HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2026-06, Draft 1COUNTY COUNCIL
COUNTY OF KAUA`1
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t 0 11 No. 2026-06, Draft 1
RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAI`I STATE LEGISLATURE TO ENSURE
THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND FUNDING OF PUBLIC,
EDUCATIONAL, AND GOVERNMENTAL (PEG)
ACCESS MEDIA IN HAWAI`I
WHEREAS, Hawai`i's four (4) Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG)
Television Stations — `Olelo Community Media (O`ahu), Akaku Maui Community
Media (Maui County), Na Leo TV (Hawai`i Island), and Ho`ike: Kauai Community
Television (Kaua`i) — were established to advance public access to media and
communication, empower residents to tell their own stories, and strengthen
community participation in civic life; and
WHEREAS, Hawai`i's PEG television stations are funded through franchise
and access fees paid by cable subscribers, which are reinvested into free media
training, equipment, and facilities that enable individuals, schools, and organizations
to produce noncommercial programs that inform, educate, and engage the public; and
WHEREAS, these stations serve as essential public services — providing
platforms for community news, local government transparency, educational
programming, cultural preservation, and emergency communication during times of
crisis; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA),
which regulates cable franchises, has extended supplemental PEG Access operating
agreements only through June 30, 2026, creating uncertainty regarding the
long-term viability of community access media in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, DCCA has signaled its intent to significantly reduce Access
Operating Funds (AOF) for PEG providers, as demonstrated in Decision & Order
No. 386 (Kaua`i County), which approved Charter Communications' franchise
renewal and reduced PEG funding pursuant to Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rule 621; and
WHEREAS, the DCCA has also initiated franchise renewal proceedings for
Maui County using outdated and incomplete data from 2013, with similar intent to
reduce PEG Access funding, and has indicated future reductions for Na Leo o Hawai`i
and `Olelo Community Media; and
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WHEREAS, such reductions would severely impair the PEGS' capacity to fulfill
their core mission of providing equitable access to media tools, education, and civic
information across all islands, particularly as these organizations actively strengthen
Hawai`i's creative industries by supporting youth and residents through workforce
development initiatives, film challenges, and professional training in media
production and storytelling; and
WHEREAS, Charter Communications and Cox Communications have
announced a proposed merger expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026,
subject to approval by the DCCA, which presents a critical opportunity for the State
to negotiate community -benefiting franchise conditions; and
WHEREAS, former DCCA Director Keali`i Lopez publicly acknowledged that
the State failed to leverage prior merger negotiations to secure stronger terms — such
as high -definition channels for PEGS — to better serve the public interest; and
WHEREAS, this upcoming merger provides a timely and necessary
opportunity for the State of Hawaii and all four (4) counties to assert their authority
to ensure PEG Access sustainability, equity, and modernization; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA`I,
STATE OF HAWAI`I, that the Hawaii State Association of Counties (HSAC) urges
the Hawaii State Legislature.to:
1. Affirm the critical public service role of Hawai`i's PEG Access organizations
as essential community communication infrastructure.
2. Establish statutory protections ensuring PEG Access providers receive no
less than three percent (3%) of gross cable revenues in Access Operating Funds for
the full duration of each franchise term.
3. Require DCCA to consult with and obtain ratification from each County
prior to approving any merger, franchise renewal, or modification affecting PEG
Access operations and funding.
4. Mandate the inclusion of high -definition channels, digital modernization
support, and increased annual capital payments in all future franchise agreements.
5. Extend PEG Access operating agreements beyond June 30, 2026, to provide
long-term stability and planning capacity for Hawai`i's community media ecosystem.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that HSAC urges the Governor and the DCCA
to condition approval of the Charter/Cox merger on contractual commitments
restoring full PEG funding, eliminating FCC Rule 621 deductions, and ensuring
equitable, county -specific franchise terms that reflect Hawai`i's unique cultural and
geographic diversity;
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BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this Resolution shall be
transmitted to Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Senator Brian E. Schatz, Representative Ed
Case, Representative Jill Tokuda, Governor Josh Green, M.D., Director and Deputy
Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Administrator of the
Cable Television Division, the Department of Business, Economic Development and
Tourism, Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi, Speaker of the House Nadine K.
Nakamura, and the Honorable Mayors and County Councils of all four (4) Hawai`i
Counties.
Introduced by: /s/ ADDISON BULOSAN
/sl BERNARD P. CARVALHO, JR.
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Certificate Of Z(boption
19e hereby certifp that 3&vgotution ,Qo. 2026-06, Draft 1
Was abopteb by the (Council of the Countp of Raua`t, 6tate of
gabJai`t, 17ihu`e, Raua`i, �L9abJai`i, On February 18, 2026
c4n�tr(c7lerl-
�ateb February 19, 2026
(Chairman & Vresibing (Officer
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