(The Center Square) – A recent Seattle Budget Committee meeting gave the impression that proposed cuts to the Seattle Channel may be avoided, with several council members in favor of finding funding elsewhere.
The Seattle Channel program is subject to six position cuts to save $1.6 million as part of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed 2025-2026 budget. These cuts intend to help the city face a $250 million budget deficit during the next budget cycle.
These positions include three video specialists, one information technology professional, and two strategic advisors.
The Seattle Channel is a government-access television channel that operates out of the Seattle City Hall building.
Earlier this month, Seattle City Council Chair Sara Nelson announced she attends to restore funding to the program.
During the Select Budget Committee meeting on Thursday, Nelson said she was unsure why the Seattle Channel faces significant cuts despite public feedback requesting programming be saved.
“The public cares very deeply about all the programming on this channel. I continue to question the rationale for cutting all of the Seattle Channel programming except for council meetings and press conferences,” Nelson said at the council meeting.
The Seattle Channel is funded by revenues raised by franchise fees assessed on cable providers’ gross revenues. In addition, cable providers also pay the city a fee in support of public educational and public access channels, such as Seattle Channel free of charge.
Cable franchise revenues have been declining, likely in part due to customers switching away from cable services. Revenues have dropped from a high of approximately $9 million in 2019 to a proposed amount of $5.7 million in 2025.
Nelson is seeking background information on the franchise fee, which she says has been siphoned off and used for other expenditures, leaving the Seattle Channel to receive about 43% of the cable fund distribution.
“That revenue makes up just a small part of the overall Seattle IT budget, and so could those programs be funded from elsewhere in the IT budget?” Nelson asked.
Fellow city council members joined Nelson in wanting to find a way to prevent cuts to the Seattle Channel. Dan Strauss said he wants to not only sustain programming, but ensure long-term success. This could include allowing under-utilized studio space at city hall.
Strengthening the Seattle Channel in the future may have to include an alternative funding source, or use a different model, according to Strauss.
If the city council decides it’s not in the city’s best interests to fully restore $1.6 million in funding for the Seattle Channel next year, it could consider partial restoration.
For example, one option proposed by Seattle city staff would add $920,000 and 4 positions to continue approximately 50% of the non-governmental programming.
