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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 1971-6108.. RESOLUTION N0. 6108 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA, ADOPTING A POLICY FOR CABLE TELEVISION CHANNEL RESERVATIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES A The City Council of the City of Chula Vista does hereby resolve as follows: WHEREAS, the Board of Education of the Sweetwater Union High School District, on the 18th day of March, 1971, adopted a resolution citing among other things the following developments of CATV (cable television): "WHEREAS all or part of the Sweetwater Union High School District lies within the jurisdiction of the City of Chula Vista being the granting authority for cable television (CATV) franchises, and "WHEREAS the Cable Television (CATV) industry is making an increased effort to install cable television systems in communities throughout San Diego County as well as the entire country, and "WHEREAS the potential of expanded cable television systems will provide high quality multi-channel signals beyond the current broadcast spectrum and opens possibilities for the creation of an Educational Resources Access System in education and government, including facilities for instruc- tional television, computer assisted instruction, computer services, and the transmission of instruction in verbal, written, or pictorial form, and "WHEREAS large corporations are being attracted by the potential economic benefits and through merger, acquisition and/or establishment of new franchises, and "WHEREAS local school systems recognize the urgency to share in the use of this public facility based upon proven successes of instructional television programming, and" WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista presently has adopted an ordinance granting a non-exclusive franchise to Mission Cable TV, and WHEREAS, additional franchises may be granted or the existing franchise may be amended at any time the Council desires to further the use of Cable TV as an educational tool, and WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista also desires the reservation of CATV circuits for transmission of community services or activities, e.g., fire and police protection, Council meetings, etc. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Chula Vista that the following policy be, and the same is hereby adopted: 1. That the City Council of_ the City of Chula Vista take steps to involve the San Diego County Board of Education, the Sweetwater Union Hiah School District and the Chula Vista City School District in all negotiations for franchise requests by cable television organizations; - 1 - 2. That, upon notice of intent by a cable television company to seek a franchise, immediate notice be forwarded to the Superintendents of the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Chula Vista City School District and the County Super- intendent of Schools to insure adequate representation during negotiations; 3. That each franchise considered shall provide that the grantee install into each elementary and secondary public school building and community college within the cable service area cable connections sufficient to enable each building to receive all programs transmitted over the system; 4. That each franchise considered shall incorporate a per- centage of cable system channel capacity commensurate with educational and community needs and potential. The per- centage specified in the franchise shall be based upon a traditionally established percentage of channels and/or facilities reserved especially for educational and community needs. Since the inception of radio and television, this percentage has been not less than twenty percent (200) and said twenty percent (200) shall be the percentage to be reserved. 5. That any franchise for cable television granted or amended by the Board of Supervisors, County of San Diego, and the Cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego, in which said school district lies all or in part designate in the franchise the San Diego County Board of Education and their representative, the County Superintendent of Schools, as the trustee of the cable television allocations for the purpose of assuring fair and equitable distribution of channel space resource among the various school districts involved. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk of the City of Chula Vista be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward certified copies of this resolution to the Superintendents of the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Chula Vista City School District. Presented by Approved as to form by ,~_- /~ - ~ "._ ~, ,~ -- ~_ _ ,. ~ - George Lind erg, City Attor y _. ~ - 2 - ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the CITY COUNCIL of the CTTY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, this 13th day of July , 19 71 by the following vote, to-wit: AYES : Councilmen Scott, Hobel, Hamilton NAYES : Councilmen None ABSENT : Councilmen Hyde, Egdahl Mayor of the City of Chula Vrs ~a ATTEST ~ ~ -City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA j COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO J ss. CITY OF CHULA VISTA ) IF JENNIE M<; FULASZn City Clerk of the City of Chula Vista,- California,, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the abo~re and foregoing is a full; true and correct copy of _, and that the same has not; been amended or repealed DATED City Clerk f~~~5 ~ ~ ~ ~, ,~ a 'f e' ~~ ~ ! ~.. ~ ~ ~~~yy ._,.,,f~,.«r...M OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: ,. ! d! ~ f! } t,e .y. y{ (5 _ C~t~ o~ C'~nuQa ~U~sta CALIFORNIA N'ay 2v~, x_971 The Honorable Mayor and City Council of the City of Chula Vista, John Thomson, City Manager .-., 4;'., George D. Lindberg, City Attorney .` CATV Use in School Educational Programs Having reviewed the resolution of the Board of Education of Sweetwater Union High School District, adopted March 18, 1971, I would recommend that the City Council adopt a policy resolution, incorporating the concepts set forth in said resolution. A sample resolution is attached for your consideration. Your direction is requested. GDL:bjn Attachment ~~ to ~ O 8 (n-17-'1/ dfy favors cable TV Chula Vista thinks Mission Cable TV should reserve channel space for future educational programs, but the City Council doesn't want to renegotiate the company's franchise to assure that reservation. Instead, the council this week called for a resolution stating its endorsement of the concept of reserving 20% of the channel space for educational usage. COUNCILMEN weren't ready to include that requirement in the fran-~ chise with Mission Cable since no one knows now just how many channels that 20% aright eventually represent. Currently Mission Cable has 12 channels, and company official Gary Hokenson indicated the company wouldn't want to give up 20% of that total. However, he said the company is more than willing to provide air time for education programs. 3'Itie : future cables may bring as ~q:y 72 channels, with a 40-channel eapa}ey seen within the next five gears. And the company would then be willing ~to set aside needed channels for school use, Hokenson said. SCHOOL OFFICIALS from both the Chula Vista Elementary District and Sweetwater High School District were on hand at the council meeting to make their pitch for television time. As envisioned by Joe Odenthal of the elementary district, cable television has almost unlimited uses for the schools. Not only would it bring televised educational programs into the schools, but it would act as a two-way communication with such far flung uses as a fire alarm system. More im- for educd mediately, the county plans to use television next year for distribution of films. Currently the county goes out once a week delivering films to schools. Using .television, the film could be shown at night, recorded•at the various schools and then used the next day for classes. THE MEETINGf this week was to make sure that when the schools can afford to make such wide uses of cable television the channel space is available. Donald Hillier, the high school district's coordinator of audio-visual education, insisted that unless the city, which holds the franchise for cable television, acts to preserve the channel space the schools could be left out in the cold. Hokenson repeatedly said the cable company would be willing to cooperate with the schools. But he objected that, "We've yet to have one person from the education community to come sit down and talk with us about what is available for education." HOURS COULD be made available for educational uses now on channels that are blacked out from Los Angeles, he said. He sold he understood necessary converter equipment is not available raw at a price schools can afford. But Hillier said the equipment at individual schools would cost only $400 and that needed for transmission would cost $14,000 - a price within reach since districts plan to pool their resources. SCHOOL OFFICIALS indicated they did not want the city to immediately take action to change the cable TV company's franchise to require the preservation for educational uses. But the schools wanted the city to consider such a requirement when the time comes for moditying the franchise clause. The resolution called for would so state the council's intent. Currently the city has a non- exclusive franchise with Mission Cable, which pays 2% a year on its gross revenues. For several years the company has been unable to expand into new sections of the city because of a freeze placed by the Federal Communications Commission. That freeze is expected to be lifted soon, and Mission Cable is planning major expansions and overhaul of its system, including the change to dual 20-cable channels. COUNCILMAN Frank Scott , to know if Imperial Beach 'gsr~€ta a! franchise with a 5% fee (cUa're~fiy bo- ing negotiated), would Mission Cable' come to Chula Vista and offer the same. Hokenson admitted the .company probably wouldn't offer to increase its franchise fee but would be willing to talk about it. While officials had a cable TV representative before them, they buttonholed him about poor reception on local channels. Hokenson briefly explained the problem of a double signal received by sets from local stations - one signal from the cable and another from the air. Those signals arrive at slightly different times, giving a double image. •~~ ~~c~-~ - (o ~ 0 g