on the Public Access channel, it would reflect badly on the Board of Supervisors. There was an agreement among the board members to approve the (as yet unseen) franchise agreement that designates both a Government (G) and Education (E) channel and that the public would be able to put their programs on at times not being used by the G and E channels. The designation of a Public channel, the Supervisors agreed, could be made when an organization was in place that would oversee the content of that channel

Randy Reed, the President of the Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC), urged the Supervisors to recognize the CMAC as the authority that would oversee the PEG channels and the Community Media Center (CMC). Judy Case objected that the CMAC did not have representatives from outside of the urban area on the board and therefore the rural taxpayers, who are being asked to fund PEG and the CMC would have no voice in the project. Reed explained that the only residents who will be paying for PEG and the CMC are Comcast customers in the franchise agreement jurisdiction. Reed said that there are other franchise authorities that will negotiate an agreement with the cable provider in cities like Coalinga, Reedley, and San Joaquin.

In his presentation before the board, Reed said that Fresno County, if they agree to designate the CMAC as the body that oversees PEG and the CMC, will have the ability to select anyone they want to be a representative on the CMAC board of directors. The Supervisors did not recognize the CMAC but agreed to discuss the issue at a future meeting.

There is legislation currently in Sacramento that would take the authority to negotiate franchise agreements with cable access providers out of the hands of local government entities. That legislation is expected to pass soon and was one of the motivating factors in getting the Supervisors to vote on this issue today. By approving the franchise agreement now, they will not be under the master agreement that will be negotiated in Sacramento, following the expected passage of this legislation. The Fresno County franchise agreement is for an 8 year initial term + 5 year extension.

The Comcast/Fresno County franchise agreement includes a 5% franchise fee which is anticipated to be $480,000 a year. That money is expected to go directly into the general fund. Comcast, as a part of the agreement, will also give Fresno County $150,000 for up front capital dollars to be used for various PEG needs. Also included in the agreement are bi-directional fiber links for the Fresno County Office of Education (FCOE) and Fresno State which has offered to provide facility space for an interim Community Media Center.

This agreement lays a foundation for establishing Community Media in Fresno. The challenge will be for the CMAC to demonstrate to the Board of Supervisors that they are prepared and capable to serve as the County's PEG Management organization.

Perhaps the larger area of concern for community media activists in Fresno will be the effect of the impending legislation in Sacramento. If passed, this legislation will take the authority away from local government entities to negotiate an agreement with cable providers, and a master agreement, covering all of the state will be negotiated. There is also legislation in Washington D.C. that would transfer the authority to negotiate the franchise agreements to the federal government.

This is taking place at the same time the City of Fresno and Clovis are negotiating with Comcast on their franchise agreements, both of which expired in December of 2004. The Fresno County franchise agreement covers about 13,000 cable subscribers, mostly in county islands within the City of Fresno. The City of Clovis has another 13, 000 and the City of Fresno has 76,000 cable subscribers, all of which will eventually be supporting PEG access and the CMC. The Fresno County franchise agreement, while it is important, is just one small piece of the puzzle that will all come together to provide community access to the cable network in this area.

Most of the people I have talked to here in Fresno, who are actively working on this issue, are cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the Fresno County franchise agreement, concerned about what will happen with the state and federal legislation, and are looking forward to the conclusion of Fresno and Clovis negotiations with Comcast. What these media democracy advocates agree on is that we need a fully funded Community Media Center and Public, Education, and Government access channels. Today was a small step in that direction.

For more information, see:

http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/pegcableaccess.htm
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/soapbox.htm
http://www.buskegroup.com/
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/11/10/17046111.php