HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 6131-1973RESOLUTION
CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING WESTERN TV
CABLE'S PETITION BEFORE THE FEDERAL
COMMUNICATION COMMISSION FOR WAIVER
OF SECTION 76..501 OF THE RULES AND
· .REGUL. ATi. ONiS ,,
...................
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission on
January 31, 1973, released its ruling reaffirming a prohibi-
tion against the cross-ownership of television broadcast
stations and CATV systems in the same community and requiring
the divestiture of one or the other of such facilities unless
a waiver of such divestiture requirement is granted by the
Commission, and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of South San
Francisco has heretofore granted to Western TV Cable a CATV
franchise under the terms and conditions hereinbelow appear-
ing, and
WHEREAS, in connection with the granting of said
CATV franchise in the year 1967, the City Council viewed
its responsibility to the public seriously and imposed diffi-
c~t conditions which caused some of the applicants for fran-
chise to withdraw from the competition, and
WHEREAS, the City's terms and conditions were de-
signed to provide the construction and installation of cable
service within a minimum time schedule,provide a high quality
of service, and called for an awareness and involvement in
community life which enabled the citizens of this community
in effect to cross-communicate, and
WHEREAS, Western TV Cabl'e has more than adequately
fulfilled the obligations of that design by meeting the con-
struction schedule, providing satisfactory service and creat-
ing self-originated programs which were of interest to every
sector of the community, and
~r :'rhm ii n ii111 I
WHEREAS, the service of said cable company has
enabled our City to know more about itself, and
WHEREAS, the Council believes that there have been
great advantages to the cable subscribers and to the City
from the fact that Western TV Cable is locally owned and
operated, and
WHEREAS, the Council further believes that in the
event of a divestiture the new cable operator would be an
absentee rather than a local owner, and
WHEREAS, members of the Council and other City
officials have heretofore urged Western TV Cable to apply
for a waiver of the FCC divestiture requirement, and
WHEREAS, Western TV Cable has in all respects con-
ducted a high quality operation, both in respect to technical
service and in regard to self-originated programs which have
earned more than one national award, and
WHEREAS, the Council believes the divestiture would
be against the best interests of the citizens of the City of
South San Francisco,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF SOUTH SAN
FRANCISCO HEREBY ENACTS THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS:
RESOLVED, the City Council hereby officially, gives
its support to the Petition of Western TV Cable for waiver
of the Federal Communications Commission divestiture require-
ment (FCC File #CSR-4og(x) ).
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the basis upon which said
support is given is that the City of South San Francisco,
after lengthy and careful consideration, enfranchised Western
TV Cable, which it knQw to be a locally owned cable operator;
that Western TV Cable has operated in the public interest of
the citizens of South San Francisco; that there have been
many advantages to subscribers and to the City from such local
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ownership and Western TV Cable's awareness of community
problems; that Western has operated with a minimum of
complaints and has promptly and courteously attended to
the solution of complaints which were filed with it; and
that the excellence of the self-origination programs placed
over its system by Western TV Cable has been exceptional
and should continue.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution
be furnished to Western TV Cable with the request that
that Company transmit the same to the Federal Communications
Commission so that the position of the City Council of
South San Francisco will be known to sa~td Commission.
I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was
regularly introduced and adopted by the City Council of
the City of South San Francisco at a n adjOurned r~.g,,Inr
meeting held on the 9th day of July , 1973, by
the following vote:
AYES, COUNCILMEN Patrick E. Ahem, William A, Borhn,
Terry' J. Mirri and Warren Steinkamp
" ' ' 'None ..............
NOES,
ABSENT,
.... F, 'Frank Mammini