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Home My WebLink About11/02/2006 CABLE TV COMMISSION November 2, 2006 4:00 p.m. Mollenhoff Conference Room Members present: Vice Chairperson Janet Longus, Ed Hutches, Larry Herzog, Noel Thornsberry. Members absent: Dan Evanson, Willie Cody. Also present: Doug Nix, Lee Grassley, Ed Stoffer. Moved by Hutchens, seconded by Herzog that the Agenda, as amended, be approved. Ayes: Four. Absent: Evanson, Cody. Motion carried. Moved by Herzog, seconded by Hutchens that the Minutes of September 7, 2006, as amended, be approved. Ayes: Four. Absent: Evanson, Cody. Motion carried. Financial Report Nancy Eckert, City Clerk, distributed copies of the Public Access Studio Budget for the month ending October 31, 2006 and reviewed expenditures. Report From Mediacom Net Doug Nix, Area Manager for Mediacom Communications Corporation, distributed and reviewed the October and November 2006 reports. Mr. Nix reported that the volume of trouble calls has decreased. Report From CT Production Coordinator Ed Stoffer, Cable Television Production Coordinator, reported the new switcher has been installed. New programming includes: LC & Company and Today's Bowhunter Television. The studio has received a few tapes relating to the elections. Letters have been mailed to public access users concerning scheduling of programs. The new schedule takes effect January 1, 2007. There were no committee reports. New Business Ms. Eckert explained the city has received the class action lawsuit regarding the cable franchise fees. The lawsuit concerns franchise fees and not the PEG fees. The city has retained Ahlers Law Firm to represent them in the lawsuit. Mr. Nix explained the process of converting the PEG channels from analog to digital in 2009 as required by law. Mediacom will convert programming from the public access channels from analog to digital on no cost. If the city wants higher quality products, they will have the capability to deliver a digital signal from City Hall. In order to use the digital signal, all equipment in the public access studio would need to be converted to digital. Ms. Eckert explained that the strategy for the public access studio has been to purchase digital equipment as the old equipment wears out. Lee Grassley, Manager of Mediacom Government Relations, stated he feels the 2009 deadline could be problematic because there will still be many persons without digital television. Mr. Grassley noted that the franchise agreement with the city requires Mediacom to carry the public access channels as long as the city can transmit a signal, be it analog or digital. Mr. Nix explained the situation with the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. Sinclair is the corporate owner of KGAN, Channel 13 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 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