Cable Fund Access Board Meeting Notice

 

The next CFAB Access Originator meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov 9, 2023 at 5:30 pm in the City Council Courtroom of Citizens Square, in the Garden Level.  The Cable Fund Access Board will hear grant requests from local educational organizations and non-profits.  This is a public meeting, and citizens are welcome to speak.

If you have interest in the Cable Fund Advisory Board activities you may join the Cable Fund Interest Group (CFIG) mailing list at the following link: CFAB Interest Group Mailing List Subscription

 

Board Members

Councilperson Michelle Chambers
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James Haley - Mayoral appointment
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Rachel Blakeman - Mayoral appointment
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Bernard Lohmuller - Mayoral appointment
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Virginia Richardson - Council appointment
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Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The primary purpose of the cable fund is to enhance public, educational, and government access television within the City of Fort Wayne, through the effective use of cable television franchise fee receipts.

  • Effectively and efficiently administer the grant program.

  • Continually monitor the cable provider's compliance with the franchise agreement.

  • Respond to citizen complaints regarding cable television service and resolve any cable television related complaints as quickly and equitably as possible. City jurisdiction regarding rate complaints is federally limited to regulating certain equipment charges and to regulating subscription fees for Limit Basic Service.

For information pertaining to rules and regulations involving cable television franchising within the City of Fort Wayne, please see Municipal Codes 111.01 - 111.36.

General Information

The funds used by the City for cable related purposes represents 40% of the franchise fee revenues collected by Comcast Cablevision and Frontier Communications.  The funds are paid to the City as compensation for use of the public rights of way, as authorized by federal law. The balance of the franchise receipts are deposited into the General Fund and used to off-set other City non-cable related operating expenses.

Access Originator Grants: Municipal Code 111.34 stipulates that 80% of this budget be disbursed, as recommended by the Cable Fund Advisory Board, to the four access channel originators in our community: educational access Channel 56, operated by Indiana University/Purdue University; public access Channel 57, operated by the Allen County Public Library; government access Channel 58, managed by the City of Fort Wayne with daily operations subcontracted to the Allen County Public Library; and educational access Channel 54, operated by Fort Wayne Community Schools.

Non-access Originator Grants: G-27-95 95 also specifies that 10% of this budget be available as grants to not-for-profit organizations located within Fort Wayne that do not originate an access station, for the purpose of enhancing local access. These grants can be used in a variety of ways, as long as it relates to access television. These grants can be used to reimburse personnel expenses, overhead costs, production costs, operation expenses, and equipment expenses, as approved through the Cable Fund Advisory Board and City Council.

City Administrative Expenses: The remaining 10% of this budget is used to offset administrative expenses related to the grant program and related to cable television franchising issues.