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PEG Capital Grant Expenditure Request Copyright 2014 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 15. ITEM TITLE: PEG Capital Grant Expenditure Request SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval of the Cable TV Commission's request for funding from the Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Capital Grant for Access Equipment and Facilities for the City of Dubuque to install digital encoding equipment for each PEG channel on the Dubuque system. SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve ATTACHMENTS: Description Type PEG Fund Request-MVM Memo City Manager Memo Staff Memo Staff Memo Grant Application Supporting Documentation THE CITY OF Dubuque UBE I erica .i Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: PEG Fund Request DATE: December 13, 2015 Cable TV Coordinator Craig Nowack is recommending approval of the Cable TV Commission recommendation for funding from the Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Capital Grant for Access Equipment and Facilities in the amount of$63,500 for the City of Dubuque to install digital encoding equipment for each PEG channel on the Dubuque system. This equipment should significantly improve the on-air quality of Dubuque's five PEG channels by eliminating the need to convert channel outputs to analog to send them to Mediacom's head end. This project will install the necessary digital encoding equipment at each of the four PEG origination sites and provide for two extra digital encoders to use as spares. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. Mic ael C. Van Milligen MCVM:jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager Craig Nowack, Cable TV Coordinator Dubuque THE CITY OF b9 DUB aTE tlll�► Masterpiece on the Mississippi aow•�•mn TO: Michael C. Van Milligan, City Manager FROM: Craig Nowack, Cable TV Coordinator DATE: December 3, 2015 RE: PEG Fund Request INTRODUCTION The purpose of this memorandum is to forward a recommendation from the Cable TV Commission for a request for funding from the Capital Grant for Access Equipment and Facilities. BACKGROUND At its meeting on December 2, 2015, the Commission approved a request submitted by the City of Dubuque on behalf of the local access community for$63,500 to install digital encoding equipment for each public, educational, and governmental (PEG) channel on the Dubuque system. This equipment should significantly improve the on-air quality of Dubuque's five PEG channels by eliminating the need to convert channel outputs to analog to send them to Mediacom's head end. This project will install the necessary digital encoding equipment at each of the four PEG origination sites and provide for two extra digital encoders to use as spares. The application for this request is attached. The Capital Grant for Access Equipment and Facilities currently has a balance to be awarded for$677,852. RECOMMENDED ACTION I respectfully request that the Commission's recommendation for this request be forwarded to the City Council to receive, file, and approve. Thank you. cc: Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer (11/25/2015) Craig Nowack- Online Form Submittal: PEG Fund Grant Application Page 1 From: "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> To: <cnowack@cityofdubuque.org> Date: 11/25/2015 2:22 PM Subject: Online Form Submittal: PEG Fund Grant Application The following form was submitted via your website: PEG Fund Grant Application Organization Name:: Submitted by the Clty of Dubuque for the Local Access Community Address:: 1300 Main Street City:: Dubuque State IA Zip Code:: 52001 Organization Contact:: Craig Nowack Email Address:: cnowack@cityofdubuque.org Telephone Number:: 563.589.4181 Fax Number:: Total Amount Requested:: $63,429 Provide a general description of what you are requesting and why:: This project will replace the existing analog modulation equipment at the four local PEG channel origination sites with digital equipment to improve the technical quality of the five local PEG channels. Each origination site will get two digital modulators/encoders with which to transmit their signals to Mediacom's head end. Describe how the community will benefit from your request:: Currently, four of the five local PEG channels are digital-only channels. However, the signals sent to the cable company are analog and must be converted to digital before being sent out to local subscribers. It would make much more sense to to keep these channels digital and take advantage of the better picture and sound quality that digital video offers. And having the ability to send digital signals is a pre-requisite for getting HD PEG channels. In order to be completely digital, however, the PEG origination sites must install digital routing equipment. Three of the four origination sites have analog routers, which means the signal coming out of those routers must be converted to SDI to go to the new digital modulation equipment in this proposal. I would anticipate requests for those conversions to come early in 2016. Because analog signals do not look good on digital televisions, this project will be an important step in making the local PEG channels much more viewable. Item#1:: Digital encoders and related switches &equipment Price:: 54,958 Item#2:: Cabling at The Forum, Loras College, and Clty Hall Annex Price:: 2,166 Item#3:: Installation of analog to SDI converters at The Forum, Loras College, and Mediacom Price:: 1,305 (11/25/2015) Craig Nowack- Online Form Submittal: PEG Fund Grant Application Page 2 Item#4:: Contingency Price:: 5,000 Item#5:: Price:: Item#6:: Price:: Item#7:: Price:: Item#8:: Price:: Item#9:: Price:: Item#10:: Price:: Additional Items/Comments:: Thank you. 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