(a) Should a grantee provide a video programming service to any other downriver community, the grantee hereby agrees to provide the same video programming service to subscribers in the City. This requirement shall be waived upon an affirmative demonstration by the grantee that such service would be impractical or infeasible, or that substantial differences in circumstances exist between the City and the other downriver communities. Factors may include population density, financial circumstances, disparate burdens (regulatory or otherwise), etc., or any other relevant factors.
(b) A grantee's cable television system shall:
(1) Distribute in color and in stereo all television signals which it so receives.
(2) Provide facilities, equipment and personnel for public, educational and governmental access channels or a financial commitment as set forth in the grantee's franchise. The use of facilities and equipment, if any, for public, educational and governmental access upon the cable television system shall be made available, without rental or other like charges whatsoever in connection with the production of public, educational and governmental access programming. The grantee making facilities and equipment available under a franchise shall establish reasonable rules and procedures designed to promote the utilization of public access to facilities and equipment, subject to the approval and the discretion of the City.
(c) A grantee shall cooperate with the City on the use and operation of the emergency alert override system.
(d) Every franchise issued pursuant to this chapter shall provide for not less than three channels, one each for public, educational and governmental access use described in the grantee's franchise.
(e) This chapter shall not be construed to limit the authority of a grantee to make voluntary payments in support of the use of public, educational and governmental access channels. However, such voluntary payments shall in no event be considered in the calculation of franchise fees.
(f) A grantee shall make reasonable efforts to coordinate the cablecasting of public, educational and governmental access programming upon the cable television system.
(g) To the extent that it is technically and economically feasible, the cable television system shall be interconnected with other cable television systems within the City and the greater area so as to enable each cable television system to carry and cablecast the public, educational and governmental access programming of the other cable television systems. Interconnection of cable television systems may be done by direct cable connection, microwave link, satellite or other appropriate method. A grantee may not provide capacity on its system to transmit or receive cable television signals from any separately owned adjacent cable system to residential subscribers in another municipality without the express written permission of the City.
(Ord. 581. Passed 12-13-95.)