Community Media: Selected Clippings – 11/14/07

County’s Rural Access to Broadband Improving
by Lee Roberts
Lincoln County News (ME)
11/14/07

Last week’s good news about Internet in rural Lincoln County was the state’s ConnectME granting authority funding the potential connection of 849 households in Edgecomb and Somerville. In a public-private partnership, Midcoast Internet Solutions of Newcastle and Rockland will be paid $86,450 to bring the possibility of a broadband connection to more than a thousand Lincoln County residents currently relegated to dial-up. —>
http://www.mainelincolncountynews.com/index.cfm?ID=28785
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Local group files to start community radio station
by Kerry Fehr-Snyder
The Arizona Republic
11/13/07

A group of radio enthusiasts has filed an application to run a Southeast Valley community radio station that would broadcast unique non-commercial programming, from poetry readings to cooking shows. The non-commercial education license application is a first for the non-profit Arizona Community Media Foundation in Tempe. It wants to build a station in Chandler or Apache Junction with the power to broadcast from the farther southwestern edge to the farthest northeastern part of the Southeast Valley. A facility in either location with a directional signal would cover the whole area. “Our motto is 100,000 watts of power to the people,” said Victor Aronow, one of six foundation board members who applied for the license. —>
http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/1113ev-radio1114.html
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Minneapolis Unwired: MTN & the Portals
by Peter Fleck
The PF HYPER Blog
11/14/07

Mayor Rybak has proposed that $100,000 be moved from the Minneapolis Television Network’s (MTN) budget and applied to the Minneapolis Wireless Community Portal Project. MTN helps Minneapolis residents produce television shows with local content.

You can certainly argue that the Internet and web can replace much of the usefulness of public access cable RSN (real soon now). But that “now” isn’t here yet and it looks to me that MTN is still serving a community need. I talked to MTN staff and they told me of on-air Somali talk shows where the phone rings continuously, and of people sharing cable accounts and gathering together to watch public access (not something you generally do with a computer and Internet connection).

Please read what Aaron Landry has to say over here (and check the comments where I weigh in). For a longer and more chaotic discussion, check out the eDemocracy Minneapolis Issues Forum discussion. You can find a Powerpoint presentation at the Digital Access site which is a version of the one used at the recent wireless info community meetings. Local vid blogger citizen journalist Chuck Olsen made a video of one of the presentations at his (now retired!) Minnesota Stories site.

Catherine Settanni posts at the Mpls issues forum. She is under contract with the City of Minneapolis and working on the community portals. She states that city residents see a “critical need for local, community-based Internet content to be made available via the USI Wireless Minneapolis network.” I have no reason to doubt that but I don’t think residents were ever asked if they see that need as so important that we should dismantle the current system for producing local, community-based content: MTN and public access cable.

Stakeholders in this issue have not been brought to the table for an in-depth discussion of options and how to pay for them. OK. I’m done. Read Aaron’s post at least.

Bonus Links:
MTN Needs Assessment from 2004 including surveys of who’s watching.
(Garrick Van Buren predicts the future in this 2005 post.)
Statement by MTN director Pam Colby.
http://www.pfhyper.com/weblog/2007/11/minneapolis-unwired-mtn-portals.html
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AT&T still wants statewide franchises
by John Huotar
The Oakridger (TN)
11/14/07

AT&T is still pursuing legislation that would allow a statewide franchise for video services that could compete with cable television. —>
http://www.oakridger.com/stories/111407/new_217537998.shtml
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Boulder City Council bids goodbye to outgoing members
by Alyssa Urish
Daily Camera (CO)
11/14/07

—> Guy Errickson, a former board member of Community Access TV Boulder, stood silently in front of the City Council — for the three minutes he was allotted for public comment — with black tape over his mouth, holding a sign that read: “Stolen Public Access TV channel and Studio. http://www.worstcouncilever.com.”

Errickson was one of three people who addressed the City Council in opposition to its decision last month to cut funding for Channel 54. The public-access channel will go off the air Friday, said former Channel 54 producer Jann Scott. Scott mockingly presented the council with what he called the “Joseph Stalin Freedom Award,” saying the council has squashed his First Amendment rights by shutting down the channel.
http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/nov/14/council-bids-goodbye-to-outgoing-members/
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FCC chief wants to end newspaper-broadcast ownership ban, but only in largest markets
naacpnvf.org
11/13/07

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to eliminate a ban on radio and television broadcasters owning newspapers, but only in the nation’s largest media markets – including Seattle. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin opted to focus on the newspaper ban only and declined to act on other media ownership rules up for consideration. The proposal still requires a full vote of the commission.

“I think this is both a moderate and a fair proposal,” Martin said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon. He said he is optimistic there will be a vote on Dec. 18. Talk of lifting the cross-ownership ban has met with stiff resistance from public interest groups and commission Democrats as well as on Capitol Hill. —>
http://www.naacpnvf.org/2007/11/13/fcc-chief-wants-to-end-newspaper-broadcast-ownership-ban-but-only-in-largest-markets/
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New social media site: The Social Times
by Jason Preston
Web Community Forum
11/13/07

Our buddy and conference-partner Nick O’Neill yesterday launched a brand new site called The Social Times, which is covering—you guessed it—pretty much everything in the social media space. If you’ve been paying any attention recently to Nick’s original blog, Allfacebook, you already know that Nick’s got the know-how and the gumption to really cover the space. —>
http://webcommunityforum.com/2007/11/new-social-media-site-the-social-times/
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Leading BitTorrent Admins Discuss The Future of BitTorrent
by Ernesto
TorrentFreak
11/13/07

BitTorrent is by far the most popular way to transfer large files over the Internet, but where will it be five years from now? To get some answers to this question TorrentFreak asked the admins of Mininova, The Pirate Bay, IsoHunt and TorrentSpy what they think the future holds for BitTorrent and their websites.

It’s hard to predict the future, especially when it comes to technology. However, that didn’t put us off and we gave it a shot. We asked the people behind the 4 largest BitTorrent sites on the Internet to tell us how they envision the future of BitTorrent. Despite the differences these four guys sometimes have, they all believe that no other P2P protocol performs better than BitTorrent at the moment. However, there’s no doubt that there will be changes in the future. —>
http://torrentfreak.com/the-future-of-bittorrent-071113/
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The Truth About Telecom Amnesty
by Glenn Greenwald
Salon
10/22/07

Today I interviewed Cindy Cohn of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the lead counsel in the pending litigation against AT&T, alleging that AT&T violated multiple federal laws by providing (without warrants) unfettered access for the Bush administration to all telephone and Internet data concerning its customers. The Bush administration intervened in that lawsuit to argue that the “state secrets” doctrine compelled dismissal of the lawsuit, but the presiding judge, Bush 41-appointee Vaughn Walker, last year rejected that argument and ordered the case to proceed (Oral Argument on the administration’s appeal of that ruling was heard by the 9th Circuit earlier this year).

The EFF/AT&T lawsuit — based in part on the testimony and documentation of Mark Klein, a former AT&T employee — will entail an investigation into the extent to which AT&T and other telecoms enabled the Bush administration to spy illegally on their customers. As of now, these telecom lawsuits are the best (arguably, the only real) hope for obtaining a judicial ruling as to whether these surveillance programs were illegal. Precisely for these reasons, the Bush administration is demanding “telecom amnesty” — to bring a halt to EFF’s lawsuit and thus ensure that no investigation of its spying activities on Americans ever occurs, and that no ruling is ever obtained as to whether it broke the law.

I found this interview extremely illuminating, and it reveals just how much misinformation is being disseminated by amnesty advocates. I will post the entire podcast and transcript when it is available, but wanted to post some key excerpts now: —>
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=21&ItemID=14097
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Home snoop CCTV more popular than Big Brother
Forget the web, we want to watch real crims
by Mark Ballard
The Register (UK)
11/11/07

The scheme that gave residents of Shoreditch links to local CCTV cameras through their TV sets had better viewing figures than Channel 4’s Big Brother, according to an internal report by the local authority’s rejuvenation body. The Register has learned how residents took to the Shoreditch Digital Bridge scheme in order to scan for and report anti-social behaviour. Yet the over-arching aim of the project was to bridge the digital divide and improve take-up of online public services by giving TV-internet access to people in poor areas.

According to preliminary results of the Shoreditch pilot – due to be published in January – linking people’s living-room television sets to local CCTV cameras had attracted viewing figures with an “equivalent reach of prime time, week-day broadcast programming”. Official stats showed that a higher percentage of people tuned in to look through their local CCTV cameras (about 27 per cent of those with access) than watched Channel4’s hit snoop show, Big Brother (about 24 per cent).

Atul Hatwal, project manager at the Shoreditch Trust, said the CCTV hook-up was the main reason why people wanted to get the Digital Bridge internet access through their televisions. “In focus groups, the biggest thing they said to us was it made them safer, because if you are in a public space you know someone’s watching.”

The Information Commissioner had ordered the homesnoop CCTV be handicapped by low resolution to prevent the watchers from identifying the people they were watching. “You couldn’t recognise specifics, but you could see if there was trouble happening or if someone was roaming about. It made people feel safer,” said Hatwal. Indeed, residents were bothered by the restriction and not at all worried what implications the scheme might have for civil liberties or community. “Not a single resident came back and raised [CCTV] as an issue,” he said. “It was the defining thing that made people say, ‘Oh yes, I want that’, and they wanted to see more detail [in the CCTV images].” —>
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/11/home_tv_cctv_link/
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compiled by Rob McCausland
Alliance for Community Media
202-393-2650
web: http://ourchannels.org
wiki: http://peg.ourchannels.org

Community Media: Selected Clippings – 10/11/07

Conference – Oct 19-21:
Redefining Media: Media Democracy and Community Radio (Canada)
by Paul Riismandel
Mediageek
10/10/07

Community radio CKUT in Montreal, Quebec is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a conference, Redefining Media: Media Democracy and Community Radio. I only found out about it yesterday and really wish I had the time and travel money to go. The conference happens Oct 19 – 21 and is “pay what you can.”

I’m always impressed when a licensed station is willing to deal with unlicensed radio. In this case there are two sessions at this conference dedicated to the subject, in technical detail: Building a Low-Watt Transmitter I & II. Plenty of other sessions looks good, too, especially: Radio, Art and Freedom of Thought, Community Radio Around the Globe and the closing panel, What is Media Democracy?

CKUT is a great station with a nicely diverse lineup of music and public affairs program. I’m a regular listener to the podcast of the International Radio Report.
http://www.mediageek.net/?p=1558
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Akaku Staves Off State Takeover In Court (HI)
Free Speech Alert
10/11/07

Akaku, Maui’s Community Television Network will not be put out to bid this month as the state had originally planned. Akaku’s motion for preliminary injunction to stop the Request For Proposal (RFP) process was heard before Judge August in the Circuit Court Thursday morning, October 4, 2007. After reviewing the matter, Maui Second Circuit Court Judge Joel August asserted that Akaku is likely to win itslawsuit claiming that the State’s current RFP process for Media Access Organizations violates State Law and due process requirements, however, the Judge decided to decline the issuance of the preliminary injunction at this time. —>
http://freespeechalert.org/?p=12
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Halt sought in AT&T video service
HartfordBusiness.com (CT)
10/11/07

The state Office of Consumer Counsel today filed a motion to stop the expansion of AT&T’s U-Verse video service in Connecticut. The state Department of Public Utility Control previously refused to stop the new television provider while a lawsuit was still open. Consumer Counsel Mary Healey argues that a federal court ruling has settled the issue. AT&T, she claims, is a cable company and must get a more onerous cable franchise license. AT&T says Connecticut law allows it to proceed without the license.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news3300.html
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Prometheus on FCC Ruling
by Ernesto Aguilar
Rolas de Aztlan: KPFT/Pacifica/Media Notes
10/11/07

Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission moved to limit the number of full power, noncommercial, educational radio stations for which any one entity or organization can apply, during the FCC’s imminent application window for these stations. This is the statement of Prometheus lead organizer on the full power FM radio window — Libby Reinish.

“The FCC, by taking this measure to limit speculation in these licenses, has improved the chance that there will be a diverse applicant pool of local, community-based non-profits who will be better able to meet the broadcast needs of their particular communities. These limits will allow prompt processing and a just distribution of licenses among many local entities. We look forward to working with the great diversity of new voices that build radio stations as a result of this application window.” —>
http://kpft.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/prometheus-on-fcc-ruling/
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Why Black folks need broadband
by Garlin Gilchrist II
The Super Spade
10/11/07

The Center for Creative Voices in Media’s The Case for Universal Broadband: Now! study was released today. It says that this country needs everyone to have equal access to reliable high-speed Internet connections. I agree, and I think this is especially true for Black people.

As I alluded to in this podcast, I see Internet-access issues as issues of rights that should be protected. I take that thinking in part from the brilliant Dr. Robert Moses who wrote this concerning math education, “Mathematics education is a civil rights issue.”

Black folks must take advantage of the Internet and broadband technology at a deeper level. It’s cool to have high-speed internet access as a way to view retarded dances on YouTube or play checkers online. It’s even more cool to use the Internet as it was intended: as a tool to share information and ideas with the world. —>
http://www.thesuperspade.com/podcast-on-the-importance-of-a-public-internet/
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The Case For Universal Broadband in America: Now!
Costs of Failure to Achieve President’s Goal of Universal Broadband by 2007 are “Staggering,” Says New Report
Include Hundreds of Billions of Dollars of Economic Growth and Over a Million Jobs
Center for Creative Voices in Media
10/10/07

The failure to achieve President Bush’s 2004 goal of universal broadband access to the Internet “in every corner of America by the year 2007” has cost our nation hundreds of billions of dollars in added economic development and over a million newly-created high-paying jobs, according to a report by the nonprofit Center for Creative Voices in Media released today at the Brookings Institution…
# The Case For Universal Broadband in America: Now! – .pdf of printed report (482.75KB)
# The Case For Universal Broadband in America: Now! – Word .doc (275KB)

http://www.creativevoices.us/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=189
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Cable cost for city will increase
by Molly Tippen
The Romulus Roman (MI)
10/11/07

The cost of keeping cable television and Internet hook-ups at Romulus City Hall will increase because of the extensive cable franchising agreement signed into law last year. Romulus City Council members voted Monday night to amend the city budget to pay for the cost of cable at several municipal buildings.

Roger Kadau, the city communications director, said the Uniform Video Services Local Franchise Act of 2006 effectively negated any local control the city had over cable connections. “We used to negotiate with Comcast about the fees, but because of the agreement, we can’t do that anymore,” he said. “It’s going to cost $269.70 more per month to keep the existing connections.”

City Hall has several cable connections to allow employees to monitor news and weather, and to allow them access to information. Under the statewide franchising agreement, local governments were limited in their negotiations with cable providers to provide the service. When the agreement was enacted, it allowed Comcast to charge for connections that had been covered by the negotiated agreement between the city and company. —>
http://www.journalgroup.com/Romulus/6140/cable-cost-for-city-will-increase
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Meetings streamed live online
by Kara Fitzpatrick
Bucks County Courier Times (PA)
10/11/07

The Northampton supervisors are now providing a high-tech option for residents who want to be informed about local government happenings. For the first time ever, the supervisors Wednesday meeting was broadcast live on the Internet using the township Web site. The supervisors have chosen to stream the meetings live because Verizon, which is a Comcast competitor, does not currently offer its local cable customers public access channels. —>
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-10112007-1421775.html
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League of Women Voters forbids filming of San Francisco mayoral forum
by Josh Wolf
IndyBay.org – San Francisco (CA)
10/11/07

Almost all of the candidates, including the mayor, will be taking part in a candidate forum tonight. It’s sponsored by the League of Women Voters of San Francisco, and it will take place at 6:00PM in the Koret Auditorium at the main branch of the public library. The event will be taped by SFGTV, the local government television station, and according to an e-mail I received from Jolinda Sim, the Candidate Forums chair for the League of Women Voters, “no videotaping or flash photography [will be] allowed due to the fact that SFGOV TV is taping this forum for broadcast.” —>
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/10/11/18453326.php
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30 Years of Brattleboro Community TV!
by BCTVProg
iBrattleboro.com (VT)
10/10/07

On October 10, 1977 Brattleboro Community Television broadcast for the first time. BCTV was the first community television station in Vermont so Brattleboro was navigating in uncharted waters at that time.

…We’ve included a few photos and videos here. We’ll be posting additional programs soon including a classic episode of “Brattleboro Tonight” from BCTV’s early years. We would welcome volunteers who would like to help put classic programs up on the video websites for non cable viewers to see. And please include links here to other programs that have been shown on BCTV over the years. There are already dozens of episodes of “The Pulse of Brattleboro” and other local programs on Google Video so feel free to check those out. —>
http://www.ibrattleboro.com/article.php/20071010135403334
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What now is so beautiful, was once so very ugly
by Tom Watkins
HometownLife.com
10/11/07

—> The man who captured the essence of human decency and brought tears to my eyes for his humility and sense of human decency, was Lake Orion resident Joe Johnson. Joe is the Outreach Coordinator and Lead Trainer at Community Media Network, located in Troy. Joe has trained hundreds of community members in video production. When people with disabilities signed up for his class, Joe did not create a “special” segregated class for these men, but enthusiastically included them in his “regular” class. The fact that Joe has the active support of H. Jay Wiencko, Jr., Executive Director, just adds icing to the cake of human decency.

In accepting his award Joe said he was honored and, like all before him that had given so much of themselves to be a friend, he felt he received much more than he gave. Yet it was the simple truth that had the greatest wallop to me and the hundreds in the audience when he graciously accepted his award and said, “I long for the day that common human decency to our fellow man, being kind, thoughtful and giving to ALL people is the norm and not something to be singled out for recognition.”

Yes, Joe, it will be a great day of celebration when that day comes but, until then, thank you and Community Media Network for helping to set the stage and lead the way for us all! Remember, dignity is nothing more than the freedom of allowing people to be themselves.
http://hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/OPINION01/710110622/1201/NEWS13
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OLLI Offers Past Courses on Public Television
iBerkshires.com
10/11/07

PITTSFIELD – The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute makes its television debut this fall when it airs some of its most popular courses from past semesters on CPAT. OLLI is a volunteer-run educational organization that offers courses and events at academic and cultural institutions throughout the Berkshires.

…The first course is a six-part series on “The Great Depression: A Storied History.” Professor David Auerbach originally taught the class at Berkshire Community College in 2005. It examines the political and economic events such as the stock exchange crash and the development of new government agencies. The series received excellent reviews from the students who attended. It airs the week of Oct. 21 through Nov. 11. Two other courses will be aired later in the fall.

Local participating cable-access stations are Community Television of the Southern Berkshires, PCTV, Willinet and Northern Berkshire Community Television. —>
http://www.iberkshires.com/story.php?story_id=24725
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compiled by Rob McCausland
Alliance for Community Media
202-393-2650
web: http://ourchannels.org
wiki: http://peg.ourchannels.org

Community Media: Selected Clippings – 10/08/07

City OKs Deal to Expand SCVTV
by Katherine Geyer
The Signal (CA)
10/08/07

A local broadcasting company is expanding its programming on the city’s public access television station after the City Council approved a contract last week to implement a six-month trial period. Although Lauren Broadcasting Corp. had been showing its SCVTV programs on the Public, Education and Government Channel – Channel 20 – the memorandum of understanding that went into effect Monday allows the for-profit company to provide up to 24 hours per week of programming that includes local news, community features and high school sporting events. LBC will fund the cost of that programming by running 30-second sponsorships within their programs. —>
http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=51064&format=html
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The Great Radio Hope
Tribal Stations Could Solve Indian Country’s Communications Gap
by Neelanjana Banerjee
New America Media
10/08/07

Editor’s Note: Native radio stations could be the answer to Indian Country’s communications lag — connecting tribes on reservations that still don’t have phone lines, cell phone or Internet service, writes New America Media editor Neelanjana Banerjee.

When “Native America Calling” – a live, daily call-in radio program based in Albuquerque, N.M. – started more than 12 years ago, they had a hard time gaining people’s trust. “The phones barely rang,” says host and producer Harlan McKosato. “The native communities weren’t just going to call in right away because of their distrust of media for painting them as ‘savages’ and ‘redskins.’”

Today, the show airs in 15 states and two countries on 52 stations, attracting some 500,000 listeners with topics ranging from the light-hearted (“Rezzed Out Weddings”) to serious community issues like meth babies. “Our job is really to be in tune with Native America, and then being able to articulate that over the air waves,” says McKosato. “Now that they trust us, it’s just a matter of pushing the button to get people to talk.”

But Native America Calling’s national success in connecting tribal communities doesn’t solve the lack of telecommunications infrastructure that plagues Indian Country. The communications landscape hasn’t changed for Native Americans in the last decade, according to Loris Ann Taylor, executive director of Native Public Media, an organization dedicated to strengthening Native American media capacity. “On some Navajo land, they still don’t have telephone lines and sometimes people can’t afford cell phones – and even if they can, reservations are often black holes for cell phone service. A lot of reservations are nowhere near connecting to the Internet,” Taylor says. “In this landscape, the radio is their information highway.”

That’s why Taylor – dubbed the “Gospel Woman of Radio” – has been working to ensure that there is a radio station in each tribal community. She says that mainstream America is unaware of how important locally produced radio is to the health and safety of Native communities. —>
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=b837288443d6a2e69fd707bb0361cd67
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COVER STORY: Local TV Tackles High School Football
by Michael Malone
Broadcasting & Cable
10/8/07

It’s a late-September Friday afternoon in Hartford, Conn. WFSB anchors Joe Zone and John Holt are planning the day’s newscasts. The Yankees and Red Sox — Hartford is precisely where Yankee Country hits Red Sox Nation — are locked in their annual slugfest toward the American League East title. The National Football League’s New England Patriots are riding out a spying scandal and focusing on staying undefeated.

Closer to home, UConn faces Pittsburgh in their Big East football opener Saturday. Closest of all, Connecticut’s No. 6 high school football team, Southington, is playing 10th-ranked Bloomfield Friday night. Xavier is butting heads with Hillhouse, North Branford is playing Tolland and beloved Maloney coach Rob Szymaszek has just passed away.

High school football rules the sports segments on Meredith’s CBS affiliate. WFSB will have photographers at one-dozen high school games on any given Friday, their reportage providing the bulk of the footage for the weekly Friday Night Football program at 11:15. “It’s what’s important to people in the community,” said news director Dana Neves. “When I was in school, everyone went to the high school game. TV has finally caught up to reality.”

Once a bastion of the Texas plains and the Rust Belt, station executives agreed that there’s been a nationwide flurry of interest in Friday-night schoolboy football like never before, with stations increasingly giving the kids the kind of attention typically reserved for professional athletes. That includes WNYW New York showing game-of-the-week highlights on its 10 p.m. news, WMC Memphis’ new Internet Game of the Week and KUTV Salt Lake City’s High School Touchdown Report.

Station groups are in on the game, too, as well-funded new Web initiatives from Hearst-Argyle Television, Fox, Raycom and Belo are live. As much as any content, the gridiron glory nails critical industry values like “hyper-local,” “user-generated” and “interactive,” while also giving advertisers a means for reaching the $179 billion spent yearly by U.S. teens, according to youth research firm TRU. While most of those behind the new football programming say it’s too early to gauge its success, many believe the end zone is most certainly within sight…

Going Hyper-Local

A significant part of stations’ interest in high school football is their mandate to out-local the competition, and nothing is more local than the high school down the street. Toward that end, WTVO Rockford (Ill.) expanded the weekly Friday Football Blitz by several minutes this season, and KLRT Little Rock, Ark., debuted Friday Night Tailgate. Cable is in on it, too, as Comcast announced that its High School Game of the Week will be available on-demand in select markets. “In these mom-and-pop communities, if they’re not at the game, they’re wondering what the score is,” said KLRT VP/GM Chuck Spohn. “Either you’re an alum or you have a relative or friend playing.”

Viewers seem to appreciate the stations’ local efforts. KPTV Portland (Ore.) introduced the school football-focused 17-minute Friday Night Lights program last September, and saw a 28% ratings increase year over year. “We’re getting a 5 household rating in that quarter-hour,” said VP/GM Kieran Clarke…

Raised on YouTube

Vital to high school football’s rise in popularity is the fact that technology has finally reached a point where the typical teen, raised on YouTube, can easily upload video and share highlights from that night’s game. Station managers say the interactive nature of new media — whether it’s user-generated video, scores or trash-talking — is a critical component of their school content.

Hearst-Argyle has taken the interactive concept a step further, training students in seven markets to be “sideline reporters” for its social-networking platform High School Playbook. A total of 60 students shoot high-def cameras, edit and post their work on the Web site. KDFW Dallas has done the same with “minicamps” for area students, trained by station staff to produce video for the new FoxHiLitesDallas.com. “The kids love it,” said VP/GM Kathy Saunders. “We want them to be an extension of our sports department.”

To be sure, stations may never get rich from airing local football content. User-generated video is often grainy and poorly produced, and giving the public access to a station Web page means staff has to be on the alert for erroneous information or racy material. Still, many station managers seek to follow the lead of MyFoxHiLites and High School Playbook, and expand their high school coverage beyond football. Toellner says the only negative he’s heard about WGRZ’s Web platform is that it only covers football.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6487900.html
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Open Mic: Live TV call-in show to feature Collier school superintendent
Naples Daily News (FL)
10/08/07

Collier County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dennis Thompson will be the guest next week on a 30-minute live TV call-in show on The Education Channel, cable 20, according to a school district news release. The “Open Mic” show, scheduled to premiere at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, is a public forum intended to give parents and community members direct access to the school district’s top decision maker, the superintendent.

The show, a production of the school district’s Communication & Information Office, will be hosted by Naples Daily News Editorial Page Editor Jeff Lytle, who will not be paid by the school district. The questions Lytle asks as host will be his own. Viewers with a question to ask or an opinion to voice should call during the live telecast between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Monday. Call 377-1020 from anywhere in the Naples area, or 658-7020 from Immokalee.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/oct/08/open_mic_live_tv_call_show_feature_collier_school_/?breaking_news
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Are Broadcast Regulators in the Pockets of the Broadcasters?
by Tony Carson
Carson’s Post
10/08/07

The theory is easy enough to understand: the airwaves are owned by the people, therefore broadcasters, who are given access to the frequencies, have a responsibility to provide, in addition to their commercial programming, a public service, aka News. This balanced has worked well for years … until the broadcasters started making all their component pieces ‘profit centres,’ meaning that each component (news, sports, entertainment, documentaries, etc) is responsible for its own profitability.

That’s a problem for News, because news-gathering is expensive: it’s labour intensive, geographically expansive and time consuming. But News has always been the public service that gives the broadcasters the rights to access the frequency, a right that has always been a ‘license to print money.’ By decoupling the responsibility from the right, broadcasters are seeking to have it both ways: they are seeking a right without the responsibility of providing what was once a required service, the very reason they received their license.

And they are getting away with it. In the US, canned stations are common, as we reported in The Brazen Kidnapping of the Airwaves : “There are four radio stations servicing Blacksburg, Virginia. Apparently, only one of them had the ability to report live the massacre that was unfolding in April. Why? Because the other three were automated: canned in one central location and ‘localized’ for advertising in another. It is the way of radio.”

And it’s happening in Canada. As this Globe and Mail article Will CRTC ignore decline of local TV news? points out, “Deep cuts to the news operations of two major television networks in the past year – which have seen jobs and local newscasts slashed amid tightening margins – have cast light on a growing struggle between the TV industry and its regulators.” —>
http://carsonspost.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/are-broadcast-regulators-in-the-pockets-of-the-broadcasters/
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Donate to the Columbus and Central Ohio Community Radio Project
by The Neighborhood Network
The Free Press
10/08/07

Any way you look at it, there ís simply not enough variety in our local broadcast spectrum. Radio in Central Ohio is dominated by right wing propagandists and commercial mediocrity. Columbus needs broadcast outlets that provide uncensored news/analysis and grassroots multicultural programming.

The Neighborhood Network is applying for a full-power radio license to increase our broadcast opportunities. The FCC has opened a small window for nonprofit groups to apply for full-power radio licenses until October 19! We need to raise $5000 to complete the filing requirements: attorney fees, engineer fees and filing fees. The Neighborhood Network, a non-profit, 501c3, media organization currently supplies programming for the Low Power FM Community Radio Station and is a Pacifica Radio Network affiliate. Please support our efforts to build the community media infrastructure in Central Ohio. Your donation of $25, $50, $100 or more is appreciated!
http://www.freepress.org/doit.php?strFunc=display&strID=333&strYear=2007
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Justice Thomas and the electronic media
by Mary-Rose Papandrea
Special to the First Amendment Center Online
10/08/07

This article is part of an online symposium on the First Amendment Center Online concerning Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s First Amendment jurisprudence.

Since Justice Clarence Thomas joined the Court, he has taken part in several decisions involving electronic media, including cable, telephone and Internet cases. Regardless of the medium, one theme has remained constant throughout his jurisprudence in this area: he is committed to applying established First Amendment doctrine to electronic and other new and developing media regardless of their technological and economic complications. While this approach has at times led Thomas to provide the critical fifth vote in striking down speech restrictions, at other times it has simply made Thomas appear out of touch with reality.

Additionally, while some members of the Court are sympathetic to the government’s attempts to promote viewpoint diversity and localism in the electronic media through structural regulation, Justice Thomas views such efforts with the same deep suspicion he views content-based restrictions on traditional media. With the expressive rights of electronic media owners as his paramount focus, Thomas tends to discount the other expressive interests of speakers seeking access to electronic media as well as the rights of listeners to receive multiple viewpoints. —>
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=19107
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Nigeria: Country Not Yet Visible in Community Broadcasting – Unicef
AllAfrica.com
10/08/07

The Nigerian country office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has scored Nigeria low in its introduction of community broadcasting. This was disclosed by the fund’s chief communications and media relations officer, Christine Jaulmes during her recent courtesy visit to the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) headquarters in Abuja. According to Jaulmes, UNICEF has been actively involved in the aspect of community broadcasting in different coutries but was quick to note that “Nigeria is yet to be visible in that aspect of broadcasting.”

She pointed out that UNICEF was interested in the accurate number of broadcast stations in the country, as well as an analysis on broadcasting in relation to child health, education as well as information dissemination to the public. Christine Jaulmes also called on the NBC to ensure that a positive change was made in that direction to ensure that community broadcasting takes priority in Nigeria.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200710080691.html
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compiled by Rob McCausland
Alliance for Community Media
202-393-2650
web: http://ourchannels.org
wiki: http://peg.ourchannels.org

Community Media: Selected Clippings – 09/27/07

Call for content – Cape Town Community TV
ScreenAfrica.com
09/27/07

Cape Town Community Television plans to launch a free-to-air channel in February 2007. The organisation was launched in September 2006 by over 200 non-profit organisations in the greater Cape Town metropolitan area and is applying to ICASA for a one-year community TV license.  CTCTV is committed to providing the community access to television. This will enable the people of Cape Town to fulfil their communication needs in this medium and to express their cultural and entertainment interests in their own languages.

CTCTV is calling for programming from filmmakers, NGOs, educational institutions (e.g. student productions), distributors and international partners.   —>
http://www.screenafrica.com/news/television/592600.htm
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Brighthouse realignment riles Tampa City council
by Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Thursday (FL)
09/27/07

A representative from Brighthouse Networks received a somewhat combative reaction at today’s Tampa City Council meeting. It was in response to a proposal the cable service is about to unveil that could potentially decrease viewership of the Council’s own meetings.  Come December, analog subscribers to Brighthouse in the Tampa bay area will have the PEG channels removed from their service. And for the majority of viewers watching on digital cable, those channels – representing Public access, education and the Government  will move from its current spot in the lowest channel number slot to a much higher slot…

Nobody appeared more animated about the PEG channels going digital than City Councilman John Dingfelder, who said the whole idea seemed to pop out of nowhere… Dingfelder said that many citizens generally don’t watch all of the City Council meetings live or on their frequent repeats on local Channel 15. But he says they frequently will be flipping their remote, moving from the Fox affiliate , channel 14 in Tampa, and then come upon the meetings for 5 or 10 minutes. He says those stray ‘surfers’ will never have that same opportunity, if the City of Tampa Television station is located on digital cable systems around the 600 channel mark.

City Councilman Charlie Miranda said the debate needed to continue, but cautiously, with litigation potentially pending….   Councilwoman Mary Mulhern upon learning of Brighthouse’s proposal, she was troubled by it…   Mindy Snyder, the city of Tampa’s Cable Television Manager, said a survey was taken independently back in April, and it showed that many people did come across the Tampa Government Channel – also known as CCTV simply by switching channels. —>
http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/show/4764
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Community radio looking for home
by Clea Simon
Boston Globe (MA)
09/27/07

How does someone start a radio station? And why would anyone want to? These are the questions that community activist Grace Ross and radio journalists David Goodman and John Grebe have been asking themselves since last spring.  Next month along with other colleagues as members of the Grassroots Community Radio Initiative, they’ll be filing papers with the Federal Communications Commission. This is the first step of a lengthy application process, but only the latest development in what has become an ongoing project.

The idea, says Goodman, started at his current radio gig. Since 1995, Goodman has hosted “Radio With a View,” Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon on MIT community station WMBR-FM (88.1). Ross, who ran for governor as the Green Party/Rainbow candidate in 2006, provides commentaries for his show.   —>
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/09/27/community_radio_looking_for_home/
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White, Comcast near a deal on public access channel
by Lisa Falkenberg
Houston Chronicle (TX)
09/26/07

Maybe Mayor Bill White cares about public access TV after all.  Several months ago, I wrote about how a confluence of forces, including a new state law, threatened to cut off operations funding for Houston MediaSource, the nonprofit that runs the city’s public access station.  The channel — 17 for Comcast subscribers — is one of the few commercial-free programming options on cable TV these days.

For years, the city had negotiated its own franchise agreements in which the cable company volunteered to pay for operations costs. The “volunteer” part is key because, under a silly federal rule, mandated fees aren’t supposed to be used for operations. They should be used for capital costs: bricks, mortar, cameras, etc…

But a 2005 state law replaced the city’s negotiating power with a statewide franchise agreement. It required cable companies to pay cities 1 percent in gross revenue, which was a boon for cities that had been getting less. But because the 1 percent was mandated, it could only be used for capital costs.

This appeared to be a death sentence for Houston MediaSource and some other Texas public access stations, leaving them with money to buy equipment but little money to pay salaries and run the stations. In April, the channel expected to see its operations budget cut from $617,000 per year to $100,000.  Executive Director Fred Fichman was predicting the station would go dark if it couldn’t raise enough private funding…

In my May column, I argued that the mayor could help by restoring funding he had cut from the channel a year earlier, but that he wasn’t willing.  MediaSource’s budget had been cut by a third after a controversy over nudity and profanity on a few public access shows, although the mayor attributed the cut to fiscal discipline.  A day after my column ran, White seemed to have a change of heart. He assured the Chronicle that he would work to find a solution to the cable conundrum. And four months later, it appears that he has — and a very creative solution at that.   —>
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/falkenberg/5167914.html
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Nonprofit takes over local cable station
Cape Ann TV to be managed by four towns
by John Laidler
Boston Globe (MA)
09/27/07

Residents may not have noticed a difference on their screens, but a new era has dawned for the cable TV access station serving Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport.  A regional nonprofit corporation formed by the four Cape Ann communities has taken over the operation of the Gloucester-based station.   —>
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/27/nonprofit_takes_over_local_cable_station?mode=PF
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TV-34 undergoes Extreme Makeover
by Erica Zarra
Montclair Times (NJ)
09/26/07

Gone are the days of Montclair’s recycling schedule recycled over and over, inaudible Township Council meetings, the Sewer Utility fee chart fixated for hours, and, at times, a blank screen.  TV-34, the municipality’s public access station, is undergoing a long-awaited makeover via new programs and a new commitment: Concentrating on what the customers want.

“I feel very strongly that a community station should reflect the community and I didn’t feel it was doing that when I came on here,” said Sharon Colucci, TV-34’s new station manager.  Colucci, who held the same position in Old Bridge Township for almost a decade, came to Montclair in March with a vision for the bareboned, low-fi channel.

“There is an eclectic assortment of talent, and I think it can be showcased more with the station,” Colucci told The Times. “Everybody knows where Montclair is. Everybody knows it’s a pocket of art. I just think that the station wasn’t working enough and hopefully we’re on the right track now.”   —>
http://www.montclairtimes.com/page.php?page=15825
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Main Theatre Camera System: Fully Operational
Grand Rapid Community Media Center (MI)
09/27/07

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” – Michael Corleone

Another major upgrade complete!  Wealthy Theatre just finished installation of three remote-controlled, robotic video cameras in the Main Theatre.    The wiring and soldering was a challenge because the user manual was full of errors (you might be surprised how often this is the case.)  So we called in a gentleman by the name of Chuck Peterson, who worked at GRTV as station manager for many years — and who was our interim executive director after the untimely passing of Dirk Koning.   —>
http://www.grcmc.org/about/news.php?news_item_id=200
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Discussing Campus Watch on the TV Show, “Spotlight on the Middle East”
Cinnamon Stillwell (CA)
09/27/07

I’ll be interviewed tonight, September 27th, by historian David Meir-Levy and his co-hosts on the public access Palo Alto-based cable television show, “Spotlight on the Middle East.” We’ll be discussing the work of Campus Watch and, in particular, our focus on Middle East studies academics in California. Fellow guest Sue Maltiel, executive director of Hillel of Silicon Valley, will address the issue from a student level.   —>
http://cinnamonstillwell.blogspot.com/2007/09/discussing-campus-watch-on-tv-show.html
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Caution: Verizon takes issue with NARAL
Peggy, as She Is
09/27/07

This is downright preposterous! Verizon has rejected a request to grant NARAL a “short code” to text message information to members who’ve opted in to NARAL’s messaging program.  They said NARAL is too ‘unsavory’ and ‘controversial’. *rubs eyes* WHO CARES? This isn’t NAMBLA, folks, it’s NARAL. And last I checked, controversial or not, Abortion is LEGAL.  Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL, sent out this email this morning:  “I’ve got some bad news for you: even your cell phone isn’t safe from censorship.”   –>
http://peggys-musings.blogspot.com/2007/09/caution-verizon-takes-issue-with-naral.html
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In Media Res
by Tanner
Gameology.org
09/27/07

Media Commons has an excellent ongoing project called In Media Res wherein media scholars post short videos with introductory statements meant to engage the community in conversation.  It is not only a really interesting twist on academic discussion, but a great way to gain exposure to the various projects people are working, as well as potentially get some preliminary feedback on your own project.   —>
http://www.gameology.org/blog/in_media_res
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Social-media pros: We’re just getting started
by Martin LaMonica
cnet
09/26/07

Social-media sites are visited mainly by early technology adopters and pose thorny privacy problems but are an increasingly viable channel for news distribution for overwhelmed Internet consumers, panelists at the Emerging Technology Conference said on Wednesday.

During the opening session of the conference, founders from three popular Web 2.0 social media sites–Kevin Rose of Digg, Tariq Krim of NetVibes, and Garret Camp of StumbleUpon–predicted a growing role for community-oriented sites in the media industry. The conference, now called EmTech, is put on by the Technology Review and held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   —>
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9785239-7.html
~

compiled by Rob McCausland
Alliance for Community Media
202-393-2650
web: http://ourchannels.org
wiki: http://peg.channels.org

ACM 2007 Conference Video: Hannah Sassaman

Hannah Sassaman of Prometheus Radio Project addresses the Alliance for Community Media Conference, Minneapolis MN, July 26, 2007.

Community Media: Selected Clippings – 09/06/07

Cable TV slights channels for public
Editorial: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
09/06/07

In signing a law this year that deregulates cable television in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist wrote that he “will work to ensure that this bill does not dilute the availability of public access channels.” He’ll have to work quickly.

The dilution has begun, at least in the Tampa Bay area, and the decision by Bright House Networks to move local government and access channels into a higher digital tier of service is likely to be only the beginning. Just read the new law. It goes so far as to establish “utilization criteria” for each local government channel, requiring 10 hours of daily programming “of which at least 5 hours must be nonrepeat.”

Not many local channels meet that standard, and here’s the kicker: “If the applicable access channel does not meet this utilitization criterion,” the law states, “the cable or video service provider may reprogram the channel at its discretion.”  In other words, cities and counties wanting to provide televised coverage of their government meetings are now at the mercy of businesses whose agenda is primarily entertainment.

In the Tampa Bay region, Bright House is moving the channels into a tier that may cost some basic service customers extra money. And Kevin Hyman, president of Bright House’s Tampa Bay division, frames the question this way: “Aren’t we ultimately in the best position of taking the risk of deciding what’s in the best interests of our customers?”

Hyman makes a fair point, but companies that string cables across public property have historically been asked to do more than just pay a franchise fee. The local access channels were never intended to compete with ESPN or HBO or the major networks, but they do allow citizens to take the measure of their own government at work. They play an important role in democracy.

Whether Florida’s cable deregulation law will spur competition that drives down prices for consumers is debatable. But it clearly threatens the public service compact that has existed between cable companies and local governments for decades. If that picture wasn’t clear in May, when Crist signed the law, it will be crystal clear in December, when local access channels go digital.
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/06/Opinion/Cable_TV_slights_chan.shtml

[ The above is reprinted in full.  Please follow the link to register your interest in the topic. -rm ]
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Advocates urge Pinellas to keep public access TV
by Arielle Stevenson
WMNF Evening News (FL)
09/05/07
[Listen ]

Public access advocates gathered at the Clearwater courthouse Tuesday night to try and save Pinellas access television from the budgetary chopping block.  With the final vote on the budget coming up in two weeks, the downstairs lobby of the Clearwater Courthouse was filled with about 150 people, and more seated upstairs in the commission boardroom for the Pinellas County Board of Commisioner’s public hearing. Many were there on behalf of public access, to try once more to save what many described as one of the few remaining public soapboxes.

Dave Figueroa, who seems to have become the spokesperson for Pinellas Community Television (PCTV) presented a plan to save public access from the chopping block.   —>
http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/show/4684
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Public access TV advocates beg Hillsborough to reconsider cuts
by Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News (FL)
09/06/07

Last night, dozens of citizens asked Hillsborough County Commission not to completely cut funding of the county’s cable access and education channels.  In the first of two public hearings on the proposed 2008 budget, citizens spoke for nearly 2½ hours in their first opportunity to challenge the $55-million in budget cuts proposed by County Administrator Pat Bean.  Bean has proposed eliminating completely the $355,000 plus for the Tampa Bay Community Network, and $419,000 for the award winning Education Channel.

Battling the County Commission for its funding life is nothing new for Louise Thompson, executive director of the public access channel called Speak Up Tampa Bay. Years ago, a drive led by former Commissioner Ronda Storms over some objectionable programming led to a similar showdown.  In her three minutes before the board, Thompson extolled the virtues of her channel and concluded with a parting shot that the County’s Government channel, is not taking a financial hit.

Although there has been tension between the board and Speak Up Tampa Bay over the years, there has not publicly been any troubles between commissioners and the award-winning Education Channel.  In a compromise, Education channel officials have proposed that they receive only 75 percent of their previous budget.   —>
http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/show/4686
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Public access TV backers seek reprieve from cuts
County commissioners will make their final budget decisions Sept. 20.
by Bill Varian
St. Petersburg Times (FL)
09/06/07

TAMPA – For months, local and state governments have heard the cry of residents wanting cuts in their tax bills.  On Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners were greeted by a standing-room-only crowd and dozens of speakers asking them to spare their nonprofit groups or government agencies.  Chief among them were leaders and supporters of the county’s public and education access television stations, which are facing elimination. Commissioners have tentatively voted to no longer spend any money on either program.

The two stations got $874,443 between them last year, amounts that hadn’t been increased for several years.  “These cuts are obviously an effort to eliminate the public’s ability to speak out,” said one speaker, Mark Adams.

Ultimately commissioners took no action, though Commissioners Mark Sharpe and Rose Ferlita both asked the administration to explore ways to give the stations a portion of or as much money as they got last year. Commissioners make final decisions on the budget after a second public hearing Sept. 20.   —>    http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/06/Hillsborough/Public_access_TV_back.shtml
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Bright House Kicks PEG Channel to Digital
Public, Educational and Government Programming in Tampa Lose Analog Positions
by Linda Haugsted
Multichannel News
09/05/07

Come December, it will be good-bye analog, hello digital for public, educational and government programming in Tampa, Fla.  The Tampa division of Bright House Networks has notified producers in the seven counties it serves in the region that beginning Dec. 11, PEG programming will be moved up the dial. Kena Lewis, director of public affairs for the division, said the system is unifying the channel lineup throughout it service area.   —>
http://multichannel.com/article/CA6475372.html?industryid=47201
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AT&T’s new chief says company will invest if legislators act
Nashville Post (TN)
09/06/07

‘Tennessee is surrounded’ by states that have won AT&T capital, says new AT&T Tennessee president
http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2007/9/6/att_will_invest_in_tennessee_if_general_assembly_acts [subscription required]
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USC rejects Verizon deal
by Bob Williams
The Almanac (PA)
09/05/07

Upper St. Clair Commissioners rejected a franchise agreement with Verizon which would allow the media company to offer “cable-style” television service to Upper St. Clair residents.  Township officials plan to talk with Verizon about getting an additional pro-rated subsidy that will fund the township’s public access television coordinator, a subsidy that Verizon won’t simply pass along to subscribers as part of their bills.   —>
http://www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/09_05_verizon_aggt_B
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Liveblogging the Government Competition and Privatization Subcommittee
by Jesse
FreeUTOPIA.org
09/06/07

Thanks to the free WiFi in the committee room, I’ll be liveblogging the entire entire meeting. Check back for regular updates! I’ll be here at least until noon or the break for lunch, whichever comes first.

… 12:40PM Sen. Stephenson asked how Qwest feels about cherry-picking. He seems to approve of the concept, but he’s trying to characterize UTOPIA as seeking Qwest-style exclusive monopolies in greenfield areas. I suppose he’d know something about that, wouldn’t he? He’s now trying to claim that they’re somehow more trustworthy because they don’t promise universal service. What the?   —>
http://www.freeutopia.org/2007/09/06/liveblogging-the-government-competition-and-privatization-subcommittee/
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Rebutting TV and Microphone Industry Claims on Interference if Vacant TV Channels are Opened for Broadband Devices.
by Sascha Meinrath
SaschaMeinrath.com
09/06/07

I’ve been mired in a pitched battle between the public interest (to allow the general public to use unlicensed devices on unused TV frequencies) and the National Association of Broadcasters and various massive corporations (who have launched a FUD campaign of epic proportions here in the nation’s capital). Just today I learned that NAB and its allies have taken out full-page adds in various press going out to congressional offices claiming that these technologies will destroy TV as we know it. If this claim sounds familiar, it’s because it was the same claim used to fight low power FM radio — a claim that has since been proven to have been a lie.  Here’s the latest:  —>
http://www.saschameinrath.com/2007/sep/06/rebutting_tv_and_microphone_industry_claims_interference_if_vacant_tv_channels_are_opene
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Radio ‘free’ PT: Nonprofit aims for 91.5 FM
by Barney Burke
Port Townsend Leader (WA)
09/06/07

Stay tuned.  In a year or two, you may be able to set your FM radio dial to 91.5 and hear a Port Townsend-based radio station.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is accepting applications for “non-commercial educational” FM radio licenses from educational, government and nonprofit organizations during the week of Oct. 12-19.

That news was music to the ears of Sherry Jones, a local attorney and public access cable station PTTV producer who helped organize the first Port Townsend Film Festival in 2000.  Jones, 47, has led the formation of “Radio Port Townsend,” a nonprofit organization that would operate the station. “Radio is uniquely relevant media because it’s everywhere, it’s low tech, and it’s free,” said Jones.

To launch the station, she started looking for “level-headed, visionary and enthusiastic people,” Jones said.  “But she settled for us!” laughed Colin Foden, 59, referring to himself and Collin Brown, 54. Neither man is affiliated with PTTV, but both have been involved in nonprofits and in business – and they share Jones’ passion for the airwaves.   —>
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=18664&TM=81776.41
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WisconsinEye to broadcast from Supreme Court
by Jessi Polsky
Badger Herald (WI)
09/06/07

A statewide public affairs network began broadcasting oral arguments in the State Supreme Court Wednesday by airing coverage of three cases.  WisconsinEye entered into a contract with the state in 2005 to televise all three branches of Wisconsin government, beginning with the legislature.  Chris Long, president and CEO of WisconsinEye, said the company was slated to broadcast a second branch of government, either the judiciary or executive branch, by May 2008.  “We have broadcast contracts with the state … to cover the legislature and expand to cover the other two branches of government,” Long said. “There is no deadline … but we’ve been committed to covering all three branches as soon as we have the resources available to do so.”   —>
http://badgerherald.com/news/2007/09/06/wisconsineye_to_broa.php
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Perri leaves BTV
Colorado Daily
09/05/07

A Wednesday afternoon press release informed local media that Boulder Community Media (BCM) Executive Director Tony Perri has submitted his resignation to the BCM Board of Directors, effective Friday, Sept. 28. Perri will continue working with the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) to program, produce and administer the Educational Channel 22.  “At this time, I see the need to concentrate on Channel 22 and have recommended to the board of directors that a new executive director take my place,” said Perri.  Perri began his tenure on Jan. 1, 2006 when he volunteered to manage, administer and program Channel 54 for the city of Boulder.

… In addition to building a solid foundation for community access television, Perri formed a partnership with BVSD and created Boulder’s newest local TV station, Channel 22. This educational station is countywide so that viewers throughout the Boulder Valley can watch the same educational-based television programming on a single cable channel.  Perri is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Colorado-Boulder in the Journalism and Mass Communication School.   —>
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2007/09/05/news/c_u_and_boulder/news4.txt
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Filling Vacancies Is Top Goal for Charles
Economic Development Post Key in County (MD)
by Philip Rucker
Washington Post
09/06/07

—>   Also this fall, Comfort said he hopes to help the commissioners revamp the county’s public access TV station. He wants to turn Channel 95 into “must-see TV” for Charles County residents.  As county administrator in rural Queen Anne’s on the Eastern Shore, Comfort built the public access station into a popular destination for sports fans and government watchers alike. In Charles, Comfort hopes to televise more high school sporting events and features on the county’s tourist attractions.

“The TV station should be used to tell the story of government, what people are getting for their tax dollars, and right now we’re not doing a good job of communicating what we’re doing,” Comfort said.  One idea under consideration is to have Cooper sit down for a five-minute interview after each commissioners meeting to recap the policy issues discussed that day. The interview would be replayed until the next meeting.  “It’ll be more interesting than long, dry meetings,” Comfort said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090500058.html
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Cable TV program lets local writers and actors showcase their talents
Thousand Oaks Acorn (CA)
09/06/07

Readers Theater Television began its sixth season at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 30 on Time Warner Cable with “Noir,” written by Ray Malus of Woodland Hills.  The reading featured Tim Gallagher of Oak Park, Tim Holtwick and Srinivas Kanury of Simi Valley, Bridgette Lindgren and Matt McGee of Thousand Oaks, Michael Aronovitz and Regina Mocey of Agoura Hills and Paul D. Roberts of Los Angeles.

Readers Theater Television produces tapings of staged readings of original plays and screenplays for broadcast on Time Warner Cable, public access Channel 25 in the areas of Agoura Hills, Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Ojai, Oak Park, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village.   —>
http://www.toacorn.com/news/2007/0906/Community/025.html
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I want my MTV(C)!
by Alan Saracevic
SFGate.com
09/06/07

MTV is looking for someone under 25. Who understands the Internet. And has a revolutionary idea about digital media.  That would make me 0-fer-three.  But in case you do fit that bill, think about applying for a new grant that will give the right young entrepreneur up to $500,000 for coming up with “compelling ideas for using digitally delivered news and information to enhance physical communities — improving the lives of people where they live, work and vote.”  It’s called the “Young Creators Award,” and it’s being sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and MTV.   —>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=19&entry_id=20054
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Open Source Software: The Power of Community
by Bryan Cheung
TechNewsWorld.com
09/06/07

Like social Web sites, open source software is most valuable when it has a strong community around it, a community that has invested time and effort into learning the technology, creating features, submitting bug fixes, and creating documentation. Open source is also about empowering users to participate and not simply consume software.  The IT industry appears to be in the thick of a number of interesting trends happening not only in technology, but in society at large. Cultural assumptions are changing about the nature of media and production, and consumers are being empowered as producers.  The Web at large has embraced this shift for several years, but businesses are just starting to realize the power and benefits of rethinking our understanding of ownership and participation   —>.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59127.html
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compiled by Rob McCausland
Director of Information & Organizing Services
Alliance for Community Media
202-393-2650
web: http://ourchannels.org
wiki: http://peg.ourchannels.org

Community Media: Selected Clippings – 08/07/07

Time aids Qwest video franchise fight
Arvada has 90 days to answer telecom’s video franchise bid
by Andy Vuong
Denver Post (CO)
08/07/07

Arvada, you are on the clock.  Qwest submitted a video franchise application Monday in Arvada under new federal rules that require the city to respond within 90 days.  Under the rules, which went into effect Monday, Arvada has to accept or reject the application – or reach some kind of pact on it – within 90 days, or Qwest’s proposed terms would go into effect. If the city rejects the application, Qwest can appeal the decision in federal court.    —>
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6559454
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Cape Girardeau’s Channel 5 adds 30 hours of programming
by Peg McNichol
Southeast Missourian
08/07/07

Viewers of Cape Girardeau’s Channel 5 will start seeing new shows. Not that the city is trying to compete with the new network seasons.  Michelle Hahn said the city is adding shows to meet a new state-required minimum 40 hours of programming as part of the Video Providers Act. The new law says cable companies can pull the plug on local access channels if they don’t air enough programming.    —>
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1244741.html
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Verizon awaits Framingham decision on cable TV license
By Greg Turner
Metrowest Daily News (MA)
08/06/07

—>   Verizon has already started rolling out its new FiOS fiber-optic cables in Framingham so as soon as its cable TV franchise license is approved the company will reach about 75 percent of the town’s 26,000 households.  “The only ones we can’t serve immediately are those with underground utilities and people in apartment and condominium complexes,” said Verizon spokesman Phil Santoro, adding that the company has to negotiate deals with owners of multiple dwelling units.

Divver said that during negotiations the committee tried to make sure Verizon’s contract created a “level playing field” with the existing cable TV providers in town. That means Verizon will put 5 percent of gross revenue toward public access, education and government channel services; the entire town will be wired within three years; and the company will open a customer service office in Framingham by October 2008.

Verizon committed to spending $562,000 over the next seven years for capital improvements to Framingham’s public access cable system, Divver said. The company will not set up its own cable studio; instead, it will tap into the existing public access channels created by Comcast through an interconnection agreement negotiated between the companies. Verizon has 120 days to reach a deal with Comcast.   —>
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/x748940186
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Radio for the People
by Amy Goodman
TruthDig.com
08/07/07

Rupert Murdoch is looking like the cat that ate the canary with his successful takeover of Dow Jones & Co. and its flagship newspaper, The Wall Street Journal.  Media conglomerates like Murdoch’s News Corp. are among the most powerful corporations on the planet. His papers beat the drums for war while distracting with gossip and glitz.

Yet people are finding innovative ways to fight back, to demand independent, community-based media. One such effort that you can join is the movement to create new, full-power, noncommercial FM radio stations in the U.S.  This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The Federal Communications Commission will open a one-week window, Oct. 12-19, during which nonprofit community groups in the U.S. can file applications.

Think for a moment what a powerful, noncommercial radio station could do in your community. As the late George Gerbner, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication, said, we need a media not run by “corporations that have nothing to tell and everything to sell, that are raising our children today.”

Community radio is the antidote to that small circle of pundits featured on all the networks, who know so little about so much, explaining the world to us and getting it so wrong. On community radio, you can hear your neighbors, you can hear people from your community: the silenced majority, silenced by the corporate media.   —>
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070807_radio_for_the_people/
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Koskelowski faces 2nd fine over tapings
by Elizabeth Benton
New Haven Register (CT)
08/07/07

SEYMOUR — A Freedom of Information Commission hearing officer has recommended First Selectman Robert Koskelowski be fined $500, calling his concern about fire codes “disingenuous.”  If the full commission approves the fine, this will be the second $500 fine triggered by town videotaping restrictions, which were enacted in 2005.

Democratic watchdog Frank Loda complained to the FOI board in 2005 after the Board of Selectmen enacted a policy restricting videotaping to the backs of meeting rooms and required all meetings broadcast on public-access television to be aired in their entirety.  —>
http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18670776&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517514&rfi=6
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Peace after the battle of Throgs Neck
The Real Deal (NY)
08/07/07

From the August issue: The revolution was only intermittently televised, and then mostly on Bronxnet, a public access television station. But the struggle that ended in 2004 to prevent the construction of further McMansions and rezone Throgs Neck for lower residential density stirred passionate concerns for residents of that Bronx neighborhood. Three years later, locals also credit the downzoning victory with preserving real estate prices. And while the rezoning has mostly, but not entirely, stemmed the tide of new building construction, local brokers credited the changes with safeguarding real estate values and preserving the neighborhood’s suburban character. more By Dorn Townsend and Sushil Cheema
http://www.therealdeal.net/breaking_news/2007/08/07/1186527068.php
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The Reading Lady
CBS6 Albany (NY)
08/07/07

A local reading teacher is now taking her expertise to the television screen. Karen Houghton, also known as The Reading Lady, produces instructional videos to teach young children how to read, and more importantly, that reading can be fun. You can can catch Karen’s program on Schenectady Public Access Saturday mornings at 8:30 and Monday afternoons at 5:30. CBS 6 News Education Reporter Michelle Smith sat down with The Reading Lady to find out more. To learn more about her video series click here.
http://www.cbs6albany.com/onset?id=23563&template=article.html
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“Garden Wise Guys”
by Craig Smith
Craig Smith’s Blog (CA)
08/07/07

—> … also not to be missed in that same issue [of Coastal Woman Magazine] is Billy Goodnick, who’s featured in an article about his community access TV show “Garden Wise Guys.” When he’s not wising off in the garden or holding down his day job at city Parks and Recreation, Billy is the drummer in the popular local group “King Bee.”
http://craigsmithsblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/its-holiday-but-where-do-they-celebrate.html
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[ “Clippings” often takes reformatting liberties with some of the pieces we excerpt.  Usually that involves combining the 1-2 sentence long “newspaper-style” paragraphs into something more compact.  Sometimes, as here, we’ll break run-on paragraphs into more bite-size chunks.  Perhaps it’s unfair to call this a run-on,  since it’s cast in the form of a job posting – a form which for some reason seems to have been given a pass in legibility requirements.

Still, it’s worth checking out this link, not least for the comments, which include this from Joe Zekas:  “No one who’s capable of performing this job adequately is likely to listen to $48k a year – not even twice that.  I’d say the quality of the report is even more pre-determined than the content.”  – rm ]

Berkman Center Looking for Media Fellow (MA)
by Dan Gillmor
Center for Citizen Media Blog
08/07/07

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School is seeking a Media Fellow to work on a citizen-media project. Details:

Project: The Berkman Center for Internet & Society is undertaking a project to comprehensively study the new/citizen/social media landscape, including reflection on its reach, implications, impact, and ecosystem, and charting an agenda for research and action moving forward.

In the beginning, the potential of citizen media seemed limitless – finally there would be a way to overrule the gatekeepers, re-establish nuanced and in-depth analysis, escape commercially-driven news, and use the power of the network to fundamentally change the production and dissemination of knowledge and information. Citizen media promised democratized news and maybe even democracy itself, giving everyone with a computer and an internet connection access to not only follow – but also shape – the agenda and our understanding thereof.

But after years of hard work and substantial investment, has citizen media lived up to that hope? Has power really shifted from the center to the edge? Has the conversation become more informed and inspired? Who is participating and how can we measure the impact of this new form of media? How has the dynamic of the media ecosystem changed with respect to interaction between professionals and amateurs, and is it sustainable?

We will perform a critical analysis of where citizen media has fallen short, where it has delivered, and how we as a community can help it to do better.   —>
http://citmedia.org/blog/2007/08/07/berkman-center-looking-for-media-fellow/
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compiled by Rob McCausland
Director of Information & Organizing Services
Alliance for Community Media
202-393-2650
http://ourchannels.org