Cable Television Franchise Agreements

Franchise agreements are negotiated on behalf of the citizens in a community to provide for the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity, and cable services. As owners of the public right-of-way, the City is responsible for managing access and use for the public benefit. The franchise agreement is one method cities use to manage the use of the public right-of-way.

City of Kirkland
The City of Kirkland's government channels are established through cable television franchise agreements between the City and local cable providers – Comcast and Frontier Communications (formerly Verizon). The City receives annual franchise fees for the right of the franchisee to access the City's right-of-way. These fees go into the city’s general fund and assist with city operation. There is also a twenty-five cents pass-through fee that is used specifically to provide for the equipment needed to operate the city’s two television channels. More information about Kirkland’s cable TV franchising can be found on the City's website.

King County
Comcast has a franchise agreement with King County for unincorporated areas, including the annexation area. Frontier does not have a franchise agreement with King County. Upon annexation, Frontier will be allowed to provide services in the annexation area under the same agreement that governs their conduct in the current Kirkland boundary.

Cable Television Services Prior to Annexation Effective Date

The City has been receiving inquiries from annexation area residents about what services will be available prior to the effective date of annexation so that they can take advantage of “bundled” services.

Comcast
As a proactive measure, the City requested Comcast to provide the City of Kirkland’s government channels to the annexation area prior to the June 1, 2011 effective date. Comcast recently received approval from King County to switch its customers programming on Channel 21 and 75 to Kirkland TV programming. Comcast customers currently view City of Seattle government access channels on Channel 21 and KCTS HD on channel 75. KCTS will be moved to channel 73 and the City of Kirkland’s programming will replace the City of Seattle’s programming

Comcast advises that the majority of its customers will be switched by early October, 2010. Customers along the northern border of the annexation area who are currently tied to Kenmore or Bothell TV feeds will be switched by the end of this year. Comcast will notify its customers of services changes.

Frontier Communications
Because Frontier does not currently have a franchise agreement with King County, it is not able to provide cable TV services (FIOS TV) to the annexation prior to the effective date of annexation. Frontier is not required to have a franchise to deliver internet or telephone services.  Frontier advises the City that come June 1, 2011, it will have the capacity to provide service to 90 percent of single-family residences in the annexation area.

Kirkland TV: K-GOV and K-LIFE

Kirkland’s MultiMedia Services Division operates two government television stations which are broadcast on the following channels:

KGOV: Designed to inform, educate, and involve Kirkland residents. (Comcast Channel 21, Frontier Channel 31)

KLIFE: Includes programming about life “in and around” Kirkland. (Comcast Channel 75, Frontier Channel 32)

Programming on both stations can be streamed from the City’s On Demand webpage.