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COUNTY OF HAWAFI <br />STATE OF HAWAFI <br />RESOLUTION NO. 448 26 <br />A RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAI'I STATE LEGISLATURE TO ENSURE THE <br />LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND FUNDING OF PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND <br />GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS MEDIA IN HAWAVI. <br />WHEREAS, the following Public, Educational, and Governmental Television stations <br />(hereinafter, "PEG") were established in the State of Hawaii to advance public access to media <br />and communication, empower residents to tell their own stories, and strengthen community <br />participation in civic life: <br />1. `Olelo Community Media on Oahu; <br />2. Akaku Maui Community Media on Maui; <br />3. Na Leo TV on Hawaii Island; and <br />4. Ho`ike: Kauai Community Television on Kauai; and <br />WHEREAS, Hawai`i's PEGS are funded through franchise and access fees paid for by <br />cable subscribers, which are reinvested into free media training, equipment, and facilities that <br />enable individuals, schools, and organizations to produce noncommercial programs that inform, <br />educate, and engage the public; and <br />WHEREAS, these stations serve as essential public services, providing platforms for <br />community news, local goverment transparency, educational programming, cultural <br />preservation, and emergency communication; and <br />WHEREAS, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (hereinafter, <br />"DCCA") which regulates cable franchises, has extended supplemental PEG Access operating <br />agreements only through June 30, 2026, creating uncertainty regarding the long-term viability of <br />community access media in Hawaii; and <br />WHEREAS, DCCA has signaled its intent to significantly reduce Access Operating <br />Funds for PEG providers, as demonstrated in Decision and Order No. 386, which approved <br />Charter Communications, Inc.'s franchise renewal and reduced PEG funding on Kauai pursuant <br />to Federal Communications Commission Rule 621; and <br />WHEREAS, DCCA also initiated franchise renewal proceedings on Maui County using <br />outdated and incomplete data from 2013 with similar intent to reduce PEG access funding, and <br />has indicated future reductions for Na Leo TV and `Olelo Community Media; and <br />