[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.
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.
(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.
