13.     REPORT, Committee on Appointments & Briefings, recommending to the City Council to take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the City Council go on record and send a letter to the FCC stating our opposition to any proposed policy changes to the funding source that provides local cable channels, such as Educational Channel 9, Government Access Channel 18, and Public Broadcasting Channel 95, the current policy in place provides local communities with the ability to broadcast local events, emergency and informational announcements and more, any decision by the FCC to eliminate the ability for communities to broadcast on these channels will be devastating to the community at large; and further, that once more, the City Council request that the Mayor establish a Cable Commission that will represent the City’s Cable Consumers and contract negotiation costs and services provided by the cable company; and furthermore that the City forward a letter of opposition to the Alliance For Community Media that supports the City’s position, further, that letters be sent requesting our State Delegation to join the City Council in opposition to the FCC’s changes to our local cable channel funding and broadcasting obligations to the City of New Bedford. 

13a.     WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the City Council go on record and send a letter to the FCC stating our opposition to any proposed policy changes to the funding source that provides local cable channels, such as Educational Channel 9, Government Access Channel 18, and Public Broadcasting Channel 95, the current policy in place provides local communities with the ability to broadcast local events, emergency and informational announcements and more, any decision by the FCC to eliminate the ability for communities to broadcast on these channels will be devastating to the community at large; and further, that once more, the City Council request that the Mayor establish a Cable Commission that will represent the City’s Cable Consumers and contract negotiation costs and services provided by the cable company; and furthermore that the City forward a letter of opposition to the Alliance For Community Media that supports the City’s position, further, that letters be sent requesting our State Delegation to join the City Council in opposition to the FCC’s changes to our local cable channel funding and broadcasting obligations to the City of New Bedford.  (Referred to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings – December 13, 2018.)