Recording in progress.

Good afternoon, everyone.

I am Matt Freuman, Council Ward 3 Councilmember and Chairperson of the Committee on Human Services.

Today is Tuesday, April 28th, 2026.

We are meeting in person in room 500 of the John A.

Wilson building in virtually via Zoom.

The time is now 1214 p.m.

Today we are conducting a budget oversight hearing on the Office of Cable Television Film Music and Entertainment, or Okfamy.

OKFAME's mandate is broad, and their work enriches the cultural and public life of the district in a variety of ways.

First, OKFAME produces and broadcasts programming on the district's public educational and government access cable channels and public radio station.

OKFAME also regulates cable television in the district, negotiating and overseeing the district's cable franchises.

Additionally, ACFAME provides permitting, location scouting, and production support, while developing the district's creative workforce and administering the film, television, and entertainment rebate fund.

In this fiscal environment, all agencies, including OKFAMI, need to carefully consider which programs and services best serve residents and grow our economy.

Now is the time to showcase the district not just as a working hub for government, but as a vibrant creative city with a diversified economy and ample support for creative sector careers.

With successes like the Film Ray Bait program, which has attracted the production of blockbuster films and major television shows, we know we can do it.

It is an imperative to bolster DC as a friendly place for the creative industry, open to new investment, and great high-paying jobs.

I'm excited to hear how we can better support the creative economy while being mindful of the constraints we confront this budget season.

Every dollar must go further than ever before to create opportunity and growth.

I would like now like to offer a note on logistics.

Uh to ensure we hear from all members of the public, the committee will strictly apply time limits on witness testimony.

All witnesses will have no more than three minutes to speak.

When I call your name, please come to the table at the front and sit in the order in which you are called from your right to your left.

Please press the button on your microphone before speaking to turn on your mic.

The red light indicates your mic is on.

After a panel is done providing testimony, I and other council members, should they arrive, may ask questions before calling the next panel.

After hearing from our in-person witnesses, we will turn to our virtual witnesses.

My brother Brandon and I followed in his footsteps to start a business in the district.

Sixteen years ago, we founded Meridian Hill Pictures, an independent production company committed to telling meaningful stories about the pressing issues of our time made with craft and care.

We've made three independent feature films in the district City of Trees, the first step, and holding Lyot most recently.

The budget for City of Trees was approximately approximately 400,000.

The budget for the first step was about 2 million.

The budget for holding Lyot was about 1.5 million.

All three films participated in OCT FME's production rebate fund.

By Hollywood standards, these are small films, but for their modest size, they've had a relatively outsized impact in the world.

City of Trees played at 35 film festivals nationwide, was broadcast nationally on PBS and streamed on Netflix.

The first step premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released in movie theaters nationwide as one of the first documentaries to play theatrically in person after COVID.

Holding Lyot, our most recent film, won the best documentary award at the Berlin International Film Festival, played in more than 75 film festivals worldwide, was distributed in nearly a dozen countries, was just released in more than 30 cities theatrically nationwide, including our Avalon Theater in DC, and was named one of the 10 best films of 2025 by the Washington Post.

The film was shortlisted also for the 2026 Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature.

These films brought significant financial benefit to the district relative to their size.

Across these three films, we've hired more than 660 district residents to work on various crew roles, from director of photography down to intern and production assistant.

We've spent more than 1.5 million dollars collectively on qualified expenses in the district.

That's wages for DC crew, DC hotels, restaurants, cabs, local merchants, and much more.

The production rebate fund provided critically vital funds that enabled us to launch our subsequent projects after completing each film so that we could continue to create and hire people in the district.

Without this program, I am confident that our business would not have been able to survive over the past 16 years.

Our industry is facing a moment of great turmoil.

We're facing significant cuts to public media funding, corporate consolidation resulting in fewer acquisitions of independent films.

Could I go for another 30 seconds?

Yeah, yeah, you're taking time.

Corporate consolidation resort resulting in fewer acquisitions of independent films and layoffs across the board.

At a time when all eyes are on DC, and while other film hubs across the country are contracting, we face an opportunity here to show the world that DC is open for business for content creators, both those who live here and those who could come here to make their work.

As I hear about struggles my peers are facing in cities elsewhere, I proudly talk about how my hometown supports our creative economy, and I've encouraged, readily encouraged other noted filmmakers to bring their projects to the district, including most recently New York-based noted filmmaker Marilyn Ness and her new film Postmortem, which she shot here in DC and was also a participant in the Rebate Fund.

DC already has some of the finest storytellers in the country, and we are nurturing the next generation of talent through youth programs like the Sitar Arts Center, incredible university film programs at Howard, GW, and American, all of whom who have placed interns at our company to start their careers in film here in DC.

We have the potential to attract and grow so much more talent and investment through smart policy like the Rebate Fund.

And on a personal note, I got married this fall, and thanks to programs like the Rebate Fund, I not only remain firmly committed to making our next film in DC, but also raising the next generation of our family here in town.

I strongly encourage you and the council to support and expand this program so that more district residents can create and hire here in the district.

And I applaud Director Foster, Direct Deputy Director Niles, and the entire team at OCT FME for their exceptional leadership and their work to nurture and grow our city's creative economy and support creative entrepreneurship in film and media.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your testimony.

I mean, it is great to hear that it has worked well for you, and that's that's really impressive, the three films that you've made already and how far shortlisted for the Academy Awards.

That's that uh much to be proud of.

I hear you that the programs are good.

I am curious from your vantage point, how we might improve the programs and what other kind of infrastructure would be the most useful as you talk to filmmakers around the country about coming to DC.

What would make are there things we should do with the program?

And are there other things we should do that would lead to more folks coming here?

Sure.

Um couple things come to mind.

So actually, when I first testified here, um I think this is the fifth time I've testified over the past 16 years, but the first time was in 2011, um, when there was a discussion about whether to continue this program, uh, the rebate fund and also what the threshold, the qualifying threshold should be for films.

And I think at that time it might have been $500,000 of a qualifying threshold of money spent in the district, and it was reduced or lowered to leave $250,000, which was significant because it opened up participation to lower budget independent films, many of which are the kinds of films that are made here.

You know, so we don't have the 100 million dollar blockbuster films being made here.

The fund can help attract those films, which is important.

But the kinds of films that are made here are the lower budget, often independent films like what we do.

So we were able to participate in this program by virtue of lowering the qualifying threshold.

And I think that there's more that can be done to actually lower the qualifying threshold even further to open up uh participation to other lower budget films, you know, that may have 200 100,000 budget, 150,000 budget, even a $50,000 budget, because conversely, at the lower budget levels, each dollar that's spent on the rebate goes even further and has an even further outsized impact because it's a smaller budget project.

So those rebates of five, ten, fifteen, twenty thousand dollars could be life-changing for local creators.

Um often they're not able to participate at the higher threshold.

So I think that that's a hugely significant factor that can work within the existing framework.

Um I think anything that can be done to offer funding to local filmmakers, local companies that hire new emerging talent coming out of our city's universities or youth programs is incredibly significant because one of the hardest things to do is to find that first foot in the door.

And uh companies sometimes can be afraid to you know take what they might consider to be a risk on someone new who they don't know, and the ability to have that blessing from the city along with some financial support can make that much, much easier.

Um then lastly, I would just say that we have a really, really hard time in the city as local filmmakers and also people from outside the city showing work in the city.

Um we've lost movie theaters.

It's just an unfortunate reality.

We're not the only city, but we have lost a lot of theaters.

Um for us, in particular, most recently, it was very, very hard to actually screen our film in the district.

We're lucky that we were able to ultimately have support from the Avalon.

Um but you know, they only have two screens.

You know, it's not a lot of space that they have to work with, and they're inundated with filmmakers trying to screen their work.

Local people, let alone from out of state.

So I think that being able to support some of the screening spaces, theaters and otherwise that can that can showcase the work is really critical because otherwise, if people don't have a way to see these films, um they can't have this kind of impact.

We've also lost space to write about and cover films.

The Washington Post just fired effectively its whole film review team.

Um more support and actually just the ways that people find out about uh films uh and media created in the city, I think are all incredibly essential.

Okay, all very helpful.

Um I'm curious in your films.

Did you have to use a sound stage at all?

And if so, where did you do that?

Uh we don't have to use a sound stage in the maybe kind of traditional sense of what you think of with a fiction film because we work all in documentary.

So we're recording sound in the field.

So we do work with local talent who are sound engineers who record sound in the field in real life situations.

Um then we've written we've done post-production in a post-audio facility.

Um but we don't tip we haven't used kind of the larger sound stages that I know are critical for out often, you know, the out-of-town larger productions that come in and need that space.

All right.

Uh thank you very much for your testimony.

Thank you for your work.

Good luck on the next one.

You're shortlisted next one.

Let's let's get it.

We're trying.

We're trying.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Um we will now turn to our virtual witness.

For a virtual participant, I would like to provide some guidelines about the Zoom platform.

When it is your turn to join a panel for testimony, I will call your name, and a member of my staff will make you a panelist.

If you wish to activate your video while you uh testify, you need to click the bottom in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen that looks like the button in your toolbar at the bottom of your screen that looks like a video camera.

Please remain muted until it is your turn to testify.

And when it is your turn to testify, please unmute yourself.

Should you have any technical difficulties, you can send a message to the host, which is labeled Committee on Human Services, and they will follow up.

I will now call our virtual witness, Jarvis Campbell.

And while she is coming on, Mr.

Kramer, I don't believe we have your written testimony if you can submit it.

Please don't drive about it.

Okay.

So I understand that we Mr.

Campbell.

Uh to our government witnesses.

And we will be joined by Latoya Foster, the director of the Office of Cable Television, Film Music, and Entertainment.

Director Foster, please join us at the table in front, along with any of your staff who plan on testifying today.

It is the practice of this committee to place our government witnesses under oath.

Director Foster and any of the other agency employees who might be testifying today and those in the audience who may come to the table eventually.

Please raise your right hand.

Do you swear or affirm under penalty of law that the testimony you are about to provide to the Committee on Human Services is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Wonderful.

You may begin your testimony when you're ready.

I just think the age of 20 hours.

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon, Chairperson Fruman.

Esteemed members of the Committee on Human Services and Council staff.

I'm Latoya Foster, the director of the Office of Cable Television Film Music and Entertainment, also known as OCT FME.

I appreciate the opportunity to present our fiscal year 27 budget and share how OCT FME continues to deliver high impact services, promote economic opportunities, and ensure transparency and government communication.

Mayor Bowser's proposed fiscal year 27 budget, Grow DC, was formulated from three key considerations in mind.

How to drive growth in our economy to fund the services and programs that residents count on, how to keep families in DC and attract new residents, and how to create a business environment that draws new investment and creates new jobs.

We are navigating a pivotal moment that demands a more deliberate approach to growth.

The Federal dollars that once expanded our city's programs in unprecedented ways have been exhausted, and Federal workforce reductions have introduced new pressures on our local economy and commercial corridors.

That being said, it's important to be clear.

Revenues have slowed, but the city maintains a strong financial foundation on which we can build by making the kinds of strategic and targeted decisions that will allow DC to continue growing while delivering the high-quality services our residents depend on.

Chairman Fruman and members of this committee.

This is not just about sustaining operations.

It's about building a high impact organization that fuels the city's creative economy and strengthens its position as a national leader in media and entertainment.

We are at a pivotal moment.

The agency has made deliberate adjustments in response to a rapidly changing industry, and we are now positioning OCT FME as a modern multi-platform agency focused on media, technology, and economic development.

This evolution ensures we remain competitive, relevant, and aligned with the district's long-term growth priorities.

OCTFME will continue to maintain common ground with the evolving cable and media industry and will strategically utilize its resources to support our consumers, the dedicated OCT FME team, and maintain the latest equipment and technology to operate the agency's many platforms.

This commitment ensures that OCTFME remains at the forefront of innovation, supporting high quality production, distribution, and engagement across all media platforms.

This is not just programming.

While we recognize the city's fiscal challenges, sustaining our operations requires stable funding and adequate staffing.

We respectfully ask for your partnership and advocacy in protecting our budget and personnel levels and in supporting additional positions and resources that will allow us to continue delivering high value service to the district.

The mayor's fiscal year 27 proposed budget for OCT FME totals 12.9 million dollars, including $6.9 million in local funds and $6 billion in special purpose revenue funds, which includes the PEG fees that must be used exclusively for capital costs associated with PEG channel facilities and equipment.

Delivering transparency through council hearings and real-time access to government requires adequate personnel and significant staff hours, often extending late into the night.

We push through and meet these demands because it is our responsibility to serve the public.

It is vital for the district for OCT FME to maintain staffing levels and fiscal resources provided by this proposed budget in order to continue providing the level of service the residents of DC expect and deserve.

OCTFME continues to manage and program the district's public educational and government access peg cable channels, DCN, the District of Columbia Network, DCC, the District Council Channel, DKN, the District Knowledge Network, and our Global Streaming Channel, DCE, the DC Entertainment Streaming Network, while also operating DC Radio 96.3 HD4 in partnership with Howard University Radio, WHUR.

It is important to emphasize that our work extends far beyond simply operating these platforms.

Programming across each channel has been strategically redesigned to monetize content, expand distribution, and generate new revenue for the city.

Because of the way we have structured our output and delivery systems, news outlets around the world can now download and rebroadcast council hearings, increasing transparency and creating new partnership opportunities.

DKN is evolving.

While educating residents and interested parties about the history of our city, the change makers who have made history creating opportunities for our city, as well as locations that drive global investment, the network is also home to youth-based programming and local sports, including the district youth sports, highlighting the games and stories our students want to see, as well as recruiters from prestigious educational institutions.

A new baseball pilot is being packaged for DCE, our entertainment platform, which already has outreach to a major national sports network.

The annual Turkey Bowl, one of the city's most celebrated high school football traditions, is now featured prominently as well, creating additional revenue opportunities.

DCN is also delivered a major success by broadcasting the live 2026 Emancipation Day Festival and celebration alongside the executive office of the mayor, an event that drew more than five 35,000 RSVPs, more than 20,000 attendees, with nearly 6,000 people arriving at 7 p.m.

alone, and 1,300 visitors from outside of the DMV.

Those attendees contributed directly to the local economy through spending on food, parking, hotels, and restaurants, a clear demonstration of how OCT FME's media platforms amplify civic events and drive economic value for the district.

Mr.

Chairman, our DC Radio just passed its eighth year on a global digital platform.

We've monetized programming and now we're developing a global economic podcast featuring ambassadors and heads of state, a new revenue market for our city.

But here's what the numbers don't show.

This station operates with a small, high cross-functional team wearing multiple hats.

As such, resource decisions have a direct impact on the station's ability to deliver on the outcomes.

So, when cuts come, who exactly do you cut?

The engineer who keeps us on the air, the programmer who ensures broadcast quality, the staff who coordinate interviews with council members and assist with events that are taking place that drive revenue in our city, the musicians and creators who help generate revenue.

You can't cut any one of them without destabilizing the entire operation.

A spreadsheet won't tell you that, but the people who run the station and this agency live it every single day.

OCT FME administered the DC Film Television and Entertainment Rebate Fund, a film production incentive program that fuels economic growth of entertainment and sports in our city.

Since fiscal year 2016, 85 projects have qualified for the rebate program, including 38 from local production companies.

232.3 million dollars in total economic impact has been generated.

2,071 jobs have been created for district creators, and for each dollar of public investment, it has yielded a return on investment of 1454.

Recent high-profile film and television productions filmed in our city include Marvel's Captain America Brave New World, Amazon Prime's Cross, Netflix's Rustin, and Netflix's Zero Day, reinforcing the city's status as both a location and a character in global storytelling.

In addition to motion picture and television projects, the Rebay Fund has supported a wide variety of other distributed projects, including professional boxing, mixed martial arts, esports events, and music festivals.

Examples include the DC Jazz Festival, Rock Nation Boxing, the Professional Fighters League Championships, Blast Premier Esports Finals, and the MBA 2K Esports Series.

These productions not only elevate our global visibility, they spark tourism, spending, and job creation across all eight wards.

Through our Creative Affairs Office and 202 Creates platform, we are empowering artists and entrepreneurs from all eight wards.

DC's art sector contributes over $15 billion to our local economy and supports 50,000 creative jobs.

Since its inception, 202 creates has saved district residents an estimated 4.3 million dollars by providing participants with free resources and space to work and create.

OCT FME is now elevating this work even further.

For too long, GoGo artists lack access to modern distribution channels and industry standard revenue opportunities.

We're changing that by creating a pathway for artists to place their music and content on our platforms and earn revenue, adding meaningful value to the GoGo economy.

The 202 creates residency program has served over 250 DC residents with training, mentorship, and business development across all eight wards.

At OCTFME, we're building the next generation of creative leaders and ensuring access to non-traditional careers and production, broadcasting, music, entertainment, and sports and media technology.

Chairperson Fruman, your recent tour of OCT FME gave you a rare, unfiltered look at what it takes to keep this agency operating at a high level.

You saw the people, the technology, and the nonstop production work that most residents will never witness but rely on every day.

Your visit affirmed what our testimony makes clear.

We are maximizing limited resources.

We're creating jobs and tourism.

We're supporting the creative workforce, and we're delivering reliable public communication 24-7.

These aren't aspirations.

They are outcomes we deliver with discipline and efficiency.

To sustain this performance and to meet the growing demands on our platforms, we must maintain our current resources and personnel.

We share your commitment to fiscal responsibility and public trust, and we're doing our part, but continued stability in our budget and staffing is essential to protect the services you saw firsthand.

We're counting on your support to ensure OCT FME remains strong, modern, and fully equipped to serve our city.

We thank our mayor, Muriel Bowser, for her continued support, and we thank this committee for its oversight.

With your investment, OCT FME will continue to inform, inspire, and innovate on behalf of every DC resident.

We look forward to answering any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Director Foster.

And thanks for reminding of the visit to OCTFME.

It really was impressive.

We really appreciated you coming by you and Emily.

No, all very impressive.

And also, I will say, I mean, there's the bricks and mortar, there's the different equipment, but there's the people.

Yeah, absolutely.

And the vibe of the people working there, you know, you can tell when people appear unhappy in their jobs, but it looked like uh spirit of teamwork in it and a positive vibe under the roof.

So all very important.

Thank you.

I'll crow on you a little.

I'll crow a little on Emily as well.

So the I mean the past year the committee was able to help orchestrate the committee, meaning Emily was able to help orchestrate the addition of cable-related requests to the district's 311 line.

Now DC residents are able to connect directly with OCT FME and Mabel Gis, our district cable inspector to report any errant wires and safety concerns.

Since implementing the 311 311 request line, how many reports has Ocfamy received from 311 regarding cable wire concerns?

Do you have a sense of that?

We understand that we have an excess of 500 requests that we've been able to address and resolve.

500.

500.

That's a lot.

Have you been able to handle all those cases that have come in?

I understand that it's it's just Mabel.

I mean uh is one person been able to manage all of that traffic?

So Mabel, of course, has been mighty all by herself, but we do have uh one more dedicated person who is a contractor who works part-time who assists Mabel with this.

We have since then also established a dedicated mailbox, which has assisted us with efficiency and transparency and accountability, so we are able to address all of those requests that have been coming in.

So and has it having them come in through 311 instead of some other way, has it made it more efficient?

Well, that streamlines for sure those requests that come in.

Though we do still get the requests that come in uh through our main line uh through direct emails and so forth.

Um but we have to say that the 311 has uh streamlined it uh to a certain degree.

And do you am I understanding you correctly?

You now have two FTEs that are devoted to the No.

We only have Mabel, who is under a full-time FTE, but we also have a contractor uh who is um paid under our contractual um agreements, a staffing contract that we have, and that's a part-time position under a staffing contract.

And would it we we may want to look into would it be more cost-effective for that person to be brought in-house?

It would be wonderful if we had an FTE to place that person into versus using a staffing contract.

And I am going to pivot to Lawrence.

Uh Councilmember, we are probably on track at this point in the year to double the number of customer service inquiries uh from the last fiscal year.

So at this point, the 311 calls are doubling the workload of Mabel with the assistance of a part-time support.

So we would definitely need that.

And that's being conservative.

Uh literally, we are we have exceeded the number of total customer service inquiries last year, fiscal year in the month of April.

Okay, very helpful.

Oh, did you have something?

Um, we have had back and forth in previous hearings.

There are places where you use contractors, and there are places where you have employees, and there is there's an accordion quality to it.

So you want to have the flexibility to use contractors where that makes the most sense economically, but where it makes the most sense economically to bring the position in-house, we want you to bring the position in-house.

So let's continue to explore that in this setting.

Thank you.

Uh you previously shared the trend of district reticence cutting the cord uh with cable companies has had an impact on the franchise fee that OCT FME receives to support the three district tag channels.

Do we continue to see franchise fees going down?

Um yes, we have continued to see a decline in those franchise fees year after year as a result of quote unquote court cutting and folks turning away from cable uh to streaming.

Uh our AFO Cassandra Fields has been forecasting this uh since she came on board, and she can provide in greater detail uh what that forecast has looked like over the years and the trend going forward.

Good afternoon, Chairperson.

Good afternoon.

I am Cassandra Fields.

Can you hear me okay?

I bring it a little closer to you so you don't have to lean too much.

Thank you.

So as uh Director Foster uh stated, I have been tracking this revenue since I started with the agency, um, well, with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer on their AFO, but I have been tracking the revenue since 2018.

And um from what I can see, the revenue has been declining year over year, quarter over quarter.

And at one point in 2023, we had our largest decline of about 11 percent.

Uh but it's pretty much steady now at about 7 percent decline year over year.

So I've done projections even out to 2031, and the revenues are continuing to decline, but they seem to be not declining at such a steep rate as it was in 2023.

All right, thank you.

Um does the reduction in the franchise fees lead to less original programming being created for just the district knowledge network and the District of Columbia network?

What is the impact?

The declining revenue, Councilmember doesn't just uh impact the programming and the broadcast efforts.

It impacts the agency overall.

It is uh it it impacts our entire budget and how we're able to operate our operations, not only just the broadcast, but our day-to-day operations as well.

So I think in your testimony, you referred to the SPR uh revenue, and that is that the cable fees?

Yes, that's the cable fees.

So then let me go back to it for a second just to uh so it's six million in this year, and so if it's going down by six percent a year, that's like $360,000 would it could go down by $360,000.

So, and how is it that you did are we offsetting that with with local dollars, or is that just resulting in a shrinking budget for the agency?

Um we know that uh local um dollars were used to place some of the positions that were in SPR uh into our local funds, but nonetheless, as those SPR funds continue to decline, they still impact our overall operations and staffing as well.

And if the franchise fees continue to go down, will OCT FME have to reduce the amount of peck channels it operates?

If it continues to decline, it will impact the operations of the agency overall, the broadcasting, the film, it will it will impact everything that we have to do day to day.

Just our ability to function, not just one area, the entirety of the agency is impacted as a result of declining revenue.

There's three peg channels.

And so how is it decided to have three?

I mean, and uh uh this kind of a big question, but are there efficiencies?

Do we need three?

Could we do things with two and still provide all the coverage?

Is there why three?

Well, they all function differently.

Uh we know that DCN uh is devoted to our mayor, DCC is devoted to our council, and as you can imagine, uh with uh 12 council members and a chairman, that's there's a lot of hearings that take place, and there's some original programming around the council as well.

And then there's the district knowledge network that is uh designed to focus on education uh and our youth and uh a variety of other um array of programming.

So right now we believe that we need all three of those channels because each one, quite frankly, is voluminous in everything, which is a good thing.

That's a good problem to have when you have your city's leadership doing so much that they need these dedicated channels 24-7.

Do you is something being produced new on the mayor's channel every day?

Mayor Bowser has pressors several times a week.

There's also original programming on those stations uh that touch on uh our economic development, our human services, and all areas that are important to our 700,000 residents.

On our District Council channel, there's the hearings, of course, that go on, you know, around the clock, and then there's some original programming there as well.

And on the district knowledge network, you have original programming that talks to the history of our city, the people who make this city function, uh, the investments that have been made to make this city as successful as it is, our youth who depend on this programming to be able to showcase their talents and abilities, not just to their friends and family, but to recruiters, to educational institutions and so forth.

Our um our school board depends on that channel to be able to get their messaging out.

So again, it's so it's voluminous.

We need each one of those channels.

It can sound self-serving.

Um, but for the council, we we have all these hearings.

For the mayor, and we're going to have a new mayor.

So it sort of gives you a chance to start over.

Um could could the mayor's coverage fit on the DC Knowledge Network?

And I hear you, you don't think so.

You think that there's we need more space in order to do all the things that we need to do.

Absolutely.

I would say for our current mayor, she has to let her foot off the gas for a second as she's running through the tape.

And there are pressors several times a week, even down to just a couple of days ago, the presser that was called in the middle of the night to address the shooting that took place at the um at the uh the correspondence dinner at the Washington Hilton, where our broadcast team had to jump in immediately to make sure that we were able to take that live, even though you had an abundance of press on site, of course, because it was correspondence weekend, but for those who could not be here, that footage went out globally, internationally.

There's a need.

So whether it's for our current mayor, and I've worked for two mayors, the next mayor coming in, whoever that might be.

I would like to think that they're going to be so busy.

I was there for day one with Mayor Bowser, and I know how busy a first-term first-day mayor can be.

They would want to make sure that they keep a channel to be able to tell their story and to reach the 700,000 residents, as this council should as well.

Okay.

So I hear you, but but give me credit for looking for service.

For DC, one of the things that also happens is agencies.

We focus on telling the agency stories as well.

So it gives like DPW, the uh the recreational department, an opportunity to actually tell their stories as well.

So it's not just, even though we do cover a lot with the mayor, a lot of other opportunities for agencies to really promote and tell their stories as well, too.

Okay.

And I know our general counsel, uh council member would also like to weigh in.

Just wanted to clarify that there are actually six peg channels in the district.

Three of them are operated by OCT FME, two by uh Public Access Corporation, DC TV, and then University of the District of Columbia also has a PEG channel.

So the funding, the peg fees that the agency receives are shared with the other remaining uh PEG channels.

Uh I think historically, and this is precedes me, uh there may have been a period of time where the mayor's channel and the council proceedings, everything was on one channel, and the decision was made over time to separate them.

So that's how you got the DCC DCN uh division.

But I wanted you to understand that the PEG funding that comes under the franchise agreements uh is pretty much shared amongst the six PEG channels.

So UDC, I hear you.

What was the other one?

The DC Um DC TV Public Access Corporation.

And those are all of this is under the statute, but they were all, you know, because PEG channels can be privately operated, but they have a relationship to the municipality or jurisdiction.

Okay.

All right.

We'll we'll look into that.

And if I could, council member, and I know you're trying to get to something else, but I do want to kind of make it a little bit personal so that everyone can really kind of paint a picture of why it's important.

When you look at our local television stations, and when they go to tell the story of what the city is doing to address any issue that might be important to the residents, whether it's public safety, whether it's education, whether it's the pandemic, you're only going to get about a 30-second soundbite, a snippet of what they think is the best of what you all have done, accomplished, uh, and the path forward.

With these stations, we're able to tell a full story of the resources and programs and opportunities and investments that our city's leadership makes every single day to our residents when we think about our youth going into the summer youth employment program and how it's been expanded, or if you're becoming a first-time home buyer in the city, uh, and where you can get uh that down payment assistance, or how kids can ride free around the city, or the youth curfews, or anything that might be of interest and importance to the residents of our city, they're able to find out that information long form to hear everyone's thoughts and concerns about it and to learn how they can get access to these resources and programs and how they can take advantage of it.

You can't always get that in a 30-second sound bite.

That is why this is so important to maintain so that we could continue to tell our story long form in its entirety for people to understand how they can get access.

Okay.

Um thank you very much.

And I also think um I'm thinking that maybe we need to have a sweepstake amongst the council committees to see how long it takes into the testimony to get the phrase uh run through the tape.

I think you did it in minute 42.

And so I'll just make a note of that and tell my colleagues to see if they can beat that.

Okay.

So as you noted, I visited the OCT FME office and studios last month, and it was a great way to see how everything works and is made behind the scenes really informative.

With respect to the original programming developed and produced at OCT FME at the OCT FME sound stage with district-owned and operated equipment such as Good Things DC and District Dash.

Do the creators of these shows pay to have their content developed by OCT FME?

How does that what's the arrangement there?

Oftentimes, Councilmember, these programs like Good Things DC is created by a third party.

They do not pay us, but it's uh it's very valuable what they produce in that program.

A program such as District Dash is created internally, so there are no funds involved there.

So typically, even though we have a number of arrangements, uh those programs are not paid for.

The people who come and produce the show, they don't pay for the use of the studio or the use of the equipment.

You facilitate them being able to produce the content, which you believe is content that's valuable to the district.

Absolutely, that's valuable to our residents uh and to the city.

And then who owns the rights to the shows once they're produced?

Generally, OCT FME owns the rights.

Every so often there's a um unique um situation, but normally all of the content belongs to OCT FME.

And so the um So they don't pay to use the studio.

You typically own the content.

Do you pay the talent?

Are there circumstances where you pay the talent to produce the content?

In the past, when we did have more funding, uh there was talent that was paid a nominal fee, even at that time, though.

Uh at this time, um, due to budget constraints, we have not been able to.

The only uh individual who has been paid uh to host or produce a program would be one that you probably are familiar with.

Uh is Carol Joint's QA Cafe, uh, which is shot out of the Georgetown Club in Georgetown.

So we do pay a fee to her?

She's yes, she's the only one, though.

And for how long have we been paying that fee?

I can go back to at least maybe 2009.

And where would we find it in the budget?

Is it what the contractual staff?

Contract staff, I see.

And and Donnie Simpson does is he create content?

Do we pay him?

Donnie Simpson has created content.

We have not paid Donnie Simpson anything.

And you said you usually uh OCT FME owns the content.

What are the circumstances where it doesn't?

Typically as for the programming since I've been there, uh we have uh generally those programs are created in-house and we own them.

Uh in the case of maybe a Carol Joint, um, it's a kind of a partnership type of a situation.

Donnie Simpson being the same, uh, he owns it, uh, but we have the rights to broadcast it and utilize it uh the same way that he does as well.

And I guess from your perspective is the idea that having content from two figures like that's got enough value to the district that it's worth it to engage in that kind of an arrangement.

Absolutely.

You know, Donnie Simpson's uh product his program out of our agency.

One brings people back to the fact that the building we even operate out of its historic nature of being the original home of Black Entertainment Television, taking the residents back to uh when all of these programs and resources and entertainment was right here in our nation's capital, what was designed between the idea of when they came together, uh then mayor, the late Mary and Barry uh and Bob Johnson and what they envisioned.

It tells a story of the why and why it was important at that time, and Donnie has been able to bring many of those uh artists and producers and even Bob Johnson himself back home to where they used to produce this programming out of, and it talks about you know just what has taken place in our city as historic.

Carol has been able to touch as we know she has a story career in broadcast as the exit producer for Face the Nation uh and Larry King and a host of others uh who she's able to touch and bring in to her program that we can broadcast and touch as well, adds value to what we're able to do every single day.

Uh so between the two of them, they provide us with access to individuals you don't necessarily have access to every single day.

Uh okay.

Uh you you stated in your testimony that the District of Columbia Entertainment Network or DCE is reaching out to a major national sports network, is that right, which is exciting.

Um I want to first be clear on something.

DCE is not one of the peg channels that's funded by the franchise fees from the Okay, so it's not.

No.

Is all the funding for the DCE programming from local funds under the non-personnel TV programming budget line?

Is that where I find it?

Uh DCE is a streaming network uh that comes out of our operating budget.

I know that uh our general counsel, Lawrence Cooper could talk more about uh DCE and when it was established uh and a little bit more about where that comes from.

I can't address where it is in the budget.

But DCE was uh sort of launched, soft launched during the pandemic period.

So it never got officially put out there because of just because of the way things were at that time.

Um, you know, it it is accessible through most of the mainstream apps.

And what it does was to give the agency an opportunity to showcase content that might not have fallen in the confines of DCN and DCC and DKN.

And it also enables us to begin to enter into more expansive collaborative content creation with potential revenue generation.

Uh we've had to do some revamping to get it to that point, but the hopes would be uh in the near future that we're able to have a model that is either subscription-based or generating revenue to not just cover the cost, but to even broader bring economic development to the district in general based on the content that's there.

So it's not been fully exploited, but there is uh a great deal of content already posted.

Uh and the plans would be that we could expand that and find models.

Uh, and then also we'll have analytics, which you've raised before, uh, because you can do that with streaming networks.

Uh and so that's the added feature it brings.

And um as you well know, uh, the cost of a streaming channel versus broadcasts, uh, the Delta is significant.

And that's why the industry has, you know, is basically constricted the way it has, even in the cable side, because you don't need as much infrastructure as you as you do for a streaming network.

Okay, so you packed a lot in there and you got a little in front of me because I was gonna ask about analytics, but I mean the there's this idea that there's a current certain kinds of content that fit better in the in the DCE context than uh in the context of the other channels.

And I I hear that in the abstract, but give me examples, and maybe maybe the sports network thing is a possible example.

But what are the kinds of things, specific things that you might do on DCE that you wouldn't do someplace else and why it would work in the way that you're talking about?

Well, one of the things we can look at with that is our film creators, as you saw by earlier testimony that the screens are getting or points of distribution for them.

So DCE now can become a channel within the channel for our DC for our filmmakers to show their films.

And it's a global reach as opposed to a regional reach.

So when you start to look at the accessibility in which from a global perspective that we could provide distribution to, then in the form of in digital the lane, in the digital lane, then we become very competitive for allowing even our filmmakers or bring value added to filmmakers or our sports team, as director alluded earlier, that global universities or things like that.

So when they're able to see our baseball games or our basketball games down from a whole uh not just a regional perspective, but even on demand.

So it's not something that comes on a specific time as on demand.

So it's it's very um in-your-face type of content.

So if I wanted to watch a big high school football game, it might be on DCE, but I might have to pay a subscription to watch it.

Is that well, right now you pay no subscription?

It's it's totally available to you for free.

All you have to do is download the app.

Oh, and that's and and high school football games or high school basketball games are sh are being shown on DCE?

It is, yes.

I didn't know that because I uh so and what what kind of what are you reaching out to uh major uh sports broadcasting network about?

What's uh what's the idea?

What are you looking for there?

So there is where we are able to now create production for say uh ESPN sport, because the base the a baseball classic or the turkey bowl now draws enough attention that ESPN wants to partner with our streaming to even expand that reach.

Uh okay.

All right.

And then you foreshadowed on the analytics, because I think in the back and forth that we've had in the past year or so, there hasn't been analytics in yet.

If it's streaming, it does seem like there's the capacity.

Where do we stand in terms of developing analytics on what we're showing on the streaming network?

Yeah, and I think I mentioned to you that we had the soft launch because even with that we had to go back and update the apps or what have you.

So it's only been recently that we've updated things that we can now begin to collect some analytics on DCE and the content that's up there.

But yes, that that was the goal and objective, and then uh we it took some time to complete some updates to the various apps that were on there.

Um the most immediate analytics that you'll be able to see is your downloads.

So whether it come from Roku, or they come from Apple, whether they come from your Android, and we're from that we're able to see the demographics.

And one of the things when we talked about global, taking us global.

So now that your African nations or your international, your Asian nations, they actually can now download and we can actually be able to see what they are actually are they downloading, when they're watching, what specifically are they watching that gives us a better feel of what production fits better from a global perspective?

Okay.

But I think my key takeaway here is this is the thing we had wanted.

Um and also for the YouTube channel.

Can you do do you have the capacity for the analytics on the YouTube channel now?

It's a thing we had wanted.

It took a little longer than you may have hoped, but what I'm hearing is the systems are now in place.

You don't have enough data that yet that you would give us a big report.

But next year at this time, the questions shouldn't be about do we have the capacity to do this?

This should be what is it showing?

Yes.

That's correct.

Okay.

Um is there any immediate need for upgrading of any of the equipment within Aquami use to produce TV programming?

There's absolutely a need to update our equipment.

Um as you could imagine, you know, technology is evolving every single day.

Uh and we have to keep up with the pace of um with all of our equipment and our broadcast um in our broadcast stations.

Is the current budget accommodate that?

I'm not trying to promise that I would be able to provide the money, but do you have the money to do to be updating your equipment in the way that you would want to?

You know, I will say that we have um funding in our budget, but there's always good to have more.

Um are there key pieces of equipment that are a focus for you that this one is two generations old and we should be going to this next thing?

All I mean, when we look at our cameras, um I mean you were able to witness when you came through everything has to evolve as technology evolves.

Our master control, our ability to be able to um work the cameras from in our broadcast studios of what's taking place right in here as we speak.

So I mean I it sounds like there is a pent-up need, like that you're doing it, but there's you it I'm hearing a sense of if you had the capacity you would do a lot more upgrading, maybe um.

Do we have to worry about quality or coverage degrading under the circumstances or where where do we stand?

I would say that we go out, we utilize it, and we pray that it keeps on ticking.

Okay.

So far so good.

The prayers seem to be answered.

Okay.

Is there any risk of falling into violation of a franchise agreement?

Or do we have obligations to maintain a certain level?

Yes, we do have that.

But and we're not at risk of falling below a level that's required under contract?

We're not.

It's just like your telephone.

You know, when it says it's time to upgrade, same thing goes for our equipment.

It's time for upgrades.

And I'm not I don't want to create a record for a problem with somebody, but if we um if we fell below the standard that we needed to be, what's the consequence of falling below the standard of what we where we need to be?

I think this is more generalized than just the franchise agreements, because the franchise agreements are where the operators are giving us that frequency.

And so they've got certain guidelines that go, you're not competing with them, that type of thing.

The the technical standards, I think just go to practically the station going out.

I mean, there's some emergency broadcasts we are trying to get across.

And yeah, we've done quite well, but you know, we are 24-7 and therefore, you know, critical in uh any emergency situation getting messaging out there.

So we don't want to get to a point where you know we're off air.

Right.

At a time, a critical time.

That's I think that's the concern.

And also keep in mind, again, it's not just for our own use.

It is for our news outlets, our media outlets that depend on it as well.

We get calls daily from the general manager of WSA 9 or Fox Fire MBC 4.

Hey, are you all pooling this?

Uh can we get the footage?

So it's not just us, it's for the overall messaging out to our 700,000 residents on not just our stations, but our local television stations and national and international stations that depend on it as well.

Okay.

You stated in your testimony that Aquami has begun to monetize its radio programming.

What is the anticipated revenue based on this new monetization of the Trevor Burrus?

And that is new council member.

Uh we've been looking at it from uh the underwriting um of programming, uh sponsorship of programs, as well as programming that generates revenue as well, it especially those uh for in GoGo and our music that may not get airplay uh on our commercial stations, but can get funding uh from downloads um through our DC radio uh platform as well.

And Mike Jones, you might have a little bit more to share on that as well.

Well, one of the things that we um in listening to our GoGo community um that lack for them in the digital world.

So as we we're moving more into the streaming digital and in digital radio, the spins are able, just like normal normal spins in um normal radio, the artists get royalties or things like that.

So from the GoGo world, the same thing applies in but in the digital world, um in digital radio spin.

So we have the capability by spinning their records, by spending their projects, they are able through various um programs to receive um royalties, you know, lack of a better term, royalties back to them.

So it increases their opportunity for revenue generation.

So is it that the dollars are going to the artists or the dollars come to OCTFME?

Well, in that instance, the dollar goes to the audience.

But what you're also what we're looking at too is when you're talking about the monetization of programming.

So it's it's a couple ways in that.

Um as director just stated, the underwriting exists, but they also exist.

Whereas, for instance, the embassy programs that we're beginning to provide.

So what we saw is the embassies here, because now we're able to reach their homeland.

And so now creating a network of business opportunity, whether it is tourism coming here to visit, whether it's an entrepreneur here that wants to invest there, we're able to now to bridge global business from here to there through our embassies that are parked in DC.

And we're using the um public broadcasting model, Councilmember Fruman, um, the same way an MPR would say this program has been underwritten by Wells Fargo or TD Bank or whomever, we're looking at we can do the same thing, and that's what we're striving towards as we speak.

So is that the way it's monetized?

Is that you're getting sponsors for different programs?

Or what what other way is it who's who else is paying you for the radio content?

That is the model that we're using currently.

I see.

And so you might have a program that's sponsored by the embassy of X and uh and then that becomes content that can be used in that country.

And so everybody and I see.

We all win.

And this is is this is new.

This is new.

And I mean, how did it come up?

Because it's you the station has been out there for like eight years, right?

And but now this is just a new innovation.

Did you see somebody else doing it?

How did we come up with that we were going to start now to try to monetize it?

Well, when funds got tighter, we had to get we had to start thinking out of the box, if you will.

Um we know that it works.

We watch our national uh public broadcasting, our WAMUs, and we understand uh that we are very similar in nature.

We are public broadcasting.

Uh in the same way those programs are underwritten, our programming too can be underwritten.

Uh but it came, we had to start thinking out of the box.

It's a new day.

And and the money that you get from these sponsorships, does it stay at OCTFME or does it go into the general fund?

When we are able to uh attain that funding, uh that funding would lie in OCTFME.

Okay.

During performance out of first site, I asked about the transition to an automated captioning system from OCT FME's current contractor.

You said uh that OCTFME with the funding restored after the mayoral freeze ended, was looking to have the transition completed before the end of the fiscal year.

Where do we stand on that in terms of the captioning?

Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we were unable um to put the closed captioning system in place.

Uh that would require an initial investment of approximately $300,000.

Um but right now we spend $120,000 annually uh for our closed captioning.

But when we are able to do it, uh, that $300,000 initial investment uh would save us, quite frankly, um, instead of the year over year 100,000, 120,000 uh for closed captioning programming.

In three years.

I mean, in three if it's 120, that would be in three years, it would be 360.

Yep.

We'd be 60 ahead in three years.

Okay.

Uh during our performance oversight hearing, we discussed the creative economy career access program or CCAP, um, and how at the time OCT FME was preparing to work with the Department of Employment Services to see if there would be a cohort this year.

Where do we stand on those conversations?

Uh due to budget constraints, we have been unable to relaunch the CCAP program, uh, though we understand the value, it is a valuable program, and we continue our the conversations with our friends at the Department of Employment Services, but unfortunately at this time we have not been able uh to launch to relaunch the program, but we are continuing our conversations to see what is possible.

Yeah.

I mean, we had our administrative meeting this morning where we talked about all the things in the budget that have seen cuts, and there's a lot of cuts.

This is here we've just had two examples, and it's it's not a criticism, but two examples.

The first one, a relatively modest upfront investment and long-term savings.

And then the second thing, a relatively modest investment that can then connect young people to job opportunities and a whole new career.

So I hear you.

Ask the question, hope for a different answer.

There are other bigger challenges that we face, but it is a shame that that once again it's not happening.

Because I'm going to now digress again some more.

That one of the things that we're seeing is in the public benefit side where folks will lose benefits if they don't have a job.

And so connecting DC residents to jobs needs to be our highest priority.

And this is a teaspoon to empty the ocean.

You know, it's not that many, but we need a whole lot of teaspoons.

So I I know I'm preaching to the choir.

Yep.

So is are the are the funds for the program in OC when it happens, are they in OCTFME or are they in DOES?

In the past, the funds have been from our friends at the Department of Employment Services.

So that's where I go to ask the question: is there any way to find a way to be funding this?

Now that's that would be in the supplemental for 26 or in FY27 for next summer.

And let me say uh our friends at the Department of Employment Services, Director Unique Morris Hughes has been, uh she's been wonderful.

And uh we have consistently discussed this um over the past couple of years of how we can do this, how we can get this relaunched.

Unfortunately, because budget constraints are across the board, it has been difficult, but not because the commitment to it has not been there.

How many dollars does it take?

Uh the last cohort, I believe it was around 200,000.

And how many kids does it serve?

And it's it that's the thing about CCAP.

It's not just you.

Yeah, it's it's people in general who let's say you have someone from the Federal workforce right now, for example, that may have had a side hustle that said, you know, maybe they had podcasting or something that wanted to come in and go through the program that we could place at one of our radio stations or you know just any number of different opportunities.

There's that.

So m inaccurate to refer to kids, but how many people does it serve when you have a full course?

Typically it's been roughly maybe around 10 or definitely eight, one from each ward for sure.

Okay.

Well, let us make a note on that.

Ooh, cool.

Mm-hmm.

And is there data about the percentage of participants who then eventually get connected to jobs in the creative economy?

Well, we could give you one example.

We have someone right in our office who went through the CCAP program who we hired.

Uh we know that we had uh one of the CCappers who was hired by uh our sister radio station, uh the home, WH UR Howard University Radio.

Yeah, no, I hear you, I hear you on the anecdotal, but I think and I urge you to if you if there's a way to go back and try to piece together some kind of data on this.

One of the things in our workforce programs generally, the success rate is not that high.

Okay.

And so if this were a thing where somebody could say, you know, we have we have 10 a year and five of them get a job in the creative economy, that would it's it's more like baseball, where you know, batting 300 is stellar in the workforce base.

30 percent placement into jobs would be a high in the scheme of things.

So I'd be curious to see in this little niche what it looks like.

And I have you know, there's a arts collaborative that does this kind of thing.

They do training to fill jobs in in the theater world, and it's got a very high payoff.

And it may be that we need big new workforce training programs, or maybe we need a hundred little new workforce training programs that are deeply connected to the industry.

So I'd be curious what this has looked like over time.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Um you also mentioned the partnership among OCT FME and Howard's University's Music Business Center and DCPS for the summer entertainment business program during performance oversight.

Will you be repeating that program this summer?

Yes, we're very excited to repeat that, Councilmember.

That um partnership was launched last summer.

It was that was the inaugural year of that, uh, where we partnered with our friends uh and a shout out to Dr.

Jaz Young uh who made it easy um to get our youth to be a part of this program uh that she puts on every single year.

Um the Warner Blavatnik Business Center at Howard University has been hosting a number of fireside chats and panels and programs, and our youth, because of our partnership uh with this program, were able to stay on campus for free to get the full college experience with uh 30 other um students from across the country.

Uh they were able to be exposed to non-traditional careers in the entertainment industry, from music industry veterans to entertainment and media broadcasting across the board.

Um, so we know that that was a uh a great experience uh for our youth through our DC public school system.

We worked directly with DCPS on it, and this year they are allowing us to expand it uh to provide an opportunity for up to 15 uh youth from DC public schools.

So how many was it last year?

Last year it was 10.

Uh it they served 40, uh and they allowed us uh once we had a discussion about it to, and this was the latter part of the spring.

I mean, it was very quick.

Uh that they were um very helpful in allowing us to be able to uh have our youth be involved.

Uh so we were able to get 10 in last year, uh and they're expanding that to 15.

And again, all of this staying on campus, textbooks, even down to book bags and and and clothing, uh, was provided by uh the music program, the business program at Howard University's Warner Blavetnik Center.

And how how do you get the word out inside of DCPS?

So we use the District Knowledge Network because that is our educational station.

Uh we also work directly with DC public schools who got the word out uh to our schools about it.

Uh we also posted on our social media platforms.

Uh it was in our newsletter.

Uh so we were able to utilize every tool in our toolkit to make sure that we got that information uh into the hands of those who needed it.

Okay.

Um in your testimony, you mentioned 2020 the 202 Creates program again and use the same valuations of savings as last budget year is 4.3 million dollars over the lifetime of the program, which is wonderful.

But how many residents access these resources provided by the program this fiscal year to date?

Do you have a sense?

Uh I would need to circle back with that exact number.

I do not have that currently.

I could tell you that we just recently in the past few days launched a new cohort uh that will be able to take advantage of this great opportunity, spearheaded by Don Fong, uh, where they are uh they learn about how to establish a business, business licenses, marketing, uh, all the what's legal that goes on around establishing a uh business in the creative economy, co-working days at our various venues and so forth.

Uh so the exposure is tremendous, uh, but I wouldn't need to get back to you with that exact number.

I don't have that right now.

And in terms of the spend, do you think the spend in FY26 is going to look like the spend in FY25?

Do I believe what again?

Your investment in this program will it be at the same level, lower level, higher level than we'll do the best we can with what we have.

Um that's the best we can do.

But in terms of the budget set aside, is it the is it a higher level, lower level, or the same level?

We'll try to keep it around the same.

Okay.

Oh, because it's it's in a bucket of the city.

It's in a bucket of the operating, correct.

Because you you're juggling other things inside of that bucket.

Yeah, it's all out of our one operating budget.

We don't have a dedicated budget line for 202 CREATES or the Creative Affairs Office any longer.

Okay.

Well, we uh I will talk with Emily about that.

I mean, I think that there's been a little bit of back and forth about how the budget should be presented and whether or not we should have specific lines for specific things up front so that we have a better way of tracking it if there's a priority.

And so I'm not sure how we deal with that in this context, but this is an example of makes it more challenging for us to set priorities up front and budget for them.

So from my perspective, I want to be able to do that.

If I were in your chair, I would think, no, please give me a pot of money and let me use my discretion.

So let us let us think about that going forward.

Um we saw in the responses to the pre-hearing questions from performance oversight that OCT FME received $1 million from DEMPED in FY25 to bolster the film rebate fund.

The proposed FY27 budget includes a total of $841,000 for the fund.

Does Ocfamy expect to get additional funding for the rebate fund from DEMPED in FY27?

No.

We understand that there will not be uh an enhancement in this upcoming year.

Um though I will say uh that we are getting an abundance of requests for some pretty amazing projects, quite frankly, that could bolster significant revenue for the city.

So what do you what do you have in FY26 for the film rebate program?

It's been 841 roughly uh across the board for the past few years.

Uh what has happened in the past couple of years is that Demped has been, and we're grateful that they were able to provide us uh 1.3 million one year, 1.2 million one year, and I think the last one was nearly 1.1 million, might have been 1,096,000.

So we're in as a practical matter, the film rebate program is going to be cut in half in FY27 because we won't get that supplement, those supplemental dollars.

And in terms of the number of applications, how do the numbers of applications this year compare to the numbers of applications last year?

You know, around this time every year, they they tend to increase around the spring and summer because there is a lot more interest in filming here.

I could tell you that we have a number of uh different projects that want to be here as a result of America's 250.

Uh I know that Netflix uh has been knocking on our door for a pretty big project.

And uh we've been um uh we have been in conversations with uh Paramount for a multi-year project that will require an abundance of funding that could be very good for the city.

So it looks to us, am I right, like 400,000 uh so far has been obligated?

So you still have 1.4 million or 1.5 million?

So the remaining funds are being uh utilized for some of those projects that I even just brought up, like such as I'll give you an example.

Uh the UFC is coming as a part of America's 250.

We're trying to make sure that they have the funding and resources that they need to be incentivized.

Netflix is coming back.

We've had Disney here, uh, we've had Paramount, the Lioness here, and a couple of others that have been here with us.

Uh so we have some funding that we're trying to make sure that because we've had verbal commitments, we want to make sure that we are able to deliver on our verbal commitments.

So do you think that the balance of the funding that's in the account is spoke essentially spoken to the year?

It's spoken for.

Everything is spoken for.

And truthfully, in April.

It's spoken for.

And here's the truth.

By the time we get to the next fiscal year, that will already be spoken for as we're entering into fiscal year 27.

It's been our experience every single year.

If we go, if we once we go into fiscal year 27, with the abundance of interest that is coming, some of those are saying, well, we'll have we'll hold until next fiscal year, it will be gone as we're entering fiscal year 27.

That's a guarantee.

And is that is that in part because you said Paramount may have a multi-year thing that they want to do and you make it.

Not even just with that one.

Just even with the others.

We're not even talking about a multi-year commitment.

We're talking about those that just want to come in here for a couple of weeks or maybe even a few days and pick up some shots here.

Okay.

I will turn that over to our general counsel, Lawrence Cooper.

Thank you.

Mr.

Niles couldn't be with us.

I don't believe that we have concerns because the percentages that were provided are pretty much in line with what our funding has permitted.

Obviously, if we had more funding, we'd be able to fulfill more projects.

And we have some concern there because commercials are, you know, the value or at least the cost of producing commercials may be lower, but that could incentivize many more applications which require the manpower to process them, also against the same funding.

So there's a little concern there.

We we can talk about that.

It's not a huge deal because uh it's not excluded expressly.

Currently.

Currently, it's not excluded.

But there's another aspect of the film rebate fund that criteria amongst the criteria that we can consider that the party would not otherwise film in the district but for access to that incentive.

And it diminishes when you talk about you know the lower the value of the content or at least the production cost of production of it.

So that that was pretty much the only um concern.

All right.

Well, we'll we will keep the conversation going as we're moving forward.

Um how many go-go activations are set to be completed before the end of the fiscal year?

We believe that we're on pace um right around the number we had last year.

Uh I know that though the GoGo portal uh is closed, uh, we're still looking at to see what we can do and how we can help any and everyone uh who is looking to get some assistance from uh the GoGo support program.

So but can you can you tell us a little bit more about what's upcoming that that hasn't happened yet?

From fiscal year for the in the GoGo activations.

Are there are there go-go activations planned for what is it, you know, say May 1 through September 30th?

Well, we know that this as it is the America's 250, it's also the 50th anniversary of GoGo as well.

So there's a remarkable amount of interest from outside parties and from things that we know we have to do uh as a city to make sure that we're promoting GoGo as well.

So we have those that have already made requests that may not necessarily be a part of America's 250 or the 50th anniversary, and then we have some that are looking ahead to see what they can do and what they will do for the 50th, and also how we will program different events around the city as well.

So I mean I I'm wondering like if there's a schedule of things that are already planned, but it sounds like maybe you have a bunch of applications and you are still deciding which ones are going to be funded.

There's some that have come to us that say, you know, we want to do this big thing for uh 50th anniversary, but we know while it's the 50th anniversary, it's also we're looking at what we can do around DC 250 as well.

And some things we've already been able to accomplish.

We've been able to support GoGo at the Cherry Blossom Festival, go go at the upcoming barbecue battle, uh, and we're looking at other ways we can plug in GoGo as well to put it on a non-traditional platform.

All right.

I'm gonna still kind of back to I was wondering, I was thinking, is there a schedule someplace, but it's uh the powder is dry a little.

You're still in progress.

It's a work in progress.

Um artists to connect to industry standard revenue opportunities you mentioned in your opening testimony.

Yes, that was um through our DC radio platform.

Uh, we're looking to give them a platform where they might not they might not be able to get uh airplay on commercial radio, but we want to make sure that we're giving them uh airplay on our DC radio that we control, and as a result of those downloads, they will get the same type of revenue that our mainstream artists would get uh from downloads and streams of their original pro original music as well.

So this is what we were talking about earlier.

Exactly.

Okay.

Um are there any updates uh to having strategic impact advisors work to measure the economic impact of GoGo activation?

We're still talking about it, but unfortunately, due to our budget constraints, we have not been able to expand uh Dr.

Amadi's contract.

Okay.

For for me, unless Emily tells me otherwise, I think we have covered the topics that I wanted to cover.

If there's anything else that you would like to say before we close out for the day, um I'll give you the floor.

Um, I think that uh more so we just want everyone to recognize the value of everything that uh the mighty staff of OCTFME does every single day from our broadcast efforts to make sure that information is in the hands of our 700,000 residents to the activations and curated events that we're able to produce that drives revenue into our city.

Uh, we're excited that we're just coming off of this year's emancipation festival, uh, where we broke records um as far as the number of attendees that extend it for blocks.

Uh, we know that just in the 7 p.m.

hour alone, uh, we had uh thousands of people that came in within that one hour, if I'm not mistaken, I believe it was 7,000 people who came to downtown DC.

Those uh attendees impacted our Metro, uh, our ride share, uh, our restaurants, our food trucks, uh, the small businesses that were there as vendors, um, our retail, our hotel, uh, and this is the work that OCTFME is doing in partnership with the executive office of the mayor.

These events we know create immediate um immediate foot traffic and immediate revenue uh to those businesses in that's the surrounding areas.

We know that we had 1,300 visitors that came from outside the city to be here for this event.

And we know that we had thousands from across the DMV that came downtown without one hiccup.

35,000 RSVPs from that one activation we created, the emancipation festival, and we're doing events all throughout the year.

So we just want everyone to know all the hard work that we do every single day on behalf of the 700,000 residents and our city's leadership.

So we thank you.

Thank you very much.

And with that, this concludes today's budget oversight hearing.

For those watching, you did you have something else you wanted to say?

And lastly, we want to keep our budget as is.

Okay.

Uh that with that that concludes today's budget oversight hearing.

For those watching, if you plan on submitting written testimony for the record, please do so by uploading it to the council's electronic hearing management system at uh HTTPS colon backslash backslash limbs.dc council.gov backslash hearings, backslash before the close of the bit of business on Tuesday, May 5th.

The time is now 152 p.m.

And this hearing is adjourned.