HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CABLE-2011-05-24Cable Access Oversight Committee minutes May 24, 2011 (as approved June 28, 2011)
The PEGASYS Access Oversight Committee (AOC) met at 4:45 pm on Tuesday,
May 24, 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.; members of the public
Marcia Lynch (public information officer of Tompkins County), county legislator Mike
Lane, county technician Jim Blizzard, Ithaca College TV studio manager J.P. Mosca.
0) Notes by W. Browne as AOC secretary.
1) Rich DePaolo called the meeting to order.
2) Approval of the Minutes of the April 13, 2011 meeting was deferred until the next
meeting.
3) Public Comment. Mike Lane, chair of the Government Operations committee of
the County Legislature: the county is interested in being able to broadcast not only from
the Courthouse (where meetings are now being held, but where they may have to move
out of) but from the Borg - Warner room at the Public Library, from the Health Dept., from
the Old Courthouse, from the Human Services Building, and from Emergency Response
headquarters. Chair of the County Legislature Martha Robertson wrote to Time Warner
Cable manager T. Doheny on April 19, and Doheny through TWC Studio Manager
Lauren Stefanelli advised the Legislature to approach the AOC. Meanwhile TWC staff
will work on costs of additional fiber -optic links.
Replying, Stefanelli said that the old I -net using coax cable is no longer supported.
The City of Ithaca and Ithaca College have upgraded their connections to TWC so as to
use fiber optics. Doheny has informed her that the Courthouse has also upgraded from
coax to fiber (wire plus new terminal boxes), and asked her to put funds for the County
Legislature fiber link into the new AOC budget being considered today.
M. Lane: the Legislature chambers might move to the Old Courthouse but the
legislators' offices would stay in the present Courthouse.
Stefanelli, to a question by W. van Leuken: terminal boxes for fiber -optic links are
portable, not fixed in place.
J.P. Mosca, Ithaca College TV station manager for 2011 -2012: has met with the
relevant IC dean, who favors ICTV expanding its range of content. ICTV needs a new
Handbook; JP will rewrite it this summer and provide for more public- oriented
programming at least in certain time slots. A new show will be Special Events, with two
producers, to include events and speakers etc. (Concerts are an issue because of
performance- rights questions.)
DePaolo: will volunteer to represent AOC in talking to IC, since he is in the music
business himself.
JP: ICTV is extracurricular in status; departments like Journalism are academic,
and the result is no intercommunication between them and ICTV. ICTV interviews
student filmmakers but hasn't been broadcasting their films.
ICTV is getting High Definition broadcast trucks and will be able to uplink
broadcasts via satellite.
Van Leuken: Channel 16 (educational) is now running only a webcam pointing at
the college; channel 15, governmental, has a bulletin board of events when not
broadcasting governmental meetings. Can IC, or the TWC studio manager, put
something else on 16, such as NASA programming?
Stefanelli: can put any desired Educ. or Gov. material on channels 15 and /or 16
(the two channels can switch off between Educ. and Gov. usage).
JP: in my home town of Maynard, MA, the high school ran the access channel.
ICTV holds the rights to past programs, but the dean is the boss.
Stefanelli: they may give some rights to the student producers.
JP: other stations contact us about running IC programs but I have to say no.
Van Leuken: will hold a slot on future AOC agendas for "IC Report."
JP: please remove Nick, 2010 -2011 manager, from the recipients list for minutes.
4) 2012 Capital Budget. L. Stefanelli presented a draft.
DePaolo moves to amend: shift $7000 from "Upgrade Tompkins County
Legislature to Fiber INET" into the contingency fund till we hear about where the County
Legislature will move to. (The contingency fund thus becomes $12000.)
Van Leuken: The County hasn't asked for much equipment from AOC.
Stefanelli: In fact the County has gotten a lot of recycled equipment.
Van Leuken seconds the amendment and it passes 3 -0 -1.
$1500 formerly intended for internet access was moved to the contingency fund
(now totalling $13500).
The need for new tripods was expressed strongly, and $1500 was recommended
for this purpose.
Stefanelli in consultation with van Leuken will create a new draft [attached] taking
these changes into account. It totals to $30,000.
We unanimously adopted this budget as amended. Next the 3 municipalities need
to pass it. Van Leuken will provide language for resolutions that they can pass.
Stefanelli suggests asking producers themselves to help choose cameras to be
bought and music to be acquired as background for shows.
5) Access Studio Manager's Report. Presented in writing (attached). Clarifications:
Playback has had to be suspended since NEXUS can't work without air conditioning;
production hours will not be affected but live shows are not possible.
Gutter repairs: a quote from the vendor has been received.
The AOC asks the Studio Manager to get Time Warner Cable to keep handicap
access open during studio opening hours. This involves opening a gate to allow
wheelchair entry.
6) Member reports.
a. Quarterly Franchise Fee Reports from City, Town and Village. The Town has
gotten information only a quarter or two behind the present. But van Leuken detects
errors in it. She does not have info from the City and Village for 2011, nor from the City
for the last 2 quarters of 2010.
b. Use of staff time for Production and Transmission Services. DePaolo has written
to TWC manager T. Doheny with our interpretation of what is required. [Reply received
subsequent to meeting.]
7) Old Business. Need for a PEGASYS website making program schedules
available. Stefanelli: AOC might put part of the fees collected from out -of- municipality
producers into getting a domain, instead of 1 week's worth of a vacation -time
replacement for herself. Brutvan: can e -mail a schedule file to the address associated
with the PEGASYS Facebook page. We'll place this question on next month's agenda.
The City is now offering on- demand webcasting of city meetings on its own
website.
8) New Business. Van Leuken has drafted a letter asking for thank -you notes to
TWC from anyone who likes a channel 13 program.
Brutvan suggests adding a 10 -sec line at the end of each show asking viewers for
appreciative comments to be sent via Stefanelli. Stefanelli agrees to add it.
9) Next Meeting: Tuesday June 28, 4:30.
10) Adjourned approx. 6:00.
Contact information for AOC members:
Svante Myrick, Common Council liaison <smyrick @cityofithaca.org>
Wayles Browne, secretary <ewb2(o)cornell.edu>
Rich DePaolo, chair <rd @richdepaolo.com>
4
Wies van Leuken, vice chair <pmv4(a)cornell.edu>
Michael Brutvan <noidea @lightlink.com >, <mbrutvan @mac.com>
[Former] Web site for the PEGASYS studio, with program schedules:
http://www.pegasVsaccess.orq
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(ab_twcable.com
To: AOC May 2011 Access Studio Coordinator Report
- Producer Appreciation
The PEGASYS judging panel for the Hometown Awards will be meeting next
week.
- Institutional Access
IC and Cornell are both doing their commencements live this month. Cornell is
also doing their convocation. ICSD and Lansing have videotaped both budget meetings
and school board candidate debates as well as their regular board of Education
meetings.
Tompkins County sent a letter to Time Warner on April 19 requesting fiber INET
hookups to a number of county buildings, plus upgrade to fiber at the County
Courthouse. Time Warner referred them to the AOC for all funding requests.
- Building Repair and Maintenance Report
As I explained last month, our NEXUS playback server at the PEGASYS Center
has had a number of occasions when it shut itself down, including 3 times yesterday.
The manufacturer requires it be sent to them for service. We have done so today [5/24].
We expect that it will take a week to 10 days to service and return. Playback must be
suspended from channel 13 for this period. Producers have been notified by email.
We are addressing air conditioning problems at the same time, so that a uniform
temperature can be maintained when NEXUS returns. Production hours will not be
affected.
We have had a repair completed in our studio. Several curtain track brackets were
detaching from the wall. These have been repaired.
We are in the process of getting a vender to repair gutters in the front of our
building.
The City Hall media booth has been operating perfectly since its recent service.
- Capital
As we decided last month, I have modified the 2011 capital spending to be
$10,000 instead of $28,000. A spending plan has been submitted for purchase. A copy,
with explanatory notes, is attached.
As we also decided last month, 2012 will provide for a new generation of
camcorders. Draft attached.
I
2011 PEGASYS Capital Budget
Justification / Description
This budget was modified from an original estimate of $28,500 [approved in June 2010]
to $10,000 due to the following factors:
1. Deleted: Studio Special Effects Generator [Indigo] $14,000
Reason: current SEG working well; Indigo not proven to be an improvement.
2. Deleted: Internet Service: $1,500
Reason: the Access Oversight Committee wanted to use the equipment fund to support
an internet service in the PEGASYS center. Time Warner considered this but ultimately
decided not to allow it.
3. Deleted: Government / Educational Access: $3,000
Reason: Requests for proposals were sent to government and educational access
programmers. No new requests were received except for the Lehman Alternative
Community School. We were able to assist them by repurposing equipment replaced in
our City Hall media system.
The remaining amount, $10,000, for PEGASYS Center needs, was approved
unanimously by the AOC on April 13.
The functions to be achieved by the items on this package are:
• Better field audio recording options, with 2 types of digital audio recorders.
• USB Mics for non - linear editing systems to facilitate voiceovers when editing
• Media Player for the main studio, to allow modern file formats to be played in the
studio
• Card readers to support our 3 camcorders that record to media cards
• 2 new field light kits are modern soft lights, to replace aging Lowell Omni units
• 2 hard disk recorders, for field and studio use, to enable tape and analog
systems to record directly to avi files for editing.
• Editing laptop with Adobe Premiere Production software. This would be our 3rd
laptop editor. The first 2 are out almost continually.
• Training books on various editing and production materials. Getting producers to
take advantage of the sophisticated production tools they have requires training,
and I hope to develop more advanced seminars using these materials.
• New tapeless camcorder. We have had our current fleet of camcorders since
2002. Units are still operational, but are near the end of their useful life. Going
tapeless is our next step. If this camcorder works out, it will be the first of our new
fleet.
2011 Ithaca Equipment Fund with
Cost
Quotes May 2011
It
e
Quantity
each
total
M
#
1
1
Edirol /Roland R -44 4- Channel Field Digital
$741.77
$741.77
Audio Recorder
2
1
Zoom H2 Ultra - Portable Digital Audio
$129.99
$129.99
Recorder
3
4
Blue Snowball USB Condenser
$61.63
$246.52
Microphone/ desk stand /cable
4
1
Western Digital Media Player W10 -9308
$99.00
$99.00
5
2
logear GFR281 56 -in -1 Card Reader and
$14.44
$28.88
Writer
6
2
Bescor , LED -95DK Dual 95W Kit
$194.36
$388.72
7
2
Datavideo , DN -200 DV /HDV Hard Disk
$913.77
$1,827.5
4
Editing Laptop Computer
8
1
Laptop PC i7 with Windows 7, wireless
$1,499.9
LAN, USB, firewire jack
$1,499.95
5
Adobe Reader, Quicktime, Windows
Moviemaker, Media Player
9
1
soft case,
$20.31
$20.31
1
0
1
with Mouse /mousepad
$34.99
$34.99
Software /training materials for PC:
1
1
Adobe Production Suite CS5.5 Software
$1,641.8
1
Package [$1699 list price]
$1,641.88
8
1
1
Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Classroom in a
$37.32
$37.32
2
Box [training book] [$53.99 list price]
1
1
Adobe After Effects CS5 Classroom in a
$36.57
$36.57
3
Box [training book] [$53.99 list price]
1
1
Adobe Illustrator CS5 Classroom in a Box
$33.94
$33.94
4
[training book] [$49.49 list price]
1
1
Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a
$32.92
$32.92
4
Box [training book] [$49.49 list price]
1
1
Anime Studio Pro 7 [Smithmicro] [$199 list
$184.99
$184.99
5
price]
1
1
"The Principles of Animation, Anime
$49.95
$49.95
6
Studio® Curriculum Guide" [book]
1
1
Toon Boom Studio 6 with Essential
1 $299.99
$299.99
7
Workout Series Training
1
Video Shooter, Second Edition:
$28.50
$28.50
8
Storytelling with HD Cameras [book]
9
1
JVC GY- HM100U ProHD Camcorder
$2,348.33
$2,348.3
3
2
2
SanDisk - 16GB Extreme SDHC Memory
$45.46
$90.92
0
Card
2
1
2
JVC - BN -VF823 Lithium -Ion Battery Pack
$72.95
$145.90
subtotal
$9,948.8
8
shipping
-
total
$9,948.8
8
2012 PEGASYS Capital Budget Draft [after discussion and amendments May 24,
2011 ]
Contingency Fund $13,500.00
Description: We have a great deal of equipment that is 8 -15 years old, and will need
replacement as it fails. In addition, many lower- priced items like cables or headphones
receive hard use and need replacement much more frequently.
In addition, the county legislature needs to transfer its signal from the old coaxial INET
to fiber. Approximately $7,000 would cover "terminal equipment" to receive and send
their television signals over fiber, and enable them to continue T.C. Legislature
programming from their current or new location. Funding for this item would be
contingent on the County moving to a location provided with fiber hook -up. Their current
location is on the fiber line, but they are considering moving.
Replace Camcorder Fleet $15,000.00
Description: Current camera fleet is 10 years old and heavily used. 5 Units @ $3,000
each. New cameras should record to a tapeless medium, and include professional
audio and video features. Files should interface smoothly with Adobe Premiere.
Tripods for New Camcorders $1,500.00
Description: Our current fleet of tripods have been reduced by damage in the last 2
years. Only 2 units are undamaged and only 4 survive in total. Replacements we
purchased last year are suitable for smaller camcorders only. Good quality, sturdy but
not over - weight tripods are needed to accompany the new camcorders.
Total $30,000.00