MTN faces massive funding cut
Read Saving the Electronic Commons on the TC Daily Planet.
December 15, 2011 - We are grateful to announce that the Minneapolis City Council, led by Council Member Elizabeth Glidden, restored another 50K to MTN'S 2012 budget! We are alive and we will continue to shine! Thanks for all your efforts on behalf of community television in Minneapolis!
On December 6, the Minneapolis City Council Ways and Means Committee approved a 2012 city budget that reduced the cut to $150,000. This is still a significant cut, and it has not yet been approved by the full City Council.
October 2011 - Mayor Rybak has proposed a $250,000 cut to the Minneapolis Television Network’s budget for 2012.
Over the past five years, MTN has reduced our facility by 1,400 square feet and cut two full time staff positions, without reducing services to the public. Most of our remaining non-personnel expenses are not negotiable, such as lease, insurance and utilities.
At a minimum, $210,400, or 84% of the funding cut would have to be absorbed by personnel expenses. This amount is 42% of our total personnel expenses.
Staff reductions of this size would translate into a loss of services, as well as a reduction to the hours that our facility is open to the public.
MTN is funded by franchise fees and Public, Educational and Government (PEG) Access fees paid to the City of Minneapolis by Comcast Cable. While many sources of the city’s revenue have decreased, these fees have remained constant during the recession. The PEG fee is scheduled to double at the beginning of 2012.
We need your help. MTN has many allies on the City Council who need to hear from you. To find contact information for your council member, visit the city’s web page at http://www.minneapolismn.gov
If you don't know which Council Member represents you, use the Ward Finder.
Ward 1 Kevin Reich (612) 673-2201 kevin.reich@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 2 Cam Gordon (612) 673-2202 cam.gordon@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 3 Diane Hofstede (612) 673-2203 diane.hofstede@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 4 Barbara Johnson (612) 673-2204 barbara.johnson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 5 Don Samuels (612) 673-2205 don.samuels@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 6 Robert Lilligren (612) 673-2206 robert.lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 7 Lisa Goodman (612) 673-2207 http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-goodman.asp
Ward 8 Elizabeth Glidden (612) 673-2208 http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-glidden.asp
Ward 9 Gary Schiff (612) 673-2209 http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-schiff.asp
Ward 10 Meg Tuthill (612) 673-2210 meg.tuthill@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 11 John Quincy (612) 673-2211 john.quincy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Ward 12 Sandra Colvin Roy (612) 673-2212 http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-roy.asp
Ward 13 Betsy Hodges [Ways and Means Committee Chair] (612) 673-2213 http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/contact/email-form-hodges.asp
MTN Members speak out about the importance of community media: