HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-AOC-2023-12-05 1
MINUTES Access Oversight Committee (AOC) (as approved Feb. 6, 2024)
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 5 PM
The AOC held its meeting by ZOOM Conferencing.
Present: chair Rich DePaolo, secretary Wayles Browne, vice chair Wies van Leuken,
Paul Smith; Access Coordinator Alex Wiers; Lauren Kelly (Director of Government
Affairs - Finger Lakes Region, Charter Communications), member of the public Tony
Ingraham.
01. Call to Order by DePaolo, 5:02.
The Studio Coordinator was given permission to record the meeting as well.
02. Agenda Additions and/or Deletions: none.
03. Public Comments. Ingraham: likes the improvements in the mini-studio. The Studio
Coordinator is training him on the new equipment. He asks for a better balance for how
timeslots for the mini-studio are reserved so that all producers who want to work there
have a chance to do so.
Wiers: the practice has been first come, first served. Whoever comes in first can reserve
up to 8 hours over two days; can also reserve in advance (2 weeks ahead). Most
producers need a 2-hour or a 4-hour slot to complete their programs.
Members discussed ways to amend the Manual's studio reservation form to avoid
monopolization of the timeslots by any one producer. Could we make it so that no
individual or group may use the Mini Studio for more than 4 hours per week? And ask
that producers who make 2-hour reservations to either use the first or last 2 hours of the
4-hour daily timeslots so that another producer has 2 continuous hours to work with?
DePaolo will circulate a proposed revision of the reservation form ahead of the next
meeting for a final decision.
Ingraham asks if one set of evening hours could be changed to afternoon hours, e.g.
Monday afternoon instead of evening. Wiers finds that new and renewing users are
more interested in afternoon time slots. Van Leuken: I could contact producers to ask
how they feel about changing Monday hours to the afternoon. Agreed to discuss the
results at the next meeting.
04. Comments by AOC members. See under 03.
05. Approval of Minutes of the November 7, 2023 Meeting. Moved by DePaolo,
seconded by van Leuken. Approved with minor changes 3-0.
06. Access Studio Coordinator Report (attached).
DePaolo screen shares the report. Wiers reports that the new field equipment (a new
camera, microphone, lighting kits, audio recorders) is ready to be signed out.
His report lists some old equipment that could be given away (donated) or recycled
(given to the Reuse Center or used for components?). Wiers is not sure what its exact
destination will be. Van Leuken would keep it for a while because it might be useful. It
is agreed that she and Smith will look over the list. Wiers: the old items are incompatible
with the new system unless we get extra items to adapt them. Wiers to DePaolo: the
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ministudio equipment cannot play a DVD, but PEG has a way to convert a DVD into a
usable digital file.
(Kelly leaves the meeting.)
07. Member Reports
a. Terms Committee Members: DePaolo needs to be sworn in; Browne, van Leuken
and Smith have been.
b. Usage Fees - annual review of fee levels, use and collection.
AOC decides to leave the fees as they are. (Current use, per Resolution #37, 2/6/18, is
"for purposes to assure the continuation and benefit of PEGASYS’ community access
studio operations to the maximum extent possible pursuant to the terms of the
Franchise Agreement”; bi-annual Fees are $20.00/Person & $50.00/Organization per
Resolution #37, 12/4/18.)
c. Staffing Levels and Hours of Operation - annual review. Tabled till next meeting: van
Leuken will seek input from producers. See item 3.
d. Purchase of Play Back System/2024 Budget - resolution.
DePaolo screen shares the draft resolution. The "not to exceed" figure was slightly
increased. Language was added to state that the equipment cannot be used to facilitate
I-NET transmission, otherwise Charter is expected to share in the costs. Van Leuken
moved and Browne seconded a resolution to approve using 2023 and 2024 Budget
Funds to purchase the new Playback System.
WHEREAS, the Access Oversight Committee (AOC)’s 2023 Budget includes a
$50,000.00 contingency to purchase equipment as needed for the functioning of Public,
Educational and Governmental access operations of which about $2,000.00 remains;
and
WHEREAS, the AOC’s 2024 Budget includes a $29,000.00 contingency to purchase
equipment as needed for the functioning of Public, Educational and Governmental
access operations; and
WHEREAS these budgets were subsequently approved by the participating
municipalities (City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca, Village of Cayuga Heights); and
WHEREAS the manufacturer of PEGASYS’s current playback system, Leightronix, no
longer supports the device nor makes replacement parts for it, making replacement the
only option; and
WHEREAS, the AOC at their regular meeting of November 7, 2023, reviewed two sales
quotations of the same date from Diversified located at 37 Market Street, Kenilworth, NJ
07033; and
WHEREAS, the AOC selected the Tightrope Cablecast CBL-VIOLITE-600 Playback
Server as the best option; and
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WHEREAS, the AOC was informed that the sales quotation will be in effect until
January 31, 2024; and
WHEREAS, after extensive discussion and correspondence regarding the potential
functionality of the proposed equipment, it was determined that the equipment will not
be used to facilitate I-NET transmission, relieving Charter Communications of its
financial responsibility pursuant to Franchise Agreement Section 16.12 to maintain I-
NET “backbone” and “end equipment”; and
WHEREAS, in the event that Charter Communications chooses to install, relocate or
configure I-NET equipment in such a way that it uses any of the playback equipment
being purchased pursuant to this resolution, AOC will consider Charter Communications
responsible for retroactively reimbursing the Capital Equipment Fund for a third of the
purchase price of such equipment utilized to facilitate I-NET transmission (including pro
rata installation costs therefor); now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the AOC approves using $2,000.00 of the 2023 Budget Contingency
and additional funds from the 2024 Budget Contingency at a total amount not to exceed
$18,800.00 to purchase the Tightrope Cablecast CBL-VIOLITE-600 Playback Server
System as further described in the attached budget, in technical consultation with the
Access Coordinator and AOC; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this resolution becomes effective on January 1, 2024.
ITEM QTY COST
Tightrope Cablecast CBL-VIOLITE-600 Video Playback Sever 1 $9,950.67 Tightrope CBLCGPLAYER-LIC 1 $1,550.00 Onsite Installation 1 $1,000.00 Onsite Travel and Expense 1 $500.00 Two Hours Tightrope Training 1 $160.00 Tightrope Shipping 1 $125.34 Blackmagic SMTVDUO2 Monitor 1 $576.35 Marshall AR-DM51-B Audio Monitor 1 $891.24 Tripp Lite Smart1500RMXL2UA 1 $1,031.32 Cisco SF350-24P Switch1 1 $562.49 Estimated Sales Tax 1 $925.36 Tightrope VIOLITE-HA Years 4 & 5 Annual Hardware Insurance 2 $1,398.76 TOTAL $18,671.53
Passed unanimously.
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e. City of Ithaca Website - AOC section. DePaolo will ask the City Clerk why the site has
not been updated with AOC agendas (last posted on May 2023) and minutes (last
posted on June 2023). Some member's terms need updating as well.
f. Common Council meetings on Government Channel 15. DePaolo will e-mail Kelly
about staffing to cablecast City meetings.
g. Outreach Committee. Van Leuken: The Committee has supported the production of
9 episodes of "Ithaca Politics" featuring candidates running for City offices as well as a
round-up program after the elections. The series brought new people into PEGASYS.
The main studio had not been used for a number of years due to Covid. Its increased
use has resulted in a better functioning studio, which should make it much easier for
other producers to use it. Work continues on outreach and on processing archival
materials.
h. PEGASYS Website - update. Wiers screenshares Smith's proposed new design for
the site. It has 8 pages so far; there will be a few more. Smith will add photos of the
items of equipment. DePaolo likes the looks of the site, and offered several
suggestions. Smith: If the new playback system can output reports on programming, I
will try to make these available on the website and thus save Wiers the work of having
to hand fill the schedule grid. Browne: the schedule grid with 7 days side by side is
difficult to read (the font is very small), also hard to associate the timeslots along the
edges with each program. Can we for instance have one page for Sunday to
Wednesday and a second page for Thursday to Saturday? DePaolo: Can we hyperlink
schedule entries to the info about each show? Smith: will look for a way.
Smith plans a page of information about the producers, also one about each series;
Wiers will be able to update these. DePaolo suggests we let each producer give only as
much information as they want for the Series page and not have the separate list of
producers.
i. Access to PEGASYS Building - update. DePaolo screenshares one of van Leuken's
name tags. It lists the date and time frame she is allowed in the building - so the tag is
not reusable. She is puzzled as to why Charter's security requires making a nametag
for each person entering the building since Wiers knows in advance who will come to
the studio and will not let in anyone who is not on his list. Most days there are only a
couple of people in the studio - if that many. Wiers is the only Charter employee
present in the studio. DePaolo points out: no tag is necessary when one goes into the
Spectrum store. On Sept. 5 AOC passed a resolution asking for easier access; no
response yet.
j. Showcasing PEGASYS awards and photographs at PEGASYS - Follow-up
Van Leuken: Charter reports that the framed awards have been reported as
"misplaced". Wiers has looked for them; they are not in the studio. That leaves about
12 plaques featuring local producers that won the Hometown Media Awards. DePaolo:
is there a bulletin board that the plaques can be hung on? Van Leuken: there is a large
empty bulletin board in the hallway with pinholes from previous use. Further discussion
casts doubt whether this is indeed a bulletin board or just a blank wall. DePaolo: if it is
a bulletin board then use it for the plaques. Van Leuken: will look and see if it is a wall or
a bulletin board.
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08. Old Business
a. Streaming Channel 13: no report.
09. New Business: none.
10. Next meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, 5 pm.
11. Adjournment 6:56.
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Authority: City of Ithaca code Chapter 18, "Cable Access Oversight Committee".
Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca 11-5-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-17.
Available at https://ecode360.com/8386207.
Page on the City website: https://www.cityofithaca.org/369/Cable-Access-Oversight-
Committee
Contact information for AOC members:
City of Ithaca: Wayles Browne, secretary <ewb2@cornell.edu>.
City of Ithaca: Common Council liaison 2022-2023 Jorge (George) DeFendini
<gdefendini@cityofithaca.org>.
City of Ithaca: Paul Smith <smithcommapaul@hotmail.com>.
Town of Ithaca: Rich DePaolo, chair <rd@richdepaolo.com>,
<RDePaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us>.
Village of Cayuga Heights: Wies van Leuken, vice chair <pmv4@cornell.edu>.
Web site for the PEGASYS Community Media Center studio, with program schedules:
https://pegasys.webstarts.com/index.html or https://pegasys.yourwebsitespace.com/
studio location, mailing address: 612 West Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
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