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Richmond, Va. Cable Franchise Money Mystery: Where Did All the Money Go?

Phillip Dampier September 19, 2011 Comcast/Xfinity, Consumer News, Public Policy & Gov't, Verizon, Video No Comments

Richmond's public access channels operate from offices like these in city hall. (Courtesy: WTVR)

City officials in Richmond, Va. are facing questions about where the tens of thousands of dollars in fees collected every year from cable TV customers in the city ultimately go.

WTVR-TV in Richmond received an anonymous tip suggesting most of the money collected isn’t being spent according to plan.

Ordinance 2007-32-44 requires that part of the city’s franchise fee collected from providers like Verizon and Comcast “will be used to support public, educational and government (PEG) programming.”

But a WTVR investigation found that most of the money collected since 2007 — nearly $1.2 million — was instead parked in a Richmond city bank account.

The city has only spent around $70,000 dollars of franchise funds on a new camera, microphones, some lighting and a video editing system; but only for government channel 17, the one showing the mayor and city council at work, according to the station.

That means local politicians look fine on government access channels even as public access and educational programming languishes.  In fact, nothing tells that story better than a look at the makeshift offices in place to support Public Access programming — one the size of a broom closet located inside City Hall.

[flv width=”480″ height=”290″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WTVR Richmond Cable TV money and the city of Richmond 9-14-11.mp4[/flv]

WTVR in Richmond investigates where cable franchise fees collected by the city of Richmond are being spent.  (3 minutes)

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Stop the Cap!