Lake County PEG Tv8 Advisory Committee and Budget

The City of Lakeport elected to “not participate” in PEG TV8 even though Budget and Finance Committee all of its residents with Mediacom cable receive the programming. Lakeport received over $30,000 each year for the past three (3) years from Mediacom, and provides no support, guidance or leadership to the station. Were it not for the 1984 Act, Lakeport would not receive the Franchise Fees; nor would there be a PEG channel in Lake County. (Facts 1, 2, 4, 15, 16, 21)

The PEG BOD consists of only four (4) (of the required five (5)) directors, one of whom wasn’t even aware until “a few days ago that she was voting member” on the PEG BOD. On December 31, 2009 and effective immediately, the PEG TV 8 cable provider [Mediacom] representative member of the PEG BOD submitted a letter of resignation citing that as an employee of the channel’s cable provider, he is “. . . legally prohibited from taking part in the selection of programming carried by TV8 lest it lead to exercising editorial control prohibited by the federal statute.” (Facts 4, 5)

Under testimony, each PEG BOD member confessed they were vaguely familiar with the contents of the 2007 Agreement, if at all; the agreement which the B&F Committee found to be the cornerstone of the formation of PEG TV8. (Facts 4, 5, 7)

Based on testimony, each PEG BOD member agreed that the PEG BOD failed to oversee management and operation of PEG TV 8 as required in the 2007 Agreement. The B&F Committee found no PEG BOD planning or operational documents such as programming policies and guidelines, personnel administrative and financial policies and procedures, job descriptions, strategic plan, or financial plan for the PEG TV8 staff and volunteers to abide by. (Facts 5, 6, 7)

Via testimony each PEG BOD member agreed that the PEG BOD failed to formulate a set of PEG BOD By-laws to control the actions of its own members. (Fact 5)

The PEG BOD (at a date undetermined), if not formally, tacitly allowed an existing Members’ Manual de facto and the guidelines and processes within to substitute for PEG BOD formal operating and management documents. While most admit having neither read nor being totally familiar with said manual, all feel the manual is probably outdated or incomplete and/or in grave need of revision. In addition, the PEG BOD members were mostly unfamiliar with the Advisory Committee’s By-laws.