Brief

P and Y Broadcasting Corporation has applied for a license agreement to place broadcast transmission equipment, including antennas and equipment cabinets, at the municipal property located at 4600 Carter Drive. The Municipal Facilities Committee initiated the file on September 1, 2026. The matter is now pending before the Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee, which has scheduled it for consideration at a committee meeting on September 16, 2026.

Full summary

This file proposes to authorize the Department of General Services to sign a new three-year license agreement with P&Y Broadcasting Corporation for continued use of rooftop space at 4600 Carter Drive in Council District 14. Despite the file title suggesting a private broadcaster is seeking city access, the arrangement actually runs the other way: the City is the tenant, leasing space on a privately owned building to house antennas and equipment cabinets that are critical to the Los Angeles Fire Department's radio communications network and the City's 911 operations. The Information Technology Agency has confirmed there is no alternative city-owned site that can provide equivalent radio coverage for this area. The City has used this site since 1989, originally leasing it from Spanish Broadcasting Systems. P&Y Broadcasting purchased the property and became the current landlord. The Council previously approved a three-year lease with a one-year extension option in a prior file. With that lease set to expire March 31, 2027, GSD and ITA negotiated a fresh 36-month agreement running April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2030, replacing the remaining one-year option. The new monthly rate is $3,899.53, rising 4 percent annually, and the landlord declined to offer any renewal options, in part because it may be considering selling the property. The City has already invested approximately $3.5 million in upgrading equipment, electrical systems, HVAC, a generator, and the tower at this site. Equipment currently in place includes omnidirectional antennas, microwave dishes, an emergency generator, radio signal filters, and a shielded room designed to prevent FM radio interference. GSD and ITA have evaluated longer-term alternatives, including constructing a new facility at a nearby DWP-owned site. However, that option would take at least five years and cost an estimated $10 million, making the lease extension the most viable near-term solution, particularly given the upcoming LA28 Olympics and the City's current budget constraints. GSD also explored purchasing the property outright but found the owner's asking price unreasonable. The annual lease cost of roughly $45,444 is already budgeted in the 2026-27 Citywide Leasing Account with no net impact to the General Fund. The Municipal Facilities Committee approved the GSD report on August 27, 2026, and transmitted it to the full Council on September 1. The Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee received the referral and scheduled it for its September 16, 2026 meeting. No final Council action has been taken yet.

Activity (3)

• 2026-09-11 Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 16, 2026.
• 2026-09-01 Municipal Facilities Committee document(s) referred to Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee.
• 2026-09-01 Document submitted by Municipal Facilities Committee, dated September 1, 2026.

Documents (1)

• 2026-09-01 Report from Municipal Facilities Committee · report