(The Center Square) – The Seattle City Council’s proposed 2025-2026 budget balancing package restores funding for Seattle Channel programming and halts proposed layoffs at the government-access television channel.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed 2025-2026 budget would have cut six positions from the Seattle Channel. These positions include three video specialists, one information technology professional, and two strategic advisors.
The six position cuts would have saved the city $1.6 million, or less than 1% of the city’s $1.9 billion general fund. The city currently faces a $250 million deficit during the next budget cycle.
Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss proposed legislation as part of the 2025-2026 budget balancing package that restores the $1.6 million in reductions to the Seattle Channel.
Seattle Channel is struggling because revenues to the Cable Television Franchise Fund from cable subscription fees continue to decline as fewer people use traditional cable television.
In 2023, the fund brought in $6.1 million to the city. In 2024, it’s estimated to have dropped to $5.5 million in 2024 and will continue to decrease to approximately $5.46 million in 2026.
The $1.6 million in cuts was deemed necessary by Harrell’s office in order to balance the Cable Television Franchise Fund.
“It is fine for us on a one time basis to use general fund to fund the Seattle Channel, but it is a very dangerous precedent to set because they have been able to retain their independence through the fact that they have been receiving cable funding, which has been declining,” Strauss said during Wednesday’s Select Budget Committee meeting.
Strauss said he asked the question on the dais of who was watching Seattle Channel via cable and only received one response.
The city also has franchise agreements with the cable television companies operating in Seattle. Under the current agreements, the city levies a 10% utility tax on the gross subscriber revenues of cable television operators, which accounts for about 90% of the operators’ total revenue.
This franchise fee is deposited into the city’s Cable Television Franchise Fund. Cable television utility revenues have dropped from $15 million in 2021 to an estimated $11.7 million this year.
In 2025 and 2026, the cable television utility fund is estimated to collect $10.1 million and $9.4 million.
Strauss is also expected to bring forward legislation creating an expert work group to recommend ways to create a sustainable future for the Seattle Channel. The work group will work to identify more secure funding sources for the channel.
“I applaud Councilmember Strauss for advancing a collaborative approach dedicated to identifying a sustainable, long-term path forward for Seattle Channel’s original programming,” Harrell said in a blog.
