Community Media Center of Marin seeks to change its funding mechanism

Almost two years after its launch, the Community Media Center of Marin is seeking to shift its funding mechanism to make sure it has the cash to keep operating beyond 2012.

The nonprofit, which according to its 2010-11 budget brought in $138,000 in operating revenues and accrued $308,500 in operating expenses, hopes the Marin Telecommunications Agency will agree to switch to a new state franchise agreement long before its current deal with Comcast is set to expire in 2016. Comcast customers pay 49 cents a month to cover $3 million in startup and other costs that went to the media center at its launch; the move could add another 1 percent to customers' monthly bills - or about 65 cents a month for many people. That hike could bring in an estimated $500,000 to $600,000 in public access, education and government programming, or PEG, revenues a year, said Michael Eisenmenger, the center's executive director.