Lancaster California, City Hall

LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL & GOVERNMENTAL YES...
BUT NOT FULLY! -- SEE BELOW...

MUCH TO THE SURPRISE OF ITS CITIZENS, THERE
IS NO FULL COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC ACCESS IN LANCASTER...


Although unwritten, the process from our observation has been as follows: To obtain Public Access ... One has to have the incentive to follow through, and understand what Public Access is by first finding like persons interested, forming a small ad hoc committee of, say, 5 or 6 persons to start, and address and demand from the City Council to include the request (1984 Cable Comm. Act) for Public Access in the City's Franchise Agreement with the municipal cable provider. They should show a need and desire on the part of the community for that entity. They only need to request Public Access, although it may, or may not want Government and Educational as well. Franchise agreements are traditionaly renewed every fifteen years. City Managers are the initial contact, and can/will influence Council decisions, particularly in these matters.
or
The City itself can demand it from the cable provider, either Public, Educational or Governmental Access, all three. This is usually organized through the City Manager.
Specific requests should be outlined in the Franchise Agreement; studio requests, personnel, annual maintenance fees, and the decision of who will pay. The cable provider has the money... not the City, although there are cases where the city pays. This is a most important bottom line, as in Beverly Hills the City there did not like paying for what they had already paid a million dollars for. (??) See http://www.bhtv.org website.

IN LANCASTER: You may want to review the Franchise for Lancaster, CA, (Ordinance No. 404) of March 1986, and note on page 8 a request for up to three channels for PEG (Public Educational Government) usage; HOWEVER, only after the Local Origination Channel ceases to meet the demands of PEG. The demand must justify the need, according to the Franchise. It opens the door for a (full) PEG facility, but ties up the process in the wording of that Franchise. Should the City demand the "door be opened" there is further wording on page 26 of the Franchise that lays out basic details of operation. Meanwhile, It appears that the cable provider regulates the Public Access entity stated in the Franchise, but should do so with caution, as Public Access is commonly thought to be protected in the area of free speech due to the origin of its mandate, the Congressional decision and their ruling in the 1984 Cable communications Act.
Our reccommendation? Get that City to re-negotiate with the cable provider; the ground work is already laid out in the 1986 Franchise.




EXERPT FROM CITY OF LANCASTER FRANCHISE AGREEMENT

More details pending, as citizens organize!

Citizens of Lancaster concerned should email:
accessgranted@publicaccess.org