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Staff recommends retiring City 7 cable channel, urging digital transition and outreach for viewers
Summary
Public information staff recommended sunsetting the City 7 cable channel because of low cable viewership and aging equipment (replacement estimated at about $80,000 plus transmission costs), and proposed shifting emphasis to YouTube, social platforms and targeted outreach, with a possible February 2026 transition tied to the Municipal Commons move.
Rebecca Gannon, the City of Independence public information officer, told the council at the Nov. 24 study session that City 7, the municipality’s cable channel, has declining cable viewership and aging broadcast equipment and that staff recommend retiring the cable channel in favor of digital platforms like YouTube.
Gannon said much of the channel's hardware is 10–25 years old and some software is no longer supported. She estimated replacement costs specifically for City 7 equipment at about $80,000, with an additional estimated $25,000 to move transmission lines—figures she said push total costs toward $100,000. Gannon also presented digital metrics showing roughly 278 total views per meeting, 89 live viewers for some sessions and an average watch time of about 22.3 minutes, and she highlighted broader communications reach including a 37,000-subscriber Independence Today newsletter and 25,500 Facebook followers.
"Our equipment needs are great," Gannon said, explaining staff trouble-shooting and the daisy-chain workarounds needed to get meetings onto YouTube. She added that Comcast-provided data showed less than 1% of potential viewers watching on cable and that a City 7-only incentive test (a Nov. 13–21 gift-card contest) produced zero calls, a sign staff said of low engagement via that channel.
Council members raised concerns about older viewers and event advertising that rely on an always-on cable presence. Gannon proposed multiple mitigation steps: on-screen banners and website alerts directing viewers to YouTube, a single-button "watch" link on the city website, written instructions available at city buildings, and in-person demonstrations for nursing homes. Staff also recommended timing any sunset with the move of council meetings to the new Municipal Commons facility and said AV design work is underway with testing to follow once cameras are installed.
The interim city manager noted a prior agreement with the Independence School District governing use of City 7 and said that agreement contains a termination clause that would end with the channel. No formal decision was made at the study session; staff recommended returning with implementation details and a firm timeline, with February 2026 identified as a target month for moving council meetings to the new facility.
Gannon summarized the recommendation: "We sunset City 7. It's got low viewership."
