(A) If requested by the city, and to the extent permitted by federal law, applications for a franchise or franchise renewal shall include proposals for the provision of public, educational and governmental access channels sufficient to meet community needs during the term of the franchise as determined by city, and shall specify what grants, if any, it is willing to make for studio equipment and facilities to be used for local program production by all cable access users.
(B) Any access channel operations provided for under this section must conform to the following minimum requirements.
(1) The city may require in a franchise agreement that a franchisee provide studio space for access use. Access channels shall be carried on the franchisee's lowest priced service offering.
(2) The franchisee shall have no control over the content of any programming carried on access channels. The city may require a franchisee, or select a non-profit corporation or other entity, to manage the access program and to establish reasonable rules for the use of access channels consistent with the requirements of this chapter, the franchise agreement and the intended purpose of such channels. The rules shall be subject to review and approval by the city and franchisee.
(3) The use of any public access channel shall be made available to any city resident on a nondiscriminatory basis at no charge for channel use. Where access studio facilities are located on a franchisee's premises, the franchisee shall make its personnel available for consultation and assistance to access users at no charge provided that such personnel can be spared from their normal duties.
(1989 Code, § 115.50) (Ord. 1988, passed 11-9-1992)