July 13, 2008

 

Public-access channel may face 50 percent funding reduction

People don't need to drive, bike or walk to the Civic Center to watch Great Falls City Commission meetings.

They can sit at home and, if they have a Bresnan cable subscription, watch the meetings live on Cable Channel 7.

However, the channel's future is up in the air as the city slashes its budget and its board tries to cope.

City officials are planning to cut Channel 7's budget in half this fiscal year.

The proposal follows some good news for the channel earlier this year, when the city purchased new video equipment so Channel 7 could broadcast City Commission regular meetings.

Bresnan Communications is expected to pay $615,000 in franchise fees to the city this budget year.

In contrast, the city of Missoula puts 65 percent of its franchise fees into public-access station Missoula Community Access Television under a contract that runs through 2010. In Great Falls, 65 percent would amount to $400,000, which is more than enough to keep Channel 7 afloat.

For now, franchise dollars are dumped into the general fund, which pays for police and fire services, recreation, public works and other services.

Last year, the channel received $44,059 from the city, and this year's budgeted figure was $46,565. The proposed amount for next budget year is $22,939 — about a 51 percent cut.

Five years ago, the city provided Channel 7 with $15,000 annually to cover the costs of broadcasting city meetings. At the time the channel was housed at Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology, and later at KTGF-TV, but it has no home this summer.

"They are residing in a closet," Cable Channel 7 backer and volunteer John Watts said last week.

The city's interest in Channel 7 appears to be broadcasting its meetings.

"I want to make sure that commission meetings stay on the air," City Manager Gregory Doyon told commissioners.

It could be difficult for the city to increase the Channel 7 budget because it would have to cut elsewhere. Doyon said it is important for Cable 7 to reinvigorate its governing board in order to improve its financial situation.

A 2006 survey of cities done for the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors showed that more than half of cable franchise money nationwide went into cities' general funds, while 11 percent went strictly to public-access TV channels and another 17 percent went to both overseeing cable operations and supporting public-access stations.