Municipal Decision-Making Factors Relative to Cable Television Ownership.

A study was made to identify and provide information and factors which should be taken into consideration by a municipality in its development of policy regarding the ownership, franchising, and ordinance issues involved in cable television. Since the report discusses Southern California activities, specifically those of the San Gabriel Valley, it is somewhat limited in scope. Listed are the advantages and disadvantages of private ownership and its relationship to the public interest in addition to financial and operational factors. Detailed factors of public ownership which include forms and cost factors favoring public ownership, engineering and financial projections, the financing of public ownership requirements for tax-exempt status, and social policy factors are examined in detail. Further, the report lists specific forms of public ownership and details the advantages and disadvantages of municipal ownership, ownership by a nonprofit organization, in addition to a special public authority model. The report takes a "low profile advocacy position" in behalf of the poor and/or minority groups and emphasizes that citizens may still take a hand in shaping public policy about cable television. (WCM)