Rainier Communications Commission

The Rainier Communications Commission (RCC) is a cooperative effort among Pierce County and a majority of cities and towns within Pierce County to identify telecommunications issues and to advise member jurisdictions. Member jurisdictions include: Bonney Lake, Carbonado, DuPont, Edgewood, Fife, Milton, Orting, Pierce County, Puyallup, Ruston, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tacoma, University Place and Wilkeson.

The RCC has found there is strength through numbers. Most of the advantages afforded our 15 member jurisdictions have come through our ability to speak with a single voice. Email your cable complaint or question.

The Changing Role of Local Government in Telecommunications

Over the past fifteen years, the RCC has been involved with issues such as:

Advising member on a state law effecting rights-of-way management.
Issuing rate order on cable TV.
Developing model documents, including a wireless zoning ordinance.

Today, local governments face new challenges.

Efforts to minimize the role of local government in cable franchising, is the main concern today. On both the federal and state level, the authority our member jurisdictions have had is under attack. Our concern is to be able to fairly manage the use of our public rights of way.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a 2nd Order on cable franchising with potentially significant impacts on local government. In its 1st Order, the Commission concluded that the local video franchising process constitutes a barrier to entry of competitive cable providers, and as a result, the Commission has dramatically preempted local authority relative to franchising competitive providers. In the 2nd Order, the Commission has concluded that the new rules should apply to incumbent cable operators. The incumbent throughout Pierce County is Comcast.

In Olympia, we fully expect Qwest to introduce another bill in 2008 that would take local government out of the franchising process, giving the authority instead to a state agency. Such a proposal was before the Washington Legislature last year, but never made it out of committee. The expectation is that Qwest will introduce a similar bill in 2008. The RCC and the AWC don't believe such legislation is needed.

Rainier Media Center

The Rainier Media Center (RMC) is the video dissemination arm of the RCC. The RMC operates and manages government access programming carried on cable channels throughout the region. This provides member jurisdictions with the ability to produce video programs on any subject matter of concern to its citizens and have these programs replayed (cablecast) on the government access channels. Some of the array of program capabilities includes; gavel-to-gavel meeting coverage, town hall workshops, event coverage, department and informational training, and news-style magazines.

Click here for a complete listing of programming and schedules.

Nationally recognized for excellence, the RMC has received award honors from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) and the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) for innovative government and issue oriented programming.