Financial Woes for PCTV Heading Into Budget Season

PCTV, Pleasantville's community access television station, recently came before the village's Board of Trustees to ask for financial assistance as both entities prepare to head into the 2011—2012 fiscal year, beginning June 1.

"We've been hit with costs that are completely outside our control," explained Station Manager Shane McGaffey, citing cable-provider contracts and rent costs as contributors to the station's financial struggles.

"What's the new framework structure for how this is going to run in fiscal year 2011—2012?" asked McGaffey. "Everyone is working as hard as they can to figure out a way to make that happen in the most cost-effective way."

During the PCTV Board of Directors' presentation to the village, Barry Stopler outlined the organization's projected revenues and expenses for the remainder of the year.

"PCTV expenses are fixed, however, and [PCTV] needs funding it believes to be temporary so that PCTV can pay its funding in a timely fashion," said Stopler. "PCTV believes interim funding needed is $20,000."

The presentation stated the station's need "to pay timely fixed expenses of approximately $37,000."

Stopler stated the organization does not expect to need the funds, but would like to have it on hand as a precaution and "any surplus would be applied to the working budget for fiscal year 2012 and reduce the village's funding contribution."

In addition, the presentation projected a total overall village contribution of $100,000 for the coming fiscal year, versus the $89,360 total allotted this year.

The organization projects receiving additional revenue from business, donations and Cablevision prior to May 31, but does not have exact dates. The aid provided by the village, therefore, would cover any potential shortfalls while the station waits for expected funds.

According to Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer, PCTV presents its budget needs to the Board of Trustees annually. The station has an agreement with the village involving the filming of the Board of Trustees meetings, as well as a "spectrum of other community activities on behalf of the village," including Pleasantville Day, Inside Government shows and the like.

The station also receives revenues from outside business sponsorships and other proposals, as well as individual donations. This year, donations are in excess of $18,000, according to the presentation, which is "PCTV's best year yet." This amount is approximately $4,000 more than was projected in the budget.

"They also receive funding that comes to the village through the cable companies [Cablevision and Verizon] for public access support," explained Scherer.

McGaffey said the Cablevision contracted had expired in 2005, and has yet to be renewed.

"There's a consortium of towns that negotiated with Cablevision," explained McGaffey, which include Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Ossining, New Castle and Mount Pleasant, though only three of the municipalities involved their public access stations in the agreement.

Then, "What happened a couple of years ago is the village signed a new contract with Verizon," said McGaffey, which is specific to its relationship with Pleasantville.

In this contract, Verizon gives the village a maximum payment of $50,000 over the course of the 15-year contract, versus the $41,000 annually the Cablevision contract provided the village, and in turn, the station.

"The other issue is Cablevision always used to pay the first week in February," said McGaffey.

He explained last year, when the village signed the Verizon contract, Cablevision was present at the meeting "trying to get the village not to sign it," and in turn did not pay the $41,000.

"[Cablevision] decided to start paying us quarterly for last ficsal year. They waited until May to give us $10,000." said McGaffey. "So, obviously, when you budget for something and you don't have it," he said, "you have a pretty serious problem."

For the current fiscal year, the village gave PCTV $20,000 of its budget early, "because no one envisioned Cablevision saying, 'We're going to pay a different way.'"

Additionally, the station previously paid $1/year rent plus taxes and insurance as the studio's space was donated to the community. After a new owner took over, rent became $1,000/month and then $1,450/month for the next three years.

McGaffey, who works full-time at the station, is its sole employee.

"They only thing you can do is cut salary," he said. "And if you cut salary, you probably don't have enough to have a full-time person."

Regarding the organization's request for a $20,000 advance from the village, Scherer explained, "I don't think in reality there is a mechanism by which we can offer a loan," stating the village would have to increase the PCTV portion of the village budget in order to accommodate the station's deficit.

The village will release its preliminary 2011—2012 figures online on March 20, which will include its projected budget for PCTV in the coming fiscal year.

"All five of us are strongly supportive of PCTV as a great contribution to the village," said Scherer. "But we're also very limited conceptually and practically with what we can do."

At a Board of Directors meeting last week, McGaffey said the organization's members analyzed several possible ways to trim spending based on the figures yet to be released from the village.

"Basically, we took the show list and broke it out," he said. "So, if the village didn't want to cover certain things next year, they didn't have to."

Currently, the station also offers residents the opportunity to utilize the PCTV studio for a three-camera shoot, along with a live switch and basic roll-ins, for free. They can also use the station's editing software without a charge.

"We're trying to understand what we could offer based on the service contract next year," added McGaffey. "We also reviewed what the public can get for free in terms of a public acces show and whether or not so far it was too high."

He said he feels the public access facility should remain as free as possible to the public, but many other area stations do not provide as much without a fee.

"So, it's trying to find a balance. Something that works for PCTV and something that works for the village," said McGaffey. "Threading the needle can be difficult, but with everybody working together, I think it's a very doable thing."