The Carpinteria City Council has voted unanimously to expand its relationship with TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) to provide public, educational and now government access for the city of Carpinteria.

Carpinteria’s involvement with public access television began in 1981 and the new agreement with TVSB expands services through August, 2022, with an option to be renewed for additional years. The new agreement includes the operation of the Carpinteria’s Government Access Channel 21.

“We are thrilled to grow this long-time partnership with the city of Carpinteria and bring the resources of TV Santa Barbara to the city and residents of Carpinteria,” said Erik Davis, executive director of TV Santa Barbara.

“Community access centers are vitally important to our local communities and we are grateful to the staff and elected officials who support public, educational and government access television,” he said.

“We wanted to expand the sgreement to cover additional services in particular to have TVSB run the city’s government access station,” said Carpinteria City Manager Dave Durflinger. “We think it is a more efficient and effective way in the long run to operate our government access television.

“Also, through the myriad resources available through TV Santa Barbara, the city has access to other programs and services that it, and members of the Carpinteria community, can take advantage of.”

TV Santa Barbara operates two community access channels, 17 and 71. With the Media Access Center and studios at 329 S. Salinas St., the mission of TVSB is to empower people to make media that matters.

It does so by to proving citizens access to television and other electronic media resources to facilitate public dialogue, free speech and participatory democracy; foster local creativity, education and culture; and to reflect the diverse community. Visit www.tvsb.tv.

— Erik Davis is executive director of TV Santa Barbara.