LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Tuesday directed staff to draft an ordinance that would establish a 1-percent pass-through fee to Mediacom cable subscribers to help fund Channel 8, the county”s Public, Education and Government (PEG) channel.
The drafted ordinance would be brought back for discussion at a future public meeting only if the city councils of Clearlake and Lakeport also indicate support for the same fee.
The decision came after an 80-minute discussion during Tuesday”s regular meeting at the Lake County Courthouse.
Mediacom representative Shawn Swatosh said the company would only be comfortable with the pass-through fee if all three county jurisdictions supported it because the proceeds would affect a channel that all cable subscribers can access and it would be unfair for subscribers in one area to enjoy the benefits without paying the fee.
State law allows local governments to implement a fee of up to 1-percent of cable provider”s gross revenue to help support local PEG channels, according to deputy county administrator Jeff Rein.
The average Mediacom cable subscriber pays $63.95 per month, Swatosh said, meaning the monthly fee would average an additional 64 cents per bill. The fee would apply to cable subscribers and not individuals who only use Mediacom”s Internet or telephone services, Swatosh said.
The fee would create an estimated $55,000 in annual funds, if established in all three jurisdictions, according to PEG Channel Board of Directors vice chair Vincent Metzger.
The projected fee revenue would be a “minimum amount” compared to what other PEG stations ask of their local governments, PEG board chair and Clearlake Mayor Joyce Overton told the BOS.
Channel 8 currently operates on a real budget of less than $10,000 using a staff of local volunteers, Overton said. Without the funding increase, “this station will become non-existent,” she said.
The station”s needs far outweigh its annual revenues, and the pass-through fee would help address immediate and long-term objectives, Metzger said. The BOS heard that some future goals include remote broadcasting, Internet streaming, hiring a paid full-time manager, updated equipment and more original content.
District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith, a PEG board member, said that increased funding could help Channel 8 become “a real asset to Lake County.”
Channel 8 could benefit from adding programming developed by high schools, increasing notice of local events to residents and vacationers and live broadcasting of county sporting events, especially playoff games, Smith said.
Current Channel 8 content includes some public meetings, cooking shows, cartoons, church services, college classes and a community events bulletin board, Overton said. Any interested citizen can submit content, which would be guaranteed to air as long as it adheres to federal decency guidelines, she said.
The BOS heard that the estimated fee revenue would also help Channel 8 replace essential equipment that is currently failing.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown asked whether fundraising or other funding options could be explored rather than implementing a fee that would be applied to all Mediacom cable subscribers, even those who don”t watch or use Channel 8.
“There have to be ways people can voluntarily contribute,” Brown said.
Current revenue tools, such as membership fees and donations, do not provide enough funding to improve the station, Metzger said.
One Channel 8 volunteer suggested to the BOS that the improvements realized because of the fee revenue could lead to better station fundraising, using increased DVD sales as an example.
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said any drafted ordinance should include language guaranteeing financial accountability.
The BOS voted 4-1 to support the request in concept and direct staff to draft an ordinance calling for the 1-percent pass-through fee for Mediacom subscribers in the unincorporated areas of the county. Brown dissented.
Future BOS consideration of the drafted ordinance would depend on whether both city councils support the fee. Overton said she plans to approach her council as well as the Lakeport City Council about having the fee request placed on future agendas.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
