HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CABLE-2011-03-09Cable Access Oversight Committee minutes Mar. 9, 2011 (as approved Apr. 13, 2011)
The PEGASYS Access Oversight Committee (AOC) met at 4:40 pm on Wednesday,
Mar. 9, 2011, in the PEGASYS studio, 612 W. Green St., Ithaca, NY.
Present: AOC members Wayles Browne, Wies van Leuken, Mike Brutvan, Svante
Myrick, chair Rich DePaolo; studio manager Lauren Stefanelli.
0) Notes by W. Browne as AOC secretary.
1) Rich DePaolo called the meeting to order. Members signed a previously- approved
resolution of thanks to Time Warner Cable engineer Paul Cullings.
2) The minutes of the Feb. 9, 2011 meeting were approved with one addition.
3) Discussion with Nick Righi (Ithaca College '11), Station Manager, ICTV. Mr. Righi
explained that Carol Jennings is in charge of both ICTV and a film- making operation.
Answering questions from members, Righi noted that the video feed from NASA, while
interesting in content, is quite repetitious. In the future ICTV may introduce automatic
airing of shows. The default image from ICTV on Educational channel 16 is from a
camera that has recently been redirected from Lake Cayuga to IC buildings; along with
this, Manager of Radio Operations Chris Wheatley likes to put on the audio from WVIC
(IC's internet radio station) as audio background. Members suggest ICTV could broadcast
many of the lectures and meetings that take place at IC, and /or a rotating feed from the
Park School that already exists on the IC campus. Righi: ICTV already broadcasts sports
events, and will expand. ICTV has a mobile truck that can remote - broadcast lectures and
events. Righi will let AOC know who is taking over his position in the coming year.
L. Stefanelli: The law permits forming a committee of interested parties to allocate time
slots on an Educational or Governmental channel if need be.
4) Public comment period: No members of the public.
5) Review of funding proposals from educational institutions: None have been received
yet.
6) Member Reports.
a. Overdue Quarterly Franchise Fee Report from City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca,
Village of Cayuga Heights. R. DePaolo: The new Town finance person doesn't yet know
where these worksheets are kept; we will be able to ask the outgoing person next week.
W. van Leuken will e -mail the Village for its worksheets. [Susan Eckhardt of TWC
Central New York sent the ones for 2009 and the first three quarters of 2010 to Cayuga
Heights clerk Mary Mills electronically on Jan. 28, and Mills sent them on to AOC March
23.]
b. Internet Access Quotes. A Road Runner internet subscription costs $85 /month.
Brutvan: iPhone and iPad have eliminated their unlimited- access data plans; can we find
something different?
2
c. Use of staff time for Production and Transmission Services. On the advice of Carol
McTague, contact person at the New York State Public Service Commission, DePaolo
wrote to Jaclyn Brilling, secretary of PSC. Her reply via Carol McTague: there has been
no violation of the franchise per se, since the law does not spell out how transmission is to
be done; the PSC can mediate if AOC write to TWC first (with a copy to PSC) and gets a
reply from TWC.
DePaolo will draft a letter to TWC (similar text to his recent letter to PSC) and send it
to AOC members.
d. Other Reports. Brutvan has helped install some equipment (from PEG) at the
Lehman Alternative Community School.
The Mayor of Cayuga Heights has not yet written a letter to TWC re lack of
information on the 15¢ subscriber /PEG fee collection. DePaolo feels it would be good to
have a jointly- signed letter from the mayors of the 3 municipalities (city of Ithaca, town of
Ithaca, Cayuga Heights). Van Leuken will draft such a letter and let AOC comment on it.
In all 3 municipalities, only about 50% of households subscribe to cable.
7) Access Studio Manager L. Stefanelli's report: presented orally.
a. Capital Purchase Report from TWC: almost ready. We have received invoices, and
will send the report to AOC. For this year's spending: will get info from dealer.
b. Annual Subscriber Fee Report from TWC (report from previous years showing
monthly receipts of $0.15 Subscriber/PEG Fee). None yet.
c. PEGASYS website: TWC sees no chance soon to add PEG schedules to its website.
S. Myrick: will ask if PEG can have a page on the City of Ithaca website.
d. Budget item for equipment for educational institutions: none have responded with
proposals. LACS has received some old equipment.
8) Public comment: producer Natasha Tall stresses that PEG needs publicity above all.
9) Next meeting: Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2011, 4:30. Place: PEGASYS studio.
10) Meeting adjourned 6:02.
Contact information for AOC members:
Svante Myrick, Common Council liaison <smyrick @cityofithaca.org>
Wayles Browne, secretary <ewb2 cornell.edu>
Rich DePaolo, chair <rd @richdepaolo.com>
Wies van Leuken, vice chair <pmv4kcornell.edu>
Michael Brutvan <noidea @lightlink.com >, <mbrutvan @mac.com>
Web site for the PEGASYS studio, with program schedules: hllp: / /www.pegasysaccesLgigz
studio location: 612 West Green Street, Ithaca, New York
mailing address: 519 West State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
phone (607) 272 -7272
fax (607) 277 -5404
PEGASYS staff. studio manager Lauren Stefanelli lauren.stefanelli@twcable.com