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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-16-1999 - 9f2 Time Warner has indicated live telecast of the meetings would require construction of fiber optic cable to the Southern Human Services Center and the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom. The cost to the County for extending fiber optic cable to the Southern Human Services Center would be $25, 871 and $20,388 to the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom. On September 18, 1999 the Cable Committee Chair and staff discussed options for telecasting Board meetings with Commissioners Mazgazet Brown and Moses Carey. Commissioners' Brown and Cazey and the Cable Committee agreed on the following phased. approach for telecasting Board meetings: Phase I Tape delay of County Commissioners' Meetings at the Southern Human Services Center and the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom should be considered after the Board has reviewed all cost associated with the taping. Phase II The audiovisual engineering plan (design and purchase of cameras/equipment) for Southern Human Services Center and F. Gordon Battle Courtroom should not be considered until a site plan for the Hillsborough Court Campus Master Plan have been developed. Phase III Consider an audiovisual engineering plan for live telecast of commissioners meetings at a later date. Before discussing this venture, determine which County appointed advisory boards would be interested in live telecast. Estimated cost for camera/equipment would be approximately $125,000- $200,000 for one meeting room. , Commissioner Brown and Cazey also agreed to meet with The Peoples Channel and the Cable Committee to discuss the actual tapping of meetings including camera angles and lighting before tape delay telecast begins. Since the County does not have a cable franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable all costs for telecasting will be derived from County funds. Under a cable franchise agreement with Time Warner, the cable operator could be required to provide capital equipment for telecasting commissioners meetings. Time Warner could use the following methods of payments: (a) purchase the equipment with no cost to the County; (b) purchase the equipment and pay a portion of the total cost, and charge the cable subscribers in the unincorporated azeas of the County a monthly repayment fee over a period of one yeaz or several yeazs; or (c) purchase the equipment then chazge the cable subscribers a monthly repayment fee over a period of one year or several yeazs for the total cost. Chick Krautler, Executive Director, Triangle J Council of .Governments has provided the attached update on regional negotiations with Time Warner Cable and will present the key points which have prevented a successful franchise negotiation between Time Warner and regional local governments. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost for telecasting County Commissioners Meetings on a tape delay basis will be $18,000 annually and this amount is included in the 1999-2000 approved budget. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager concurs with the phased approach suggested by the Cable Committee for telecasting Commissioners Meetings; and recommends (1) a performance agreement between The Peoples Channels and the County be reviewed by the Boazd, and (2) tape delay of regular Commissioners Meetings begin in February 2000. 1 Wo~id Ciass Region TF~IANGLE J COUNCfL OF GOVERNMENTS 3 42?.~ Empcsor4oWevard • thirham, fYC 27703 MaWng Addetas: P.O. Booc t2Z76 Rcscsrch Tri~t~gk Puk, NC 27209 9t4.549.055t swx:9t9S49.9390 MEMORANDUM November 8, 1999 TO: FAOM: SUBJECT: Cable Consortium { Renee i3oyette Q Lt~' Franchise Negotiations Update We wanted to let everyone know what is going on with franchise negotiations with Time blamer Cable. At the beginning of 1.999 the negotiating team fact reasonably close to reaching an agreement on the franchises.. As you are aware we no longer seem to be making any prognrss. The negotiating team includes Peter Bine, Bob Morgan and Albert Kittrelf along with Bob Sepe, Dave Permar and TJCOG staff. This group has worked very hard to produce a franchise document that will benefit all the comrnuntti®s involved. They have put in many long hours and have met with TWC representatives numerous times to resolve the outstanding issues. On October 5~'the full consortium met to receive a report from its technical and legal advisors. At that time David Permar identified the main issues remaining to be resolved. Those issues are provisions relating to length of the franchise; definition of gross revenue; level playing field language; transfer language; and PEG access n~quirements. Time blamer would like`to have a tweroty-year franchise agn~ement; the consortium is offering aten-year agreement. 4 Time Wamer agrees that any intemet acx:ess they offer over the cable system would fall under the definition of grass revenues. However,. they have not responded to out request for information as to how they intend to treat~revenues from third parties that might "rent" band width from Tirne Warner in order to offer intemet access.. Time Wamer is requesting "level playing field" language that would require the Grantor to amend. the franchise if a franchise is issued. to any other operator with moro favorable or leaa burdensome temps. TWC also wants to leave open the possibitity of expanding th® franchise to include other communications services and does not want to include language chat will prohibit TWC from taking anti- competitive actions. TJCOG ~necommends that these requests not be gn~nted. Time Wamer also wants language that would allow the transfer of the franchise to another entity under common ownership without requiring grantor approval.. They also want to include a rebuttable presumption that a transfer of 109'0 interest is a transf®r of control; and to restrict the right of the grantor from reviewing a sale price for rate-making purposes. Mr. Sepe and Mr. Permar are advising against this approach. Regarding PEG across, TWC requested TJC4G submit a proposal for public access. Bob Sepe and ~e staff at Raleigh Community Television put together this proposal and submitted it for review to TWC's PEG consultant. A response from TWC's consultant was recent received; Sepe has submitted a second proposal considering and incorporating some of the consultant's suggestions. TWC has proposed a capital contribution to PEG. access of $244,559 for the entire consortium. Mr. Sepe has detem~ined the minimum amount necessary for PEG access senrices for the consortium is $533,603, a cost of $0.15 per subscriber per month over aten-year period. Under Sepe's scenario, local governments would still have to contribute a portion of th®ir franchise fees to cover the annual opera#ing exRenses and to equip meeting rooms for telecasting. We understand this ronewal proCOSS has taken tonger than anticipated, making some councils and commissions. uncomfortable. if you would like to have one of our staff or a member of the negotiating team address this issue at a council meeting, please feel fn~e to contact us. ff you have any questions regarding these issues please feel fre®to Contact me at 558-9403 or,by email at rhoyette®tjcog.org. bob Sepe can be reached at 880-3521 or by email at s~p~~sleigh=nc.org. TOTAL F'.03 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date:. November 16, 1999 Action Agenda Item No. q -.~` SUBJECT: Telecasting County Commissioners Meetings and Cable Franchise Negotiations Update DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S):. INFORMATION CONTACT: Franchise Negotiations Update Albert Kittrell, ext 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider telecasting County Commissioners Meetings on tape delay basis and receive an update on Time Warner Cable franchise negotiations i BACKGROUND: In March 1999 staff solicited proposals to telecast Board meetings. The Peoples Channel submitted the only proposal. On Apri120, 1999 .the Peoples Channel taped the Board meeting to demonstrate the quality of their video production. During the spring and summer of 1999 the Cable. TV Citizen Advisory Committee and staff initiated several discussions regarding the. telecasting of Board meetings with the Peoples Channel and Time Warner. Cable. The following are the most important points of the discussions with the Peoples Channel and Time Warner Cable: • The Peoples Channel will provide the video production for regular Board meetings at a cost of $750.00 per meeting or $18,000 annually. • The Peoples Channel. is prepared to video meetings other than commissioners regular Board meetings at an amount to be negotiated before each meeting. • Based on the Peoples Channel audio/visual engineer, the meeting room at the Southern Human Services Center does not require retrofitting to telecast commissioners meetings, however, the lighting must be adjusted to eliminate glare. The F. Gordon Battle Courtroom will require portable lighting and equipment for each meeting to enhance video production. • Three cameras with operators will provide the coverage.. Their cameras will be located in the most unobtrusive areas of the room.