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Community TV committee reviews Q3 programming, grants and 2021 budget outlook
Summary
Committee staff reported growth in social media and livestream programming, detailed recent events and grants, and discussed the 2021 operating budget and declining franchise fees and one-time technology expenses.
Committee staff on the City of West Bend Community TV Committee’s meeting reviewed the third-quarter report and highlighted recent programming, livestreams, special events and grant funding while also outlining the committee’s 2021 operating budget and revenue outlook.
John, a City of West Bend staff member who led the programming update, said the department expanded its online audience through Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and adapted several community events to virtual or drive-through formats during the pandemic. “We were able to still, film that event and provide on the July 4,” John said of a virtual Duck Derby and said the department livestreamed fireworks and replayed the July 4 parade for residents.
The committee heard that live broadcasts of high-school football games drew viewers outside the region; John said 94.7% of the department’s YouTube viewers were in the U.S., with additional viewers in Canada, Germany and Japan. He told the committee one broadcast drew about 1,800 YouTube views and that the department used short “business of the month” videos as commercial breaks during games to promote downtown businesses.
The committee also described two drive-through movie nights and a parks drive-through pumpkin-patch event; staff credited collaboration with the parks department and downtown business groups for the events’ logistics and promotion.
On funding, staff said they secured a $12,000 travel-stimulus grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, made possible through the federal CARES Act, to help recover advertising and promotion costs tied to the city’s “drive business to downtown” marketing campaign. The committee also noted a video-provider aid payment of $39,007.60 received in July intended to offset declining franchise-fee revenue.
Regarding the 2021 operating budget, staff said the committee will be more conservative because franchise fees are projected to decline as viewers move to nontraditional video providers. Staff identified a recent one-time capital expense for a new Casta system that was over $40,000 and other IT costs that are not expected to recur in 2021. A packet of budget documents and the quarterly report is available on the city website, and staff said they would re-send the packet by personal email to members who did not receive it.
Committee members discussed shifting the committee’s 2021 meeting calendar earlier in the year to better align with the city’s budget-development timeline and help the committee participate in conversations about equipment and programming needs. Staff said they will circulate proposed dates and noted plans to reintroduce an internship program when event schedules allow.
Procedural action: at the start of the meeting the committee approved the minutes for its previous meeting. No other formal motions or votes were recorded in the committee meeting notes.
