BILL ANALYSIS
SB 2012
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 6, 2000
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES AND COMMERCE
Roderick D. Wright, Chair
SB 2012 (Speier) - As Amended: June 29, 2000
SENATE VOTE : 31-6
SUBJECT : California Public Broadcasting Act of 1975: emergency
broadcasting grants.
SUMMARY : Appropriates $25 million to the Office of Emergency
Services (OES) for matching fund grants to public television and
radio stations to install digital broadcasting equipment, and
requires stations receiving funding to dedicate an emergency
broadcast channel.
EXISTING LAW : Pursuant to federal law, requires all television
stations to convert their broadcast signal from analog to
digital by 2003.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
1)Federal Mandate . Pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of
1996, the Federal Communications Commission requires that
public television stations change their broadcast signal from
an analog signal to a digital signal by 2003. Commercial
television stations are required to convert to digital by an
earlier date. While the federal mandate only pertains to the
television signal broadcast function, and not the television
signal production function, this bill provides matching grant
funding for both. According to the author, public television
broadcasters foresee a need to digitalize the production
function in order to take full advantage of the digital
broadcast signal. Additionally, this bill provides matching
grant funding for public radio stations, which are not covered
under the federal mandate.
1)Digital Television . Conversion to digital broadcasting will
provide numerous benefits, including a clearer picture, CD
quality audio, interactive features, and increased
transmission capacity. Digital conversion provides television
stations with the capacity to simulcast four separate
SB 2012
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television channels and two data channels over the digital
television spectrum assigned to each station.
1)Cost of Digital Conversion . There are 14 public television
stations and 23 public radio stations in California. The
total estimated digital conversion costs for California's
public television and radio stations-including both the
broadcast and production functions-is $140 million. This bill
provides $25 million in matching grants to public television
and radio stations, with 75 percent allocated to television
stations and 25 percent to radio stations. Fifty percent
(50%) of the funds in each pool is divided equally among the
stations in that grant pool. The remaining 50% of the funds
in each grant pool is divided among stations in proportion to
their non-federal financial support. Funds are provided on a
matching basis, with each station required to raise from other
sources an amount equal to the funds provided to it under this
bill.
1)Recent Budget Action . The recently enacted Budget Act of
2000-2001 appropriated $5 million to assist public television
stations convert to digital. This bill would appropriate an
additional $25 million for television and radio stations.
1)OES and Emergency Information . Conversion to digital
broadcasting creates additional broadcast capacity. A digital
signal can be broadcast in a variety of ways, including four
regular-quality signals or one high-quality signal. In order
to receive funding under this bill, the public broadcasting
station is required to enter into a permanent agreement with
OES to dedicate, as necessary, a broadcast channel for the
provision of emergency information in a formal accessible to
the deaf, hearing-impaired, and non-English speaking
populations. Numerous local sheriff's departments have
indicated support for this bill, which they assert will play
an important role in expanding emergency broadcast
capabilities and increasing their ability to reach everyone in
the community, including deaf, hearing-impaired, and
non-English-speaking residents.
1)Prior Legislation : Last year, SB 844 (Schiff), which would
have revised the membership of the California Broadcasting
Commission and stated legislative intent that funding be made
available through the state budget to help public television
stations convert to a digital signal, was held in the Senate
SB 2012
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Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California multicultural Community Radio consortium
California Center for Law and the Deaf
California state University, Chico
Capital Research and Management Company
Hon. Delaine Eastin, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Fresno County Sheriff's Department
Humboldt County Sheriff's Department
The J. Paul Getty Trust
KCSM
KCET
KRCB
KUSP
KVIE
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
San Mateo County Sheriff's Department
Valley Public Radio (KVPR-KPRX)
Water Education Foundation
Sacramento Bee
20 constituents
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Joseph Lyons / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083