HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CABLE-2011-08-09Cable Access Oversight Committee minutes Aug. 9, 2011 (as approved Sept. 14, 2011)
The PEGASYS Access Oversight Committee (AOC) met at 4:45 pm on Tuesday,
Aug. 9, 2011, in the PEGASYS studio, 612 W. Green St., Ithaca, NY.
Present: AOC members Wayles Browne, Mike Brutvan, Svante Myrick, chair Rich
DePaolo; studio manager Lauren Stefanelli. Excused: AOC member Wies van Leuken.
0) Notes by W. Browne as AOC secretary.
1) Rich DePaolo called the meeting to order.
2) Agenda Additions and /or Deletions: none.
3) Minutes of the June 28, 2011 meeting were approved with minor corrections.
4) Public Comment: none.
5) Ithaca College report: none.
6) Member reports.
a. Use of staff time for Production and Transmission Services: no developments.
b. DePaolo attended a meeting of some members of the Tompkins County Council
of Governments. Interest was expressed in negotiating the upcoming franchise with TWC
(Time Warner Cable) as a coalition, but each separate locality has its own interests.
c. Stefanelli is updating the gratis PEG website at
http://pegasys.webstarts.com/index.html.
d. DePaolo: Beth Bannister, a new person at Cooperative Extension, teaches a youth
camp featuring video - making; I told her she could ask PEG for equipment.
Stefanelli: 2 cameras are available at the studio for loan to Coop Ext (and to others);
Coop Ext already has some older cameras.
7) Access Studio Manager's Report. Presented in writing (attached).
a. Re the Updated Subscriber ( "PEG ") Fee report (the "$.15 "): AOC wishes to ask
TWC manager Thomas Doheny for further details, and decides to invite him to the next
meeting (September 14) via Stefanelli.
b. Updated Franchise Collection report (the ".5 % "). Stefanelli: these figures should
come from the municipalities, shouldn't they?
c. Brutvan: should we survey studio- equipment users (in addition to those producers
who borrow equipment) about possible concerns re the equipment? Stefanelli: Yes. Give
me your present list of equipment concerns, and I will ask everyone who comes in for
their suggestions (orally or on a written comment form).
8) Next Meeting: Wednesday Sept. 14, 4:30.
9) Adjourned 5:25.
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Contact information for AOC members:
Svante Myrick, Common Council liaison <smyrick @cityofithaca.org>
Wayles Browne, secretary <ewb2gcornell.edu>
Rich DePaolo, chair <rd @richdepaolo.com>
Wies van Leuken, vice chair <pmv4kcornell.edu>
Michael Brutvan <noidea @lightlink.com >, <mbrutvan @mac.com>
[Current] Web site for the PEGASYS studio, with program schedules:
http://pegasys.webstarts.com/index.html
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.stefanelligtwcable.com
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To: AOC August 2011 Access Studio Coordinator Report
- Institutional Access
The ICTV student program director has changed for the 2011 -2012 school
year. The new contact is:
James Heasley jheasleIL&ithaca.edu 808 - 256 -0340
- Building Repair and Maintenance Report
We had another AC problem in our building in July following an electrical
storm. A fan in our heat exchanger went bad, making it impossible to make warm
air flow out of the building. This was replaced within a very short time, and
cablecasting and production operations were not compromised.
- Capital Spending vs. Collections
The 15 cent collection fund has been under review by Time Warner
accounting since discrepancies were reported by the AOC. Those discrepancies
are not yet resolved, however we estimate collections from 2004 through 2010 to
be approximately $130,000, and collections through the end of the franchise
[2013] will be approximately $176,000. As per the spending report for 2010 PEG
equipment released in the spring, our 2004 -2010 equipment fund spending total
is $103,810.92.
- Hometown Awards
Unfortunately, we did not have a Hometown winner this year. However,
we did receive the judging score sheets, and producers have found their
comments helpful.
- Fall Season Schedule
Producers have been invited to submit fall season schedule requests.
These are being processed this month for Sept -Dec.
- PEGASYS Website
Our preliminary website is active, and the company has been considering
incorporating some version of it into its website.
- Programming Highlights
Producers and staff have videotaped and cablecast local events such as
the Grassroots Festival, Medicare and Healthcare rallies, the Ithaca Festival,
political puppet theatre, kids' summer camp [Southside], senior citizen theatre
group and anti - fracking presentations.