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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,August 13,2012 <br /> Page 9 <br /> nical capability and quality, indicating that high-definition production was needed <br /> as part of the long-term equipment replacement. As part of the fee audit, Ms. Wil- <br /> son reviewed some issues regarding how Comcast accounted for their advertising <br /> revenue and how that revenue was allocated for subscribers taking "double" and <br /> "triple" play; with Comcast unable to provide formulas for those allocations, creat- <br /> ing an impasse of the parties. <br /> In conclusion, Ms. Wilson noted that CTV had just celebrated their first anniversary <br /> in their new facility; and the new space was working out well, and invited Coun- <br /> cilmembers and the public to tour the facility. Ms. Wilson highlighted their youth <br /> media program and collaborative programming for youth with the Roseville branch <br /> of the Ramsey County Library. <br /> As part of diversifying funding sources, Ms. Wilson advised that a Strategic Plan- <br /> ning Study Group had been created, of which Mayor Roe was a part. Ms. Wilson <br /> noted several awards won by CTV again this year; and their preparation for annual <br /> election coverage. <br /> Mayor Roe pointed out that City Manager Malinen was also serving on the Fran- <br /> chise Renewal Advisory Group, and that the franchise expiration was in October or <br /> November of 2013. <br /> Ms. Wilson noted that the existing franchise could be extended if negotiations were <br /> not finalized by then; and further noted that it was quite typical that they were not <br /> completed on time. Ms. Wilson, noting that the current franchise was very good, <br /> opined that extending that franchise agreement would not be a bad thing for mem- <br /> ber cities. <br /> Discussion included current Roseville equipment versus what was needed to en- <br /> hance production and broadcast and affiliated costs for funding the public educa- <br /> tion/government (PEG) access fee, currently at $3.49 per month per subscriber and <br /> the need to avoid overburdening subscribers while sustaining operations. Ms. Wil- <br /> son noted the related work in diversifying funding sources and not simply relying <br /> on cable franchise fees to address those future equipment and operating needs. <br /> Further discussion included documents available on the CTV website and those not <br /> yet available for public dissemination during the negotiation process; percentage of <br /> gross revenues of Comcast accounting for the franchise fee cable allotment for reg- <br /> ulatory activities and individual member city's communications related activities; <br /> and changes in the ownership and operations of the cable company over the years. <br /> Ms. Wilson reviewed some of the options to ensure that the cable operation is sup- <br /> ported for basic funding, while at the same time protecting subscribers from signifi- <br /> cant increases. <br />