HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - October 4, 1993 - CC AGEND T
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MEMORANDUM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PAYMANEH MAGHSOUDI, LIBRARIAN
GINNY DADAIAN, ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST
VIA: HENRY GARCIA, CITY ADMINISTRATOR
DATE: OCTOBER 4, 1993
SUBJECT: OVER-THE-AIR TELEVISION STATIONS
With the Cable Act of 1992, the Federal Communications Commission has issued permission for
broadcasters,like KCBS-TV,KNBC-TV, KTLA-TV and KTTV-TV to seek payment for carriage
on cable systems.
Broadcasters electing retransmission consent will be seeking payment for carriage on the cable
system. Crown Cable (Azusa's cable operator) believes the cost at any retransmission consent
payments would ultimately be borne by customers and Crown Cable will not, therefore, agree to
make retransmission consent payments to broadcasters. Crown and the City do not believe that
it is reasonable to expect payment from cable customers and not from over-the-air viewers (i.e.
non-cable customers). It is the City's desire that Crown Cable and the local broadcasters come
to a mutual agreement which the citizens of Azusa will benefit. Crown Cable is currently
negotiating in good faith with the listed stations on all matters not requiring cash payments to
ensure no interruption of broadcast channel services to our Crown customers.
The Cable Act gives to broadcasters the authority to stop retransmission should a negotiated
agreement not be reached. In this case, after October 6, Crown Cable will be prohibited by law
from carrying the authority to stop broadcasters without a retransmission consent agreement from
them.
Should any broadcasters electing retransmission consent force Crown to remove their station from
the channel line-up, Crown will provide an A/B switch at cost to their customers.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve Resolution and authorize staff
to send the appropriate letters and copies of the Resolution to the appropriate federal 1 41)
representatives and to the local broadcasters.
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RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION STRONGLY URGING CROWN CABLE AND BROADCASTERS
TO REACH A MUTUAL AGREEMENT ON OVER-THE-AIR TELEVISION
RETRANSMISSION
The City Council of the City of Azusa hereby certifies that:
WHEREAS, the new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cable television
regulations for the first time allow over-the-air television stations to charge fees to cable operators
for broadcasting their signals; and
WHEREAS, KCBS-TV, Channel 2, KNBC-TV, Channel 4; KTLA-TV, Channel 5, and
KTTV-TV, Channel 11 in the Los Angeles area have advised local cable operators that they will
charge fees for broadcasting their stations; and
WHEREAS, those fees will ultimately increase the cost of cable television to Azusa
consumers; and
WHEREAS, charging fees to cable operators for broadcasting over-the-air television
stations is unfair and unjust because persons without cable television will continue to receive
over-the-air broadcasts without incurring any cost; and
WHEREAS, Azusa is a community where many residents would be unable to receive
these broadcast stations if broadcasters denied carriage of their signal to the cable operator.
NOW THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Council of the City of Azusa, State of California,
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that:
Section 1: Mayor Eugene F. Moses and the Council of the City of Azusa on behalf
of all residents of Azusa, for reasons set forth in the preamble hereto, do hereby desire that
Crown Cable and the listed broadcaster stations reach a mutual agreement on over-the-air
television retransmission.
Section 2: The Clerk of Council be and he is hereby directed to forward a signed copy
of this Resolution to the Presidents of KCBS-TV, KNBC-TV, KTLA-TV, and KTTV-TV,
Congressman Matthew Martinez, Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
Section 3: This Resolution shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest
period allowed by law.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. was duly
adopted by the City Council of the City of Azusa, at a regular meeting therefore, held on the
day of OCTOBER, 1993 by the following vote of the Council:
A VDC. ('(\T TATr'TT 11 A"CX XL:,CT)O.
MEMORANDUM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PAYMANEH MOUGHSOUDI, LIBRARIAN
GINNY DADAIAN, ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST
VIA: HENRY GARCIA, CITY ADMINISTRATOR
DATE: OCTOBER 4, 1993
SUBJECT: OVER-THE-AIR STATIONS
As of late afternoon today, October 4, 1993, Crown Cable notified staff that agreements have
been made with KCBS-TV, KNBC-TV, KTLA-TV, and KTTV-TV on carrying their respected
stations on the Crown Cable system.
The City is quite pleased with these negotiations, since there should be no interference with
coverage on these channels.
Please disregard agenda item G-10 due to the current information we received late today.
/tc