C.R.S. tit. 24, art. 49.9 — Colorado Channel Authority | Colorado Revised Statutes (2024 edition) — Colorado

C.R.S. § 24-49.9-101 Colorado channel authority - creation - legislative declaration

24-49.9-101. Colorado channel authority - creation - legislative declaration. (1) (a) The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that: (I) It is beneficial to the citizens of Colorado for sessions of the general assembly to be televised via cable television and webcast and that audio of these sessions be broadcast via the internet; (II) Televising and broadcasting the proceedings of the general assembly will make Colorado state government more open and accessible to the citizens of this state; and (III) It is desirable for a governmental entity to be created to coordinate programming and televising sessions of the general assembly as well as programming and televising for other state purposes and making audio recordings of these sessions available. (b) The general assembly further finds, determines, and declares that the authority and powers conferred under this article, as well as the expenditures of public money made pursuant to this article, will serve a valid public purpose and that the enactment of this article is expressly declared to be in the public interest. (2) There is hereby created the Colorado channel authority, referred to in this article as the "authority", which shall be a body corporate and a political subdivision of the state. The authority shall not be an agency of state government, nor shall it be subject to administrative direction by any department, commission, board, bureau, or agency of the state, except to the extent provided by this article. (3) (a) The powers of the authority shall be vested in a board of directors, also referred to in this article as the "board". (b) The board consists of the following nine members: (I) Three members appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, at least one of whom is a registered voter in this state who is unaffiliated, as that term is defined in section 1-1-104, C.R.S., and at least one of whom has experience in the business operations of broadcast journalism; (II) One member appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court; (III) One member, serving in the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (IV) One member, serving in the house of representatives, appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; (V) One member, serving in the senate, appointed by the president of the senate; (VI) One member, serving in the senate, appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and (VII) One member appointed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives who has experience in the operation of a business or fundraising for nonprofit organizations, or both. (c) (I) Repealed. (II) Members of the board appointed under subsection (3)(b)(III), (3)(b)(IV), (3)(b)(V), or (3)(b)(VI) of this section serve for terms of four years so long as they also serve as members of the house of the general assembly from which they are appointed. Other members of the board serve for terms of four years; except that the terms shall be staggered so that no more than three members' terms expire in the same year. (III) (A) A vacancy in the members of the board appointed under subparagraph (III), (IV), (V), or (VI) of paragraph (b) of this subsection (3) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the remainder of the unexpired term only; except that these members must at all times consist of a member from each major political party in each house of the general assembly and be appointed by the appropriate appointing authority under subparagraph (III), (IV), (V), or (VI) of paragraph (b) of this subsection (3), as appropriate, to ensure that a member from each major political party in each house is a member of the board. (B) A vacancy in the membership of other members of the board occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the remainder of the unexpired term only. h (III), (IV), (V), or (VI) of paragraph (b) of this subsection (3), as appropriate, to ensure that a member from each major political party in each house is a member of the board. (B) A vacancy in the membership of other members of the board occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the remainder of the unexpired term only. (IV) An appointed member is eligible for reappointment. Members of the board may be removed by the appointing authorities for cause, after a public hearing, and may be suspended by the appointing authority pending the completion of the hearing. (4) The members of the board shall elect a chair and a vice-chair. The members of the board shall also elect a secretary and a treasurer, who need not be members of the board, and the same person may be elected to serve as both secretary and treasurer. The powers of the board may be vested in the officers from time to time. Five members shall constitute a quorum. No vacancy in the membership of the board shall impair the right of a quorum of the members to exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of the board. (5) Except as otherwise provided in section 2-2-326, C.R.S., if the board determines that the authority has sufficient financial resources, each member of the board not otherwise in full-time employment of the state or a state official shall receive a per diem of one hundred dollars for each day actually and necessarily spent in the discharge of official duties, and all members shall receive reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of official duties.

C.R.S. § 24-49.9-102 Colorado channel authority - powers and duties - fiscal year

24-49.9-102. Colorado channel authority - powers and duties - fiscal year. (1) Except as otherwise limited by this article, the authority, acting through the board, has the power to: (a) Have and exercise all rights, duties, privileges, immunities, liabilities, and disabilities of a body corporate and a political subdivision of the state; (b) Sue and be sued; (c) Have an official seal and to alter the same at the board's pleasure; (d) Make and alter bylaws for its organization and internal management and for the conduct of its affairs and business; (e) Maintain an office at such place or places within the state as it may determine; (f) Acquire, hold, use, and dispose of property, real and personal, and its income, revenues, funds, and moneys; (g) Receive and expend gifts, grants, and donations; (h) Make and enter into all contracts, leases, and agreements, including intergovernmental agreements, that are necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the exercise of its powers under this article; (i) Deposit any moneys of the authority in any banking institution within or outside the state; (j) Fix the time and place or places at which its regular and special meetings are to be held; (k) Hire a chief executive officer of the authority and authorize the chief executive officer to hire such other staff as deemed necessary for the operation of the authority; and (l) Do any and all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and exercise the powers given and granted in this article. (1.5) Notwithstanding section 29-1-102 (9), C.R.S., for fiscal year 2010-11 and thereafter, the fiscal year of the authority shall be the period commencing July 1 and ending June 30. (2) The authority shall televise the proceedings of the Colorado house of representatives and senate and such other programming of a state governmental nature as the board may approve, including making available audio recordings of proceedings of the general assembly. (3) All electronically recorded proceedings of any public body of the state, as defined in section 24-6-402, and of all other types of meetings, sessions, conferences, or public events televised by the Colorado channel authority shall be the property of the state of Colorado and shall be public records under article 72 of this title. The Colorado channel authority and any other person or entity acting under contract with the authority shall be the official custodian under article 72 of this title of all such materials. Pursuant to section 24-72-205, the Colorado channel authority and, with the permission of the authority, any other person or entity acting under contract with the authority may charge reasonable fees for making materials subject to this subsection (3) available upon specific request. All electronically recorded proceedings of the judicial branch televised by the Colorado channel authority shall be subject to any rules promulgated by the supreme court or by the order of any court pursuant to section 24-72-204 (1)(c) or 24-72-305 (1)(b).