City of San Antonio - File #: 15-4187

• File #: 15-4187
• Type: Purchase of Services
• In control: City Council A Session
• On agenda: 9/17/2015
• Posting Language: An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of a Low Power Television Station in an amount up to $270,000.00 from the Public, Education, and Government Fund. [Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/17/2015	1	City Council A Session	Motion to Approve	Pass

DEPARTMENT: Government & Public Affairs
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jeff Coyle, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Purchase of a Low Power Television (LPTV) Station
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the City to purchase a Low Power Television (LPTV) Station (frequency), KTDF channel 23, from Joseph W. Shaffer that will allow over-the-air broadcasting to an area that includes approximately 1,960,277 citizens, for a total cost of $270,000.00 and will appropriate funds from the Public, Education, and Government (PEG) Fund.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio's Government Access content is currently only viewable to San Antonio area residents who have paid subscription services, like Time Warner Cable, AT&T U-Verse, and Grande Communications. As a result, City Council meetings are currently not accessible to residents by an over-the-air antenna. The purchase of the KTDF channel 23 station (frequency), will allow residents in San Antonio and surrounding areas view to City Council meetings and government access programming content free of charge. The purchase of the TV station is the initial phase of the project that will allow the City to broadcast Government Access content over-the-air. When Council authorizes the purchase, our attorneys will request that the FCC transfer the frequency to the City of San Antonio. That process will take up to two months. The City will then purchase the equipment necessary to broadcast its content over the air. That purchase will be approximately $100,000. The equipment will be purchased through a bid process and brought to Council in the near future. The entire process is expected to run through January 2016.
ISSUE:
There is a large population of residents in San Antonio and its surrounding areas that do not subscribe to a cable provider, which inhibits their participation and access to city government meetings and other government content.
ALTERNATIVES:
San Antonio residents will only be abl...