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Members of the Seal Beach Cable Foundation called for funding for new equipment during the Monday, March 24 budget study session. The request included a request for funds and a proposal to make SBTV-3 a media access collaborative. The board also proposed creating a Community Media Access Collaborative
The foundation advises SBTV-3, the local cable access channel, according to Joe Osuna, a member of the foundation board and a resident of Leisure World.
Most of their remarks came during the public comment part of the budget workshop. The council did not act on the proposal. The next budget workshops will be held May 6 and 8.
This article organizes comments by subject for clarity’s sake.
Proposal
Osuna said SBTV-3 is a PEG station, a public education government channel.
He said the city also did the Planning Commission and other government meetings. He also said SBTV covered events like the Christmas Parade, the McGaugh pageant, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. “Some of it is covered by volunteers and some of it is covered by paid employees,” Osuna said.
According to Osuna, the station also covered the Planning Commission and other government meetings. He also said SBTV covered events like the Christmas Parade, the McGaugh pageant, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. “Some of it is covered by volunteers and some of it is covered by paid employees,” Osuna said.
Jim Quinlan, another board member said SBTV had served as a communication channel Seal Beach for decades. “However, like many community television stations nationwide, we face two significant challenges: declining cable franchise fee revenue and aging technical infrastructure,” Jim Quinlan said. (Quinlan provided a copy of his statement.)
“The numbers tell a concerning story. Our PEG fees continue to decrease as more residents cut the cord from traditional cable. At the same time, our control room equipment and council chamber cameras desperately need modernization to serve our community effectively. And as you’re aware, we still lack a station manager to guide SBTV’s operations during this critical transition period,” Jim Quinlan said.
“Understanding the city’s fiscal limitations, I’m proposing a strategic alternative to traditional funding request-transforming SBTV into a Community Media Access Collaborative, or CMAC,” Jim Quinlan said.
In a separate statement of her own, board member and SBTV-3 producer Terri Quinlan said: “CMAC is a nonprofit organization that promotes media literacy, civic engagement, and creative expression.” (She also provided a copy of her statement.)
According to Jim Quinlan, a CMAC could raise money through membership programs, production services for businesses and non-profits, grant money, corporate sponsorships, educational programing, and workforce development.
“In addition to the facilities referred to above, there are also other centers that operate with similar offerings under different names that include: Pasadena Media and TV Santa Barbara, which have proven to be invaluable resources for fostering civic engagement, media literacy and cultural expression,” Terri Quinlan said.
“Meanwhile: The City of Seal Beach has a unique opportunity to elevate the current studio operation and convert it into a Community Media Access Collaborative that will provide state-of-the-art facilities to empower residents and promote local programming,” Terri Quinlan said.
Infrastructure
“Currently, the SBTV-3 infrastructure includes equipment utilizing systems that are ‘somewhat functional but outdated,’ lacking modern HD capabilities that align with current media standards and audience expectations. For that reason, A Budget Estimate as of March 21 has been prepared by Tech Support advisor, Matt Hoban. His 3 Tier proposed Budget estimate has been (or will be) submitted to Community Development Director Alexa Smittle per her request,” Terri Quinlan said.
“Proposed Upgrades focus on the following:
“Council Chambers: Replace outdated broadcast equipment cameras, audio systems, and switching technology for higher-quality coverage of public meetings.
“Production Studio: Upgrade editing suites, cameras, lighting, and sound systems to meet professional HD Standards and enhance creative capacity.
“Mobile Truck: Equip the production truck with HD-ready production equipment needed to support offsite community outreach programs including McGaugh School events, Holiday Parades, and special events at various locations within the City of Seal Beach,” Terri Quinlan said.
“The total estimated cost of all above named equipment upgrades is estimated to be $410,000 excluding tax, installation, and shipping/delivery fees,” Terri Quinlan said.
She said Smittle was aware of the request and had asked the board for a “good, better, best” cost estimate for the city’s consideration.
Terri Quinlan asked the city to approve funding for the proposed upgrades.
“These improvements will not only benefit local residents, but they will also position Seal Beach as a hub of media excellence and community engagement,” Terri Quinlan said.
Manager
Osuna said station manager Robin Ford-Lincke resigned due to health issues in December 2022.
“She passed away shortly thereafter,” he said.
(A celebration of her life was held in late April 2023.)
“Since then, we have not had a captain at the helm of the ship,” Osuna said.
According to Osuna, the Cable Foundation Board has taken on the station manager’s duties.
Osuna said Peter Anninos volunteers 20 to 30 hours a week to the station with help from part-time employees.
Jim Quinlan said hiring a qualified station manager was a critical part of transforming SBTV-3.
“Without dedicated leadership to oversee this significant transition, coordinate equipment reconfiguration, and manage our infrastructure upgrades, even the best planned improvement will struggle to succeed. A station manager is essential to implement these changes effectively and ensure SBTV can fulfill its expanded mission,” Jim Quinlan said.
“We already have momentum behind this vision. The Seal Beach Lions Club has assembled a committee of 23+ dedicated volunteers ready to support this transformation. We’re working on a comprehensive proposal modeled after Fresno’s successful CMAC, outlining implementation phases, funding projections, and community benefits,” Jim Quinlan said.
“As you consider budget priorities today, I request your awareness of this developing initiative and your openness to reviewing our formal proposal in the near future,” Jim Quinlan said.
Peter Anninos, chairman of the cable foundation, elaborated on the need for new station equipment. He said the computer upstairs was running on Windows 98. “Some of the newest stuff that we have is 20 years old,” Anninos said.
He said the equipment is getting harder and harder to maintain.
Financial matters
According to Osuna, four to five years ago the board wasn’t getting an accounting of the station’s revenue on a quarterly basis. “We’re getting somewhere between $100,000 to $115,000 a year, we think that’s what we’re getting,” Osuna said.
He was apparently referring to PEG (public education government) fees. “But we’re not getting those reports,” Osuna said.
“That’s part of our problem, not knowing exactly how much money’s coming in,” he said.
He also said the station has a fund of $400,000. His speaking time expired at that point.
Anninos described some of the programs he would like to do, such as a police program called “Cop Talk”, a finance program, and a program on veterans benefits. He said they want to do a show called The Lions Roar. Anninos is a Lion, as are the Quinlans. He said the Seal Beach Lions Club is the biggest in the world.
He said he wanted the council to speak with Sue Buske of the Buske Group. He said she could explain how the city can spend money that people think the city can’t spend. “For example, we are grandfathered in under the existing rules to continue spending money on staff the way we have been and it’s not really just for capital,” Anninos said.
“If you talk to Sue, she will tell you how you can push the cable company to mandate your community channel without having to pay for it,” Anninos said.
He said workforce pay needed to be brought up to parity “because they could work for another city for anywhere from 100 to 300% more than we pay.”
Council questions
District Three Councilwoman/Mayor Lisa Landau asked the cable board members if they were able to track viewership levels. Someone in the audience said, “No.”
“If you had upgraded equipment, could you?”
Anninos indicated they could track viewership if they had a YouTube Channel. “We need a cell phone to do that and I’ve been trying to get that done with Mint Mobile,” he said. Anninos said after three months Mint had refused to activate the phone. “I’ve given up and they won’t even refund the money for the phone. They did for the service but not the phone,” Anninos said.
He said people would watch a 60 minute community program on YouTube. “Because folks might like to know what’s going on,” Anninos said.
Landau asked if Smittle would be the person to reach out to the cable company to ask for a free high definition upgrade.
Anninos said the cable station would fight them, but someone of standing with the city could pressure the station for an HD upgrade under California law.
“They have to give an equivalent level of service to community PEG stations as they do for any other carried service,” Anninos said.
Terri Quinlan said many PEG stations are using YouTube as the primary station.
According to the city of Seal Beach website, “SBTV’s website is currently experiencing major issues.”
