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Home My WebLink About1994-059 Cable TV Fund • ORDINANCE NO. 94- 59 AN ORDINANCE amending the 1994 budget for the City of Yakima, and making an appropriation of $36,000 in the Cable TV Fund for expenditure during 1994 to purchase equipment WHEREAS, the amount of $36,000 must be appropriated within the Cable TV Fund in order to provide funding to purchase equipment. WHEREAS, at the time of the adoption of the 1994 budget it could not reasonably have been foreseen that the appropriation provided for by this ordinance would be required, and the City Council finds that an emergency exists of the type contemplated by RCW 35 33 091 and that it is in the best interests of the City to make the appropriation herein provided, now, therefore, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA: Section 1. The amount of $36,000 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance in the Cable TV Fund to account number 125-4 - 125 - 428 - 0000 - 59473 -642 as a 1994 appropriation Section L This ordinance is one making an appropriation and shall take effect immediately upon its passage, approval and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this 27th day of September , 1994 CCiLt" 'MAYOR ATTEST. X K.6 -64A3tD ) cvw� CITY CLERK First Reading 9/13/94 Publication Date 9/30/94 Effective Date 10/30/94 • AO/Memo 9/8/94 • Memorandum TO• Honorable Members of Council FROM Wendy Warren, Cable Communications Manager DATE August 31,1994. "" RE Ordinance Authorizing Special Appropriation from TCI Equipment Grant Background After three years of community ascertainment, citizen committee review, and negotiations, the City and TCI reached agreement on a new cable franchise which was approved by the Council in December, 1993, and took effect January 21, 1994. In addition to provisions requiring a significant system upgrade (to be completed by January, 1998), establishing minimum customer service standards, and implementing a periodic review of the cable operator's compliance with the franchise, TCI agreed to making a cable access capital equipment grant to the city once every three years in the amount $118,320 The first such grant was presented to the city in March of this year It is budgeted as a revenue and expenditure item separate from this division's regular capital equipment budget. The purpose of the grant is to ensure adequate funding of equipment and facilities for the public and government access services of YCTV The grant demonstrates TCI's commitment to the community as well as the company's acknowledgment of the value of the public rights of way to its business. At this time, the Cable Communications Division is requesting that $36,000 of the equipment grant (less than one -third of the available monies) be appropriated for the purchase of an automated programming playback system and equipment to outfit a third edit suite dedicated to Y -PAC production. Automated Playback System YCTV uses an automated programming playback system to play tapes for our daily program schedule The current system is 12 years old and increasingly subject to failures. The standard life- expectancy of such a playback system is 10 years or less It is not possible to get parts for this old system because its manufacturer has gone out of business The unreliability of the existing system has lead to recurrent interruptions in the YCTV and Y -PAC program schedule as well as frequent alarm call -backs of staff at night and on weekends to re -set the system. These call -backs lead to accumulations of overtime and • comp time The system is also severely limited in capacity and not expandable to meet future needs of YCTV and Y -PAC. y , The ro osed new playback system -- manufactured by Matco of Los Gatos, 410 P P P Y Y Y CA -- utilizes advances in computerized operation of multiple video sources, eliminating the need for staff to come in to program and load scheduled programming on the weekend. The system is capable of using a wide range of video players which will allow us to transition from our existing (and rapidly becoming obsolete) tape machines to new video formats. The system is expandable meaning that when Y -PAC moves to its own channel (as early as three years from now), we will already have the playback capability for the additional channel The Matco system is also upgradeable as programming software is improved and enhanced. It will utilize several pieces of equipment already in our inventory which have many useful years left. The table below compares major features of the current Phasecom system and the proposed Matco system. feature current playback system proposed playback system Program scheduling information 7 days 7 days Tape capacity 18 one -hour tapes Up to 22 8-hour tapes (U -Matic tape format) (Utilizing VHS & SVHS which are less expensive & easier to store than U- Matic) 4110 Record capacity no yes (facilitates repeat playback) Number of channels 1 up to 3 programmed (meeting the planned addition of separate Y -PAC channel in 1998) Number of program sources up to 3 up to 22 (1 VCR, 1 char generator, 1 live) (any combination of VCRs, CGs, satellite feeds, live, or other video sources) Adaptable to multiple formats? No Yes. (Uses only 2 kinds of VCRS, both (Can utilize any video source of which are no longer with appropriate interfaces.) manufactured) Service & warranty Manufacturer out of business. System controller One -day Limited service availability service in most instances. through video repair services. Loaner system available within No warranty one day Three year warranty VCRS: Local service available. One -year warranty • page 2 TCI Grant Appropriation Request Cable Communications Division •• • Third Edit Suite The rapid expansion of Y -PAC programming has created a major bottleneck in the two edit suites already on -line at YCTV These suites are typically booked at 95% capacity at least a month in advance. Because the municipal producer requires at least 20 hours per week of edit time on top of community producer - reserved time, there is justification for a third suite, which may also provide additional editing capacity for community producers when not in use by Y -PAC and serve as a back -up system in case of major repair problems in one of the other suites. The remaining $13,000 of the proposed appropriation will cover costs associated with bringing this third edit suite on line. The proposed editing equipment is manufactured by Panasonic and compatible with the current two edit suites. As with the playback system, this part of the appropriation will cover costs of the "backbone" equipment for the edit suite -- in this case, two record /playback decks and an edit controller Existing equipment will be incorporated into the third suite for immediate operation. Additional enhancements -- such as advanced computer graphics -- will be added over the next two years. The suite is planned for adaptability to new video formats and software as they are developed. • Conclusion and Recommendation After nearly a year of research, staff has determined that the proposed playback and editing systems meet both the current and anticipated needs of YCTV and Y -PAC programming over the next ten years Both the proposed playback system and third edit suite address problems of outdated equipment and expanding production /programming impacts Both systems will blend with existing equipment to bridge old and new technologies as well as stretch limited capital dollars Both systems are adaptable, expandable and cost - effective means of increasing program output. Staff recommends approval of the appropriation. • page 3 TCI Grant Appropriation Request Cable Communications Division