Definitions
San Diego Municipal Code § 73.0104
in effect§73.0104 Definitions
Whenever used in this division the following words or phrases shall mean:
(a) “City” shall mean The City of San Diego, a municipal corporation in the State of California.
(b) “Council” shall mean the City Council of City.
(c) “City Manager” shall mean the City Manager of City as that office is defined in Section 27 of the City Charter and any officer or employee of City appointed by the City Manager to act for him.
(d) “Cable Television System” shall mean a system of antennas, cables, wires, lines, towers, wave guides, or any other conductors, converters, equipment or facilities, designed and constructed for the purpose of producing, receiving, amplifying and distributing, audio, video and other forms of electronic or electrical signals, located in the City as delineated in each franchisee’s ordinance.
(e) “FCC” shall mean the Federal Communications Commission.
(f) “Franchise” shall mean the right and authority granted by an ordinance of City to construct, maintain and operate through use of public streets, or other public rights of way or public places in City.
(g) “Grantee” shall mean the person to whom the franchise is granted by an ordinance of City and any lawful successor or assignee of the original grantee.
(h) “Local Station” shall mean a television broadcaster maintaining its main studio in City or operating a transmitter in City or within 10 miles of City’s limits.
(i) “Subscriber” shall mean any person or entity receiving for any purpose the Cable Television System service of grantee.
(j) Technical abbreviations shall have the meanings as described in “The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Standard No. 198, Radio–Electronic Terms, abbreviations of.”
(k) Technical Definitions.
(1) “Signal Level, or Visual Carrier Level.” The peak voltage of a radio frequency carrier wave, modulated with FCC standard composite TV signal, measured during the synchronizing interval.
(2) “dBmV.” The unit of signal or noise level referred to one millivolt across 75 ohms. (0 dBmV equals 1000 microvolts across 75 ohms.)
(3) “Noise Level.” The root–mean–square voltage of noise level due to modulation processes, thermal or other noise providing effects but does not include hum and other undesired signals of discrete frequency. The noise is measured in the 4.0 MHz bandwidth between 1.25 and 5.25 MHz above the lower channel boundary of a cable television channel.
(4) “Signal (or carrier) to noise ratio.” The difference in dB between signal level and noise level on the same channel.
(5) “Cross–Modulation.” The transfer of modulation from one channel to another.
(6) “Hum Modulation Ratio.” The ratio between the peak–to–peak ripple at 60 or 120 Hz on an otherwise unmodulated carrier, to the peak carrier level.
(7) “Spurious Signals.” Any discrete frequency occurring within the channel boundaries which is not a desired carrier, subcarrier, or sideband.
(Amended 4–6–1981 by O–15480 N.S.)
(Editors note: Title added 8–9–1988.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter07/Ch07Art03Division01.pdf#page=2Fetched: 10/28/2026