Cambria CSD President Harry Farmer is shown at a recent meeting broadcast through the PEG Access system. Photo from slo-span.org
Citizens who like to watch the happenings at local government meetings on TV will be able to continue to do so in two North Coast communities, after County Supervisors approved grants for so-called Public, Education and Government (PEG) Access programming.
County administrators sought approval for two grants — one to the Cambria Community Services District for $39,080 and one to the Los Osos CSD for $20,032 out of the County Public Work’s “Services to Special Districts” fund.
The money comes out of the local cable TV companies’ fees charged to customers and is made available for locally produced programming, mostly live broadcasting of public meetings.
“On June 18, 2002,” reads a report from Wendy Hall, Public Works’ Administrative Division Manager, “the County Board of Supervisors adopted a policy directing the PEG Trust Fund to be allocated in equal thirds to PEG Access programs.
“The money in the Trust Fund has been collected from local communities through provisions in their cable TV franchise agreements.”
The County’s policy on doling out the trust fund monies calls for the administration to divide it equally between the three areas of PEG, with specific uses for the government portions.
According to the report, “The Special Districts shall be utilized for the Governmental Access portion of the PEG Trust Funds under the following criteria:
• The Government Access Portion of the PEG Trust Funds be allocated to the Special District(s) in the communities from which the funds were collected.
• If a particular community has multiple Special Districts, then those districts must build a consensus on how to share or utilize the funds before the money is distributed.
• Where possible, partnerships with the educational community and public access should be developed for joint benefit.”
According to Hall, the two CSDs will use the money “to purchase cable broadcasting equipment that will enhance the PEG channel programming for the community.”
Both Cambria and Los Osos CSDs broadcast their meetings via contracts with AGP Video of Morro Bay, which broadcasts them live on cable Channel 20 in each community. The meetings are also streamed live and past meetings are archived on slo-span.org so folks outside the community or those without cable service can tune in as well.
