The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission met on September 3, 2026. With a quorum established, the Commission navigated a productive agenda focused on administrative appointments, conflict of interest updates, the adoption of the final fiscal year budget, and strategic consulting services. Executive Appointment and Compensation New Executive Director: In closed session, the Commission unanimously voted to appoint Kristyn Riggs as Executive Director. Compensation Adjustment: The Commission subsequently approved a temporary salary adjustment for Riggs while she serves in an interim capacity, set at an amount equal to 70% of the salary change maximum for the position on a monthly basis . Administrative and Consent Calendar Approvals Consent Calendar: Items 4 and 5 were approved unanimously. This included filing the GASB 75 report on other post-employment benefits (OPEB) accrual valuations ending June 30, 2024, and the engagement letter for the Commission's financial audits from fiscal years 2022 through 2024. Conflict of Interest Code (Item 6): The Commission approved amendments to the conflict code, which will be submitted to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors by October 1st. Notable updates include adding a board alternate for County District 5 (formerly held by Don Nottoli) and an alternate for the City of Sacramento, removing duplicate legal counsel titles, and removing position numbers to clean up the document. FY 2026-27 General and PEG Fee Fund Budgets (Item 7) The Commission approved its final $13.3 million General Fund budget against a backdrop of steadily declining cable franchise revenues, which are projected at $6.4 million for the upcoming fiscal year. Member Agency Revenue Distributions: Following recommendations from the Budget Ad-Hoc Committee and agency CFOs, the budget includes $8.2 million in total per-capital distributions to help member jurisdictions fund local safety, parks, and libraries. This includes a retroactive FY 25-26 distribution of $4.7 million and a budgeted FY 26-27 distribution of $3.5 million (releasing in August 2027 pending final actuals). Channel Licensee Reductions: To balance the declining revenue, channel licensees (grantees) accepted a 25% reduction from their FY 25-26 funding levels, receiving a combined $1.2 million. Final General Fund allocations approved are: Access Sacramento: $576,000 Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC): $357,000 PBS KVIE: $228,000 Sacramento Life TV: $47,869 OPEB Adjustment: The budget pre-funding line for retiree health benefits was zeroed out (from $250,000) because previous leadership heavily pre-funded the trust, leaving a highly manageable current liability of $218,000. PEG Fee Fund Budget: Left untouched from the preliminary budget, this fund contains $1.4 million in reserves with a projected $2 million in revenue. The Commission approved $690,000 in PEG capital projects for licensees (including facility leases and equipment upgrades). Sacramento Life TV remains ineligible for PEG funding due to religious content restrictions. Public and Agency Support: Finance directors from Citrus Heights, Galt, and the City of Sacramento, along with a representative from Folsom, spoke in strong support of the balanced, regional "shared pain" approach of the budget. Strategic Support Services (Item 9) The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute an agreement for strategic support services to hire a consultant . Scope: The consultant will assist the newly formed Strategic Ad Hoc Committee in reviewing the Commission’s long-term operational model, revenue-sharing methodologies, governance structure, and financial sustainability. Licensee Engagement: At the Board's direction, the consultant must coordinate substantive, direct outreach sessions with channel licensees to address their sustainability concerns. Funding Cap: Following debate from the commissioners, the motion was amended to place a "not to exceed $100,000" spending cap under the Director's discretion. The item passed with Member Sandhu abstaining. Channel Licensee Activity Reports (Item 10) The regional station managers provided updates on recent highlights and programs: KVIE: Featured its local black-and-white documentary Unhoused Neighbors and celebrated earning 16 awards (including 6 first-place honors) at the CNPA Journalism Awards for its newsroom, Abridged. Access Sacramento: Highlighted a new partnership with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to support local non-profits with media services, a new Afghan-focused news program hosted by expat journalist Jamal Faramand, and "A Place Called Sacramento" Film Festival premiering at the Crest Theater. SECC: Shared a video celebrating over 40 years of local educational broadcasting, highlighting training workshops that help hundreds of local teachers and thousands of students find their voice in media. Sacramento Life TV: Discussed its "Powerhouse Podcasts" (60 episodes to date), "Community Spotlight" documentaries, and its highly successful Capital Cold Case series in partnership with local law enforcement (27,000 views). The station soft-launched its sacramentolife.tv streaming network on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon TV. General Manager Herman noted that while the station is stretching its small $47,869 allocation, they will actively advocate for funding parity in 2027. Executive Director Administrative Update Riggs recognized her production staff for stepping up during the leadership transition. Key upcoming items include remote broadcasting for a Sacramento Sewer District meeting in October using a new flight pack and organizing election forums with the League of Women Voters. The next Cable Commission meeting is scheduled for December 3, 2026.