Mayor and City Council Meeting: Channel 8 Update and Executive Session – February 25, 2025

This weekly Mayor–Council meeting took place on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, beginning at 16:30 UTC. The public portion featured a presentation by Denver’s Channel 8 team on their operations, services, and future plans, followed by a brief Q&A. The meeting concluded with a motion to enter executive session to discuss a potential real property purchase, public financing, and legal advice.

Discussion Items

• Channel 8 Presentation – Mike Gallegos, Content and Creative Services Director for Denver 8, introduced the Channel 8 team and highlighted their work. He noted the studio is located in the basement of the city building (accessible via a street-side entrance or through the garage, but with limited accessibility). The team manages live broadcasts of council meetings, committees, planning boards, and other city events; produces shows such as The Gavels (weekly council highlights), Denver This Week, Elevating Denver, and neighborhood stories series; and also supports Red Rocks screen operations. Gallegos reported that the studio uses aging technology (12+ years old) and that the city is about to hire a consultant—funded through the PEG (Public, Educational, and Governmental) franchise fee from Comcast—to modernize the equipment. He also noted that Denver Community Media, a separate learning facility on 21st & Arapahoe, has a state‑of‑the‑art space with about 130 members.

• PEG Fund Sustainability – Councilman Flynn asked about the long‑term outlook of the PEG fund, which comes from Comcast subscriber fees. Jenny Shavoni, Chief Digital Officer for Technology Services, explained that the fund has been declining but appears to have plateaued recently (approximately 60,000 Comcast subscribers remain in Denver County). She noted that the city renewed the Comcast franchise agreement last year (in the second year of a five‑year renewal) and will soon conduct a full audit and community engagement to assess the value of PEG‑funded channels. The city is also soliciting an over‑the‑top streaming platform to reduce reliance on cable. Operational costs come from the general fund; PEG covers only capital expenditures.

• Legacy Projects and Community Use – Council President recounted past uses of Channel 8 for community documentation (e.g., a health impact assessment in Globeville, Hispanic Heritage Month features) and praised the team for their behind‑the‑scenes work, including setting up microphones for budget hearings on a Sunday (Bronco game day). Councilman Watson referenced the recent Fair Election Fund process and noted that the Clerk and Recorder’s office will work with Channel 8 on cost estimates for election debates, expected to be augmented by 2027.

• Content Decisions for The Gavels – Councilman Gonzalez‑Gutierrez asked who decides the content of The Gavels. Gallegos responded that the live stream producer, Tim Senese, works with council communications staff (Robert Austin and Benita) to select the biggest topics each week.

Key Outcomes

• No votes or formal decisions were taken during the public portion.
• Council was invited to tour the Channel 8 studio and to partner on future content.
• The meeting then moved into executive session pursuant to DRP 234 sections 3, 4, and 6, to discuss the city's potential purchase of real property, securing public financing, and related legal advice. A motion was carried unanimously (voice vote) to enter that session.