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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0173.094February 24, 1994 The Honorable City Council Palo ~to, California ~ . / -'- 7 C'b1KA4t;lpg Keating_ of the Board of Educatign on Goverpmept Access 0,,"_1 1.' !=gr1: 1a Iri of The purpose of this report is to request Council approval to expand the policy guidelines for Government Access Channel 16 to allow including the cablecaeting of the meetings of the Palo Alto Unified School District's Board of Education. In July 1986, Council adopted five purpoees of video programming: 1) improve the quality of City services; 2) help the public make better use of City services; 3) reduce costs and/o!:' improve the efficiency of gove1"IDl'lent program.9 an6 operations; 4) report City news and City­ sponsored events; and 5) educate the public in the areas of public health, safe.ty and welfare. Five modes of cablecasting were also approved at the same time; they are live cablecast, video information, tape delayed ca.blecaBt, department produced programs, and outside resource programs. Zn May 1989, Council approved the intent to have City council, Council Ccamittee, and Planning Ccnmnission meetings cablecClated and, on the recc""''DEandatioD of the Policy and Procedu.re& Committee, approved the following policy guidelines, 1. Progr-u.!f pOlicy Programming is designed to provide direct, non-editorial information to Palo Alto citizens concerning the operations and deliberations of City government. The Gover.nment Acceea Channel will not be a political or public forum, nor a meane of building support for any particular policy, program or iBBue~ Announcements for authorized City events will be allowed; announcements of outside agencies for events in which the City is not an official participant or co-sponsor will Dot be permitted. 2. Ace ... Policy "Access to the local government channel will be limited to City functions and operations. All public meetings of City policy making or advisory ------~-.. _- -,'" commissions, Buch as Council, Council committee CL~d Planning commission, will be authorized for cablecast. Requests for access to the government accelll!lll channel for the purpose of advocating a personal \riewpoint or policy will be denied. Requests for access from outside agencies of which the City is not an official sponsor will not be permitted. The franchise provides tor separate government, education and public access channels. 3. B4it1DIJ Policy :Any public meeting cablecast will not be edited or subjected to edi.torial ccmme.nt. Meeting coverage will be from "gavel to ga.vel. -Any public JDeosti:c.g taped for delayed broadcast.ing will be shown in its entirety. The City of Palo ~to. its officers, employees and agents shall not warrant the accuracy of any information cablecast over the cable channel. No user of the government channel shall endorse any products for consumer use. 5. 1'rc8>Uop Policy Promotional ~~~cements for City-sponsored events are acceptable for cilblecasting. Promotional announcements for events, charities or outside organizations, in which the City is not a participant or sponsor. viII not be allowed. Diasm,·iqn In November 19'93, a citizen, James Lewis, contacted the City asking wheder the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Bducation meetings could be broadcast on Government Access Channel 16. Staff respond.ed that Channel 16 policy guidelines do not provide for the cablecasting of non-City or City sponsored meetings and tr..at the PAUSD Board of ~ducatioD meetinge are more appropriate for cablecasting on one of the two educational channels, Channel 50 Foothill College or 51 Stanford University. Mr. Lewis cODtacted both stations and was turned down. Both stations felt the replay of Board of Education meetings were move -governmental-than -educational-and were more appropriate for Channel 16. until the week of February 14. 1954. the PAUSD Board of Education meetings were replayed on the Public Access Channel 6 on the first and third. Wedn.esClays at ::z :00 p.m. Beginning February 15, cable Co-op began cablecasting the California Channel in the dayt~ slot on Channel 6. Be~aus~ of the educational channel's decline to cable cast and the loss of a time slot on the public access channel, this topic was discussed at the City/School Liaison Committee meeting of February 17. y~. Lewis and the PAUSD committee members reiterated their request t~~t staff present to Council for consideration the taped delayed cablecast of the PAUSD 2 -', -i Board of Bducation meetings, at a time as close as possible to the actual Board meetings, on Government Access Channel 16. CenP1tylsm Xf council wishes to approve the taped delayed cablecaBt of the PAUSD Board of Education meetings on Government Access C'nannel 16; the policy guidelines for access will need to be changed to read; -Access to the local government channel will be limited to governmental fWlctions and operations. All public meetings of City and Board of Education policy making O~ advisory commissions will be authorized for cablecast. Requests for access to the government access channel for the p"lJrpose of advocating a personal viewpoint or policy will be denied. Requests for access from outside agencies of which the City or Board of Education is not an official ~ponsor will not be permitted. The franchise provides for separate government, education and public access channels.· It is important to note that th;.s change would allow any Board of Education within the cable Co-op service area to request a taped delayed cablecaat of their Board meetings on Channel 16. At this 't.ime, only the City of Palo Alto cablecasts live meetings and only the City of Palo ~to and the Town of Atherton show tape delayed meetings . ..,. rstatioa Staff recommends that Council approve the change to Channel 16 policy guidelines to a.llow for the taped delayed cable cast of Board of Bducation meetings at a time agreeable to both parties. Respectful1y submitted .Q~...1.. 'fl--tll Dianah Neff ~ Cirector l Information Resources CHt:173:94 3 ./ ...