Community Media Committee presses for concise comprehensive-plan updates to reflect streaming and funding changes

The Community Media Committee examined the section of the 2016 comprehensive plan that covers community media and agreed the boilerplate background could remain while adding a small number of forward-looking action items. The committee chair said the plan follows a 10-year cycle: "We're working on an update due every 10 years," and members expect a draft to be published around October for public comment.

A committee member recommended inserting targeted objectives rather than broad narrative. As one member put it, the plan should "ensure stable funding of community media through public and private sources to offset an expected decline in cable franchise fees," language that the committee agreed would belong in the goals/objectives section rather than the background. Members also suggested explicitly adding "streaming and other technologies" to the communication-services language so the plan captures current audience behavior. Staff will circulate the 2016 plan excerpts missing from the agenda packet and the committee will prepare comments once the draft is released.