[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6515649,"mediaKeyId","3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b","parentId",3850053,"title","Metro Cable commissioners approve preliminary budgets, form ad hoc to set priorities as revenues fall","audioSeconds",3385,"startMs",2689000,"endMs",6074000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b&start=2689&end=6074","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b/thumbnail_2689000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6515649/Sacramento-County/California/Metro-Cable-commissioners-approve-preliminary-budgets-form-ad-hoc-to-set-priorities-as-revenues-fall","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515649-e9bb754bc2fe384a1b352e1c2b3a6cdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773174938&Signature=TLqQWiDrCWrnFcvp1RsPXotJ1thf3tbiwZ86PXICWri~uzekJFCNzgPRyugYqanDVY1-n7laUWCC2-55fvaipNMudkZlPWysCJQCqgJ392HMD2xugbEzgMTUof1hUcr1xD3dmQOXonsrnC7gDEwLJhF2vmkeyF73eEZYI8mqtQ5HI6ked7SVCk8wuWtsBFkGlXDJNB-HT-2wj6ceOfmVDfs1lPTG5MfAsM8~JMQSCn66jVXkKGGAUFxhesY5KA0Q6X6wnorGXy98bdyldsP-PPNO7tW2jqzTDt~XqZ5tEmea85xLgeOT~G7Q36ZmpPMz8c2Bqg9-1ni1Dh1FvJIdxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-17T15:08:20Z","article","The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission on June 13 approved preliminary FY2025–26 general fund and public education and government (PEG) fee budgets and agreed to form a budget-priorities ad hoc committee after the commission's executive director warned that franchise-fee revenue has declined and that the organization could face difficult choices in coming years.

Sean (executive director) told commissioners the top-line revenue trend is down while expenses are rising; to meet the preliminary FY2025'16 distribution he said the commission is \"ringing cash out\" and showed a projected per-capita distribution figure of $6,314,842 compared with an alternate calculation of $5,496,283 if cash is not drawn. He said the commission is holding roughly $1.5 million in operating reserves and recommended formation of a small ad hoc committee to set priorities for the next 12'0 months.

The warning came during a public hearing on the preliminary general fund budget. After public comments emphasizing the value of Metro 14 and community access, Vice Chair Garrett Gatewood moved to close the hearing and move the item; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Commissioners later closed the separate PEG fund hearing and approved the PEG budget; the PEG decision included at least one recusal.

Why it matters: franchise-fee revenue is tied to traditional cable subscriptions and has fallen as more viewers use streaming services. That revenue decline directly funds Metro 14 operations, community programming grants and quarterly per-capita distributions to member jurisdictions; the commission must balance those priorities as reserves fall.

Key details from the staff presentation

- The executive director said franchise revenue (the 5% franchise fee) is declining because more viewers use streaming platforms and smart-TV apps; the commission does not collect fees on streaming subscriptions.
- For PEG (the 1% fee that may be used only for capital costs), staff reported total PEG requests of $3,893,379 for FY2025'16, including $1,860,936 in re-requested multi-year projects. Staff forecast roughly $1.4 million in PEG revenue for next year, which would not cover all requests if all projects proceed.
- Staff asked the commission to hold about $1.5 million as an operating encumbrance to preserve six months of operations while planning.
- The executive director said the commission will begin financial auditing of program budgets starting with the commission's own books and then offering to review licensee records in coordination with those organizations.

Public comment emphasized community access and training

Public speakers, including longtime community-media volunteers and Access Sacramento staff, urged the commission to preserve community-access services and local programming. Gary Martin, a former college media instructor, urged commissioners to \"prioritize cable money to remain in the cable system,\" arguing that public, educational and government channels provide unique civic value. Other commenters described concrete results from community-media programming: student scholarships that led to festival entries, public-health programs that prompted testing, and veterans- and nonprofit-focused series that reached local audiences.

Ad hoc committee: membership and timeline

Commission members agreed by consensus to form a budget priorities ad hoc that will operate with fewer than a quorum and report back quickly. Chair Brown will lead the subcommittee with the following commissioners volunteering to serve: Directors Rebecca Sloan, Hedges, Garrett Gatewood, Hackett Little and Middleton. Staff proposed using the law firm BBK to host and assist legal review; the executive director asked the subcommittee to aim for an initial meeting and recommendations in time for a September commission meeting and a more complete recommendation by December.

Next steps

Staff will begin the auditing steps described in the executive director's presentation and prepare materials for the ad hoc committee. Commissioners asked staff to present clearer options for preserving core services (metro operations, channel licensee support and community grants) and to return with a prioritized set of tradeoffs. The commission voted to approve the preliminary budgets as presented at the June 13 meeting; future mid-year modifications remain possible if revenues continue to decline.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cable Commission - 6/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission on June 13 approved preliminary FY2025'16 general fund and PEG budgets and created a budget-priorities ad hoc committee after staff warned franchise-fee revenues are falling and reserves will not sustain current spending indefinitely.","taxTitle","Sacramento County, California","taxId",2889,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6515640,"Metro Cable honors production director Kristen Riggs for 25 years of service",222,2360000,2582000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b&start=2360&end=2582","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b/thumbnail_2360000.jpg","/articles/6515640/Sacramento-County/California/Metro-Cable-honors-production-director-Kristen-Riggs-for-25-years-of-service","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515640-f96d6cc2545ed2883eac81b10321bb82/orig.mp4?Expires=1773174938&Signature=LF79RtEDZaYyx8GE~78q7-mM9wIvAK~WTtNnPbypt5pJBaYqrlVm82bImTT-G91mUtqRk~N5O3Nldm5nnQq9GvCSo04HBBe0SRvYgpmlP317sV1fb7oaNEfv5bHuFWDdiiZppMYKs4YVWdFaCiJt-fBrBiaiWb40wsabvncFoxSU1~KJxe6Knd-7-IATUqp-rwPG-QHUc5J-QnHeLXcNMIftUKrR4ZZWJKkux0V6Blhh7hFPupIEOQXZovKfQnwKZWE2b2uX1PRgFWzsVOV5XilL8KbrkC08RvupLIqadhwItyciIkFOZAm4J7aZdExuqhd-6icvJsV82ZaG~9W6UQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission on June 13 adopted a resolution honoring Kristen Riggs for 25 years of service to Metro Cable.

Kristen Riggs began with the commission as a programming coordinator on May 15, 2000 and was promoted to production director in August 2014, the commission recited during the meeting. The resolution credited Riggs with leading thousands of local-government broadcasts, helping implement closed captioning and developing an archives of agency meetings. Commissioners noted her mentorship of production assistants and staff and her role in improving public meeting accessibility.

Chair Brown and other commissioners moved and seconded the resolution; the commission adopted it by voice vote. Riggs received the resolution and said she preferred to be \"behind the scenes\" but thanked former supervisors Donna Welborn and Bob Davidson for opportunities and praised her colleagues: \"I'm just so grateful to have been able to work here this this long... I'm grateful to be surrounded by wonderful staff, competent crew, and, of course, all the clerks that we work with.\" The commission presented a reclaimed-wood framed resolution and took a group photograph.

Why it matters: Commissioners described Riggs' work as central to the channel's mission of transparency and local-government accessibility, pointing to closed captioning and archived meetings as advances that improved public access.

","The commission adopted a resolution recognizing Kristen Riggs' 25 years with Metro Cable; commissioners and staff praised her leadership on closed captioning, archives and training.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6515644,"Metro Cable awards new grants and scholarships, receives report-backs from prior grantees",2016,318000,2334000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b&start=318&end=2334","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3850053-8ddf55503cf4f1afdc5e33ad2d76e44b/thumbnail_318000.jpg","/articles/6515644/Sacramento-County/California/Metro-Cable-awards-new-grants-and-scholarships-receives-report-backs-from-prior-grantees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6515644-7c45d4a3345dab9324d140e58e61e038/orig.mp4?Expires=1773174938&Signature=YAnneFk93tro8ZjUTax6UhKSbZqshOxvlTLbeiviv3GQA8OBmroBxPUYaQ4N5~L7cW~~H4im-kbMHcZywTa5278S2sKTIVjSIHX984eMRAfqpqAmPZXHW9J2GdvBXTbLHn62uAXqf9MSM5AUgAGCWSLDbiBw9CxqxUX8KuxpEsr3OPoiUgPdNI6fQh~d211DCI28CwRHmK93rhISO1UTKPEdbJLEtcx2v524rxyeOMTu8KTPgGw4NrrXrDU-l~cgC5dlfra-rIm42FFoN1u2jb2x8d3ltPuxRG6lNROGhDg7l8gpJ9SHg-kvypv8dwVBuCHr6bXDAARHWBz1HtWhoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission on June 13 received program updates from four prior grant and scholarship recipients and then adopted a resolution awarding new Community Grant Program funding for fiscal year 2024'15.

During the meeting the commission heard short presentations and examples of produced work from grantees and scholarship recipients. Presenters included Kier Stosa of Sacktown Movie Buffs, Rebecca Batsianas (a journalism and English teacher in San Juan Unified School District), student Elliot Rogan (Vista Del Lago High School), and Maxwell Rice (Folsom Cordova Unified School District). Each described how prior grants or scholarships funded training, equipment, festival entries, studio time and staff support; Elliott and Maxwell showed student work produced with grant-funded equipment and software.

After receiving those updates, staff asked the commission to adopt a resolution approving the next set of recipients. The commission approved the following awards:

- American River Parkway Foundation: $50,000 to produce four 30-minute episodes of \"Parkway Discovery\" focused on natural resources, multicultural use and educational initiatives along the American River Parkway.
- SAC Geeks: $50,000 to produce five documentary-style episodes on local \"geek\" culture, cosplay and related creative-economy topics.
- Mutual Housing: $25,000 for a 27-minute documentary microfilm about the railyards and the Wong Center, with historians assisting development.
- Scholarship to Cooper Quincy: $980 for coursework in radio, television and film at Cosumnes River College.

Sean (executive director) and staff presented the recommended awards, noting an ad hoc subcommittee had vetted the proposals. After a voice vote, the resolution passed with a single abstention; the transcript does not identify the abstaining commissioner.

Why it matters: the grants and scholarship program subsidizes local production, student training and community-produced programming that feeds Metro 14 and other local channels. Grantees and scholarship recipients described how the funding enabled equipment purchases, paid training for volunteer crews, festival submissions and capacity to cover local events.

Quotes from grantees

- Kier Stosa, Sacktown Movie Buffs: \"The grant program has been just instrumental for us as growing a local community television show because it's very difficult, on a volunteer basis to get people to actually show up to help with the actual production.\"
- Rebecca Batsianas, San Juan Unified School District teacher: \"For the first time, since I've taken over the program, we were able to go to this national convention... It was a three day convention with literally thousands of other high school students.\"

Procedure and follow-up

The commission adopted the resolution by voice vote; staff will execute grant agreements and schedule reporting back to the commission as projects progress. Earlier in the meeting the commission also approved a consent calendar item adopting the fifteenth amendment to certain license and operations agreements pertaining to community programming channels; that item was approved by voice vote on the consent calendar.

","The commission received updates from student and community media grantees, then voted to award a new round of grants and one scholarship, including two $50,000 awards and a $25,000 project. The resolution passed with one abstention.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Metro Cable commissioners approve preliminary budgets, form ad hoc to set priorities as revenues fall

Metro Cable honors production director Kristen Riggs for 25 years of service

Metro Cable awards new grants and scholarships, receives report-backs from prior grantees