Restore 05-06 Funding For Public Access TV

Access SF's Optimum Funding Level for the 05-06 fiscal year has been adjusted from $774K to NO LESS THAN $811K. When signing this petition, we invite you to be a strong advocate for this change in the dollar amount. As such, what follows is a statement prepared by Access SF that provides helpful background on our budget situation. ---------------------------------------- - Background on how the City has arrived at 96K in funding cuts for public access Access SF has a renewable contract with the City & County of San Francisco to manage public access. In 2002, the contract or grant agreement was written in such a way that it defines (2) funding scenarios. The first is at an annual level of $678,000, a level that is guaranteed by the contract. The second is referred to as an “enhanced level” - up to an annual budget of $811,000 – a level that is contingent on the City locating other grants that it can make available to public access. And, while there has never been a guarantee that public access would receive more than $678 annually, at both levels the City expressly outlines extensive goals and deliverables that are considered benchmarks of a successful grantee. Over the last (3) fiscal years, Access SF has been funded at either the $811K or $774K annual operating level (in part due to our own well managed finances that have allowed for rollover funds each year that support our ability to meet the enhanced funding scenario.) As such, we’ve made great strides around ensuring that the agency is effective at delivering those services that are required at an enhanced funding level. These added services are specifically called out in our grant agreement with the City, and they cover the areas of outreach / collaborations, training, and production/equipment/facilities. It should be noted that Access SF has consistently been successful with meeting the extensive deliverables that are called out in the contract at the $678K level, and it has done so with an eye towards sustaining the enhanced level of service at a higher operating budget. These added services are by definition about broadening the numbers of people and nonprofits in the community that are impacted by community media resources in San Francisco. And, the ways in which Access SF has been working these last (3) years reflects this expansive vision for the management for public access. What is most disconcerting is that the City has opted for this funding cut to $678K annually without evaluating Access SF’s successes and milestones with regard to the goals and deliverables in the contract. Access SF consistently and diligently reports to the City on its milestones, and it is apparent that such documentation has not been considered in the budget conversation. In general, the City is experiencing a shortfall at its Government Access channel, in part because it will no longer be funded out of the City’s general fund. Instead, the City has opted for diverting general PEG monies away from public access in order to fund the government access channel. This is a horrible way to fund these two equally important operations, by pitting them against one another.

To:  The San Francisco Board of Supervisors & Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco

RE: 2005/2006 Funding Cut of Public Access television in San Francisco

We, the undersigned, greatly oppose Mayor Gavin Newsom’s proposed funding cut for public access by 12% or $96,000 in the 05/06 fiscal year. The proposed cuts will result in a 26% staff reduction at Access SF and will dramatically reduce services that have previously been thriving in support of community-based, grassroots television programming. The cuts will especially affect capacity for training & studio production at 1720 Market Street and greatly reduce agency collaborations that support programming endeavors by and about the youth, senior, disabled, labor, citizen journalist, ethnic and cultural communities.

We ask that you restore public access funding to the level of $774,000. At this funding level, Access SF has proven itself a dynamic provider of public access television & related services, and the agency has begun to thrive in the last three years since such funding has been in place. Access SF needs its entire budget to continue delivering services that the local community needs in order to be vital and empowered.

Community media & public access television are critical services in the digital age we currently live in, especially to low income and other disenfranchised groups who have no other affordable media resources available to them. SAVE PUBLIC ACCESS NOW!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Restore 05-06 Funding For Public Access TV Petition to The San Francisco Board of Supervisors & Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco was created by Supporters of Public Access Television in San Francisco and written by Marc Smolowitz (marc@accessf.org).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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