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Q&A
MOAM budget fluctuations and press pass vetting concerns
0:56:27
ยท
100 sec
Council Member Holden inquires about the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOAM) budget changes and expresses concerns about press pass vetting. CTO Fraser defers to MOAM for specific budget questions.
- Holden notes a budget increase for MOAM in FY25 followed by a decrease in FY26
- Concerns are raised about the lack of resources for vetting press pass applicants
- Fraser suggests directing specific budget and personnel questions to the MOAM commissioner or First Deputy Mayor
Robert F. Holden
0:56:27
Also, MOAM, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, they got a bump up in '25, like a certain amount, I don't know, million, whatever.
0:56:39
But then they bump then they go back down in '26.
0:56:43
Why?
Matthew C. Fraser
0:56:44
So for MOM, I would have to defer to the commissioner of MOM to answer specific budget related questions as they're the most intimately familiar with how and why the budget shifted in the way that it did.
Robert F. Holden
0:57:01
Yeah.
0:57:01
Because they have a new charge.
0:57:04
They have to do press passes and approve.
0:57:06
And they said they really didn't receive personnel to vet people.
0:57:11
So they kind of just now the office actually said this to my staff, that we actually have no budget to vet anybody before we give them a press pass.
0:57:21
And that's very dangerous because when you don't vet the person and you give them a press pass, they have access to behind the scenes.
Matthew C. Fraser
0:57:29
Yep.
Robert F. Holden
0:57:30
And there have been, in the past, in the history of New York, assassinations based on, you know, or attempted assassinations based on somebody infiltrating the press area.
0:57:43
So I think that's important that we fund them enough and through your it's under your purview though, right?
0:57:50
The technology part of it?
Matthew C. Fraser
0:57:53
So in terms of the specific needs of headcount and people associated with MOAM, I would have to defer to the commissioner of MOAM or the First Deputy Mayor who they report to around their specific needs in that space.