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Council unanimously approves seven-year Comcast franchise amendment to support digital equity
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Summary
Seattle’s City Council voted unanimously to pass a seven-year amendment to Comcast’s cable franchise to extend services and increase community benefits funding, including support for Internet-for-All programs and the Seattle Channel.
The Seattle City Council on March 24 passed an ordinance authorizing a seven-year amendment to the Comcast cable franchise, with supporters saying the agreement secures community benefits including franchise-fee revenue for Internet-for-All programs and continued funding for the Seattle Channel.
"This ordinance would allow the city of Seattle to pursue another seven-year contract with Comcast to provide cable services to the city," the committee report said. The committee and council discussion noted that Seattle IT conducted a community assessment and that the new franchise includes increased community benefits and a higher franchise fee to support public programs.
Council member Strauss said maintaining funding for the Seattle Channel was an important reason to support the bill, noting previous proposals to cut its funding and that fewer viewers on cable reduced that revenue source. "This bill is important for us to be able to continue this funding source," Strauss said.
The clerk reported the Governance and Utilities Committee recommendation and the council approved the measure on a roll-call vote, 8–0. Council President Joy Hollingsworth instructed the clerk to affix her signature and the chair signed the legislation on the council’s behalf.
The ordinance was recorded in the meeting transcript as a committee item related to a cable television franchise agreement with Comcast (clerk’s record: "council bill 121163" as read into the record); the council chair said the franchise would run through Jan. 20, 2033 under the terms discussed in committee.
