Congressman Salud Carbajal, U.S. Representative for California’s 24th Congressional District, has announced that he is co-sponsoring the Protecting Community Television Act, H.R. 6219.

The Protecting Community Television Act is legislation which will ensure that community television operations continue to receive the resources they need to educate and inform viewers in the cities and towns where they operate.

“Passage of the Protecting Community Television Act will help ensure that the money collected by local governments that support TVSB’s essential services is not diverted or reduced by the cable industry,” said Congressman Carbajal. “It is critical that we preserve public television operations like TV Santa Barbara that lift up local voices and air programming that is most relevant to our families, neighbors, and our community.”

H.R. 6219 will establish that money collected by local government that supports the essential services provided by public, educational, and community television channels are not diverted or reduced by the cable industry.

The Protecting Community Television Act clarifies that the franchise fees that cable companies provide local governments only include monetary assessments, not “in-kind” contributions. The bill reverses a problem created by the Federal Communications Commission in 2019 that allowed cable companies to reduce franchise fees paid to local government—the rent they pay for the use of public property—if a local community wants to have a community television service.  

“Community Media Access Centers like TV Santa Barbara play a vital role in giving voice to communities lucky enough to have them,” said Erik Davis, Executive Director of TVSB. “We are grateful for Congressman Carbajal’s support of TV Santa Barbara and his leadership to protect government broadcasts and non-commercial programming created by the diverse people of our community.”

Passage of the Protecting Community Television Act will help ensure that local information carried on TV Santa Barbara will continue.

About TV Santa Barbara

TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization which operates two community access television channels, 17 and 71. TVSB’s mission is to empower people to make media that matters. TVSB does this by providing residents with the knowledge, resources, and tools to create their own original programming. TV Santa Barbara has served as the local media access center since 1974. With studios at 329 S. Salinas Street, TVSB provides members with access to video production equipment and electronic media resources to facilitate public dialogue, free speech, and participatory democracy; to foster local creativity, education, and culture; and to reflect our diverse and amazing community.