City-Led Programming Could Displace Public Access’ Community TV

The sometimes-charming, sometimes-amateurish public access shows on your cable provider’s lesser-watched channels could soon have a harder time finding home.

Members of the Southwest Suburban Cable Commission are on track to shift public access programming from community television to government-led programming.

In the past, there has been discussion of closing the Eden Prairie public access studio that serves five southwestern communities, including Hopkins, Edina, Richfield, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. 

Hopkins council members approved the first reading of the franchise agreement at last week. It must still receive a second reading in Hopkins and approval from other communities in the Southwest Suburban Cable Commission—Edina, Richfield, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. The Minnetonka City Council will discuss the issue tonight starting at 6:30 p.m. at

The changes can be seen in the fee structures. Under the old agreement, approved in 1997, cities received a 5 percent franchise fee from Comcast. At the same time, the company kept 25 cents per subscriber per month to run the Eden Prairie studio—a charge called a “public, education and government,” or “PEG,” fee.

Under the new, 10-year agreement, cities would still receive the 5 percent franchise fee. But now a 60-cent PEG fee will go directly to the cities instead of 25 cents going to Comcast.

The company is also giving the commission $200,000 to put in fiber optic lines and automate playback, part of the transition away from the studio.

Meanwhile, the number of PEG channels will decrease from four channels to three—a compromise the commission was willing to make in exchange for other concessions because the four current channels aren’t fully utilized.

There’s no argument the Eden Prairie studio was underused. In 2009, the studio was used for just 13 productions with a total of 164 episodes, according to a needs assessment report done for the commission.

Yet the wide availability of home-video production meant many more shows were made outside the studios. In 2009, the channels aired 954 episodes made outside the studio. In all, there were 672 hours worth of programming produced outside the studio compared to 578 hours made with the studio's equipment.

Nothing would stop cities from continuing to allow such programs, but most cities are leaning toward a government-type channel that also has community information.