Factsheet: Public Access Television in Santa Maria

What is Public Access Television?
Public access television is “non-profit” television, produced locally for local viewers. Public Access television usually includes three types of programming:

  • Public programming – created by local residents and groups
  • Education programming – created by local education providers, such as school districts, community colleges and universities for educational purposes
  • Government programming – telecasts of local government meetings and local government agencies.

Because of its three components, Public Access Television is sometimes referred to as PEG programming.

Who pays for it?
Cable companies are required to provide money for Public Access/PEG programming as part of the contracts they negotiate with local governments. Cable companies, by federal law, are required to negotiate with local governments for a license to be able to provide cable service to residents. In Santa Maria, Comcast is the cable service provider. The city signed a 12-year contract with Comcast in December 2002, which included money for Public Access/PEG programming.

How much money?
The City of Santa Maria and the City of Lompoc have pooled their Public Access/PEG fees from Comcast to deliver better programming for residents. Comcast has provided a one-time grant of $800,000 to pay for public television studios in Santa Maria and Lompoc. The money will be used to build and equip the studios. Lompoc has an existing studio.

What has the City of Santa Maria done with that money?
The City of Santa Maria has remodeled a building near Mussel Senior Center to serve as the city's new public access television studios. The 2,767 square-foot space near Allan Hancock College at 510 E. Park St., is now Santa Maria's new Community Media Center. The remodeling and construction of the Community Media Center was completed in April, 2004.

Who will run the Community Media Center?
The cities of Santa Maria and Lompoc are also pooling the Public Access/PEG funding they will receive annually from Comcast to fund operation of the Community Media Centers. The two cities entered into a “Memorandum of Understanding” for this purpose.

That legal agreement creates a Public Access/PEG Programming partnership, governed by a board made up of representatives from the City of Santa Maria and representatives from the City of Lompoc.

Together, the cities will receive approximately $360,000 annually for Public Access/PEG programming.

The cities will use a portion of that money to hire an Executive Director responsible for Public Access/PEG programming and the day-to-day operation of the Community Media Centers in both communities. On February 9, 2004, the cities hired Bryan Miller as the PEG Executive Director. Bryan comes this area after spending a number of years as the executive director in Napa at its media center. He will report to the Public Access/PEG Board of Directors.

Mr. Miller will also use a portion of that annual money to hire staff to work in both Community Media Centers and pay for operations.

What kind of Public Access/PEG programming does the City of Santa Maria have now?
Right now, Santa Maria has one Public Access cable channel, Channel 22. It carries a mix of programming from providers including community members, the City of Santa Maria, and Hancock College.

Is that going to change?
Yes. As part of the new licensing agreement, Comcast has agreed to provide three Public Access/PEG stations for Northern Santa Barbara County residents no later than December 2004. Santa Maria residents will then have one Public Access channel, one Education channel, and one Government channel.

What kind of programs will be on the channels?
That has yet to be determined. But the Government channel will continue to offer broadcasts of Santa Maria City Council meetings, in addition to informational shows of benefit to residents.

Hancock College, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District and the Santa Maria-Bonita Elementary School District will be able to broadcast a variety of programming on the Education Channel.

The public will be able to work with the Executive Director to put together local, non-profit programming of interest and benefit to the community.

What will the channel numbers be?
Comcast has not yet specified the Public Access/PEG channel numbers. The cable company will specify those channels during 2004.

How will residents get programming on Santa Maria Public Access/PEG channels?
By working with the Community Media Center staff and the Public Access/PEG Executive Director, Bryan Miller.

Do other cities do these sorts of things with Public Access/PEG programming?
Yes. The City of Santa Maria is committed to providing the best possible Public Access/PEG programming to its residents. In order to do that, the city is currently looking at other communities recognized for having excellent Public Access/PEG programs, including the cities of Santa Rosa and Monterey, as models. The City is also a new member of the States of California and Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

My question isn't on this list. How can I get it answered?
Click here to submit a question to the Public Access/Television FAQs list.