[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Southampton 3-8-2005 by L.L. No. 9-2005. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Advisory committees — See Ch. 12.
A. 
The purpose of this chapter is to codify the rules and procedures governing the use of the Southampton Town Education/Governmental Channel. In 2002, the Town of Southampton created the Education/Governmental Committee to administer the Education/Governmental Channel. The committee is comprised of various representatives from local schools, who determine the types of programs that air on the channel. Since the inception of this channel, programming has increased dramatically.
B. 
The Town Board of the Town of Southampton recognizes that this channel serves as an important learning tool for the community. The channel can be used to teach educational classes to residents who otherwise would have no opportunity to enroll in such classes. The needs of the administration of the channel have grown. It is desirable to create an administrative position of executive director, which would be responsible for overseeing and managing the channel.
C. 
The executive director shall be responsible for technology implementation, broadcast operation, program scheduling and production, station branding, creative direction, content, and program development. The executive director shall also be responsible for community outreach to local school districts to provide a forum for editorial and public discourse on educational issues as well as government relations and police and emergency services.
D. 
This chapter also authorizes an appropriation of special franchise fees from the cable service provider based on a percentage of gross revenues, to ensure future funding for the administration and operation of this channel.
This chapter is enacted pursuant to the provisions of Section 595.4 of New York State Public Service Commission Cable TV Rules and Regulations.
A. 
The Town Board shall create the position of Executive Director to oversee and manage the Education/Governmental Channel.
B. 
The Executive Director is charged by the Town Board with authority to administer and operate the Education/Governmental Channel all in furtherance of the legislative purposes set forth in § 13-1 above.
The Executive Director shall have such duties as the Town Board may from time to time prescribe, including but not limited to the following:
A. 
Administrative responsibilities, including overall channel supervision, interface with Education/Governmental Committee by attending all meetings and directly reporting to the Chair of the Committee, design and implement a development strategy and timeline to achieve those goals, create all operating budgets and development schedules, recruit all channel staff, interns, and volunteers, establish relations with technology providers, vendors, educational organizations and community groups, submit a yearly budget to the Education/Governmental Committee and find additional sources of funding through grants.
B. 
Technology implementation, including supervising the budgeting, purchasing, installation and maintenance of the channel, design and oversee the installation of the broadcast control and tape insertion system, design and install a non-linear digital video editing system with broadcast graphics and animation capabilities and design and maintain an inventory of all channel equipment.
C. 
Broadcast operation responsibilities, including implement a reliable automated programming insertion process, oversee the building of the Bulletin Board of channel programs and distribute to education/governmental entities within the Town, train staff and interns of the routines and guidelines for broadcast operations, and develop insertion point facilities and protocols.
D. 
Program schedule and production responsibilities, including develop a flexible program schedule that can accommodate program changes and evolve to serve the needs of the audience, supervise the acquisition and insertion of program content, provide direction for taping of various regularly scheduled events and supervise field production staff, and develop and maintain files of all programming.
E. 
Station branding and creative direction, including station identity, related art and design for on-air identification, special programming, community announcements, printed collateral, and development of promotion campaigns to increase public awareness about the channel and its mission.
F. 
Content and program development, including community content opportunities and develop original programming, recruit talent for on-camera performances, writing, on-air announcements and voiceovers.
G. 
Public and community services, including develop community on-air service and a public information system, build ties with local school districts to provide a forum for editorial and public discourse on educational issues, and develop relations with governmental, police and emergency services to help promote public awareness on community issues.
A. 
Revenue is received by the Town of Southampton through the collection of a special franchise fee from cable television services.
(1) 
The fee is calculated by taking a percentage of the cable service provider gross earnings associated with the local franchise.
(2) 
Up to 30% of the amount received from the cable service provider franchise fee shall be allocated for the support of the Education/Government Channel.
[Amended 9-27-2011 by L.L. No. 31-2011]
B. 
The Comptroller shall record any money received for the support of the government channel in a separate fund known as the "Town of Southampton Education/Government Channel Fund."
[Amended 9-27-2011 by L.L. No. 31-2011]
(1) 
Any surplus remaining at the end of the fiscal year shall be carried forward as fund balance of the Town of Southampton Education/Government Channel Fund for capital reserve.
(2) 
Revenue other than that described in Subsection A(2) above shall be placed in a dedicated account to be used for a specific purpose. The use of these funds shall be regulated under the same terms and conditions as funds collected pursuant to Subsection A(2).
(3) 
The Comptroller shall determine the appropriate account to record the proceeds collected for the support of the Education/Governmental Committee.
C. 
The Education/Governmental Channel Committee shall prepare annual operating and capital budgets in accordance to the policies governing the Town's budget process and schedule.
D. 
All Education/Governmental Channel expenses shall be regulated by the Town of Southampton's procurement policies and procedures.