For Immediate Release

Lack of Municipal Support May Force GO-TV to Cease Operations Next Year

Greater Ossining TV’s 2004 Proposed Budget Falls Short by Almost $7,000

Ossining, NY (October 27, 2003) Greater Ossining Television (GO-TV) is in jeopardy of shutting down its operations before the end of 2004 due to lack of financial support from the Town and Village of Ossining. With a proposed 2004 operating budget of just under $75,000, the public access station will not be able to meet its costs for 2004, falling short by almost $7,000.

At issue is the allocation of Cablevision Franchise Fees, which are fees paid to local municipalities for the use of the rights of way and administrative costs. These fees are a “pass through”, that is, Cablevision customers pay a percentage of their total bills for Franchise Fees, which the company collects and then passes on to the local municipality. While Cablevision is not authorized to stipulate how these funds are used, the company’s original intention was for these fees to be passed on to the local public access stations.

In fact, every other Westchester municipality except Ossining, distributes these Franchise Fees -- either fully or partially --- to their local public access TV station. In Larchmont, for example, LMC-TV receives $277,000 the full amount of the Franchise Fee, from the Villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck.

RC-TV in Rye also receives the full amount at $160,000 from the City of Rye. PC-TV in Pleasantville receives $30,000, half of the $60,000 Franchise Fee, from the Village of Pleasantville. White Plains Cable TV receives the highest amount – almost $500,000 from the City of White Plains.

While the Village of Ossining currently receives $200,000 and the Town, $60,000 from these Cablevision Franchise Fees, GO-TV has never received any of these funds. GO-TV survives only on a $43,000 annual stipend from Cablevision and fees that it receives from covering the Village and Town Board meetings, as well as private group meetings. Last year, GO-TV received an extra $20,000 stipend from Cablevision, which it used to purchase a new digital editing system for the public to use.

GO-TV’s largest expense is its payroll for four part-time employees. Other expenses include equipment repair and replacement, computer upgrades, insurance, office supplies, telephone, DSL line, accounting fees, storage and other related costs.

Having access to the Cablevision Franchise Fees would allow GO-TV to relocate to a more visible location and expand its hours of operation to better serve the public. Currently, GO-TV is located in a tiny classroom at Ossining High School, with zero visibility to the community. The public studio hours are miniscule -- Wednesdays to Fridays, from 6:00 p. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m., GO-TV will meet with the Ossining Town Board to present a slide show of some of Westchester’s other public access TV stations, all of which are currently receiving Cablevision Franchise Fees. This will give the Board an idea of what can be accomplished with the extra monies. GO-TV will present the slide show to the Ossining Village Board in November.

GO-TV broadcasts public access on Channel 18, and government access on Channel 78. Now in its 9^th year of operation, GO-TV serves the Village and Town of Ossining, Briarcliff Manor, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, and parts of Chappaqua, Pleasantville, Valhalla and Mount Pleasant.