JCTV contract expires

New agreement needed before station receives city funds

JCTV's future is unclear once again.

Interim City Administrator Drew Hilpert said the current contract between Jefferson City and Lincoln University for operating the station expired after Thursday, and a new one is not yet in place. Hilpert said without a contract in place, JCTV could be told to stop using the city's station, though he said he has no intentions to do so immediately.

But without a contract in place, the public access station will not receive any city funding and JCTV already has struggled with continued budget cuts in the past two years.

For the 2013 fiscal year, the station's budget was cut by $55,000, though it initially faced termination. Mayor Eric Struemph proposed eliminating the station's remaining $110,000 in his original budget for the 2014 fiscal year, but the City Council ultimately approved a budget of $55,000 for the year.

Hilpert told council members earlier this week that it had been three months since the new contract had been sent over.

"I can't really explain why they haven't responded yet," Hilpert said.

Hilpert said the only major change in the new contract is the reduced amount of city funding. Another minor change included, he said, was listing the meetings the city expected JCTV to broadcast, including all meetings of the budget committee, the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Misty Young, Lincoln University spokeswoman, said the city and university "are currently in negotiations on the specifics of the contract." Young said both are working toward a resolution with an agreement to be signed no later than Feb. 28.

Hilpert said that date was one he included in a recent email to university officials, where he indicated the station would be allowed to continue broadcasting as long as an agreement was signed by Feb. 28.

Young did not respond to several other questions, including what issues need to be resolved in the new contract.

Hilpert said university officials indicated that they will get in touch with city soon about the contract.

"I don't see there being much of an issue," Hilpert said. "But you never know for sure."

JCTV Station Manager Gloria Enloe did not return calls for comment.

Link:

www.jctvaccess.com