HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CABLE-2011-11-01I
Cable Access Oversight Committee minutes Nov. 1, 2011 (as approved at special
meeting Dec.6, 2011)
The PEGASYS Access Oversight Committee (AOC) met at 4:45 pm on Tuesday,
Nov. 1, 2011, in the PEGASYS studio, 612 W. Green St., Ithaca, NY.
Present: AOC members Wayles Browne, Mike Brutvan, Wies van Leuken, chair
Rich DePaolo; studio manager Lauren Stefanelli.
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 Oct. 4, 2011 meeting were approved without change.
4) Public Comment: none.
5) Ithaca College report: none. W. van Leuken will ask J.P. Mosca, Station
Manager, ICTV, if someone from IC can come to meetings, or if there is a time when he
could come.
6) Member reports.
a. Use of staff time for Production and Transmission Services: no report, awaiting a
response from the City Attorney. Will be kept on agenda.
b. Results of survey of producers: none yet.
c. Quarterly Franchise Fee report from City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca, Village of
Cayuga Heights: R. DePaolo has sent info from Town as of Sept. to Van Leuken.
7) Access Studio Manager's Report. Presented in writing (attached).
a. Van Leuken and Brutvan ask if it is possible to keep the ability to play 3/4"
videotapes. Stefanelli: will look into buying a second -hand VCR or trying to fix up a
present one.
b. Along with the Report, the Studio Manager presented a written statement
requesting two corrections to the way in which Time Warner Cable manager Thomas
Doheny's statements were reported in the minutes of the September 14, 2011 AOC
meeting. It began "Please correct your minutes regarding Tom Doheny's statements at
your September meeting as follows:..." It was not signed by Doheny but written in the
third person about his intentions.
DePaolo: the minutes should not be changed to fit such requested corrections from a
non - member; if T. Doheny wishes to send them as a statement or response or clarification
of his remarks (in the 1 st person), they can be included as a supplement to the minutes.
c. Stefanelli: At the last meeting a change in studio opening hours was proposed
beginning Jan. 2012, which would have Wednesday hours 1 to 5 pm instead of the
present 5:30 to 9:30 pm.
AOC discussed this proposal and adopted a resolution as follows:
2
"Whereas, Time Warner Cable (TWC) has proposed a change in studio hours so as
to provide Wednesday afternoon hours, namely Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 5:30 pm
to 9:30 pm; Wednesday 1 pm to 5 pm; and
Whereas, the Access Oversight Committee (AOC) wishes to maintain a schedule
offering 4 days of evening studio opening hours; and
Whereas, AOC sees value in investigating the usefulness of adding afternoon hours;
Now therefore be it resolved, that AOC recommends a schedule of studio opening
hours for the first four months of 2012 as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and
Friday 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm; Wednesday 1 pm to 5 pm; and
Be it further resolved, that absent an affirmative response from TWC to the AOC
proposed schedule before Nov. 22, 2011 the present schedule will remain in effect."
Moved by Brutvan, seconded by DePaolo, passed 4 -0.
8) Old Business:
a. Producers' input on equipment needs. See under 6b.
b. Subscriber fees ($0.15). DePaolo has asked the Town Attorney, whose opinion
is: DePaolo is an agent of the Town and can, under the Town's franchise, inspect TWC's
books. The Town can keep confidentiality of records that are thus inspected, and can, in
the case of Freedom of Information Act requests, consult with TWC before releasing
information to the public. But the Town is not prohibited from releasing info from reports
furnished to it.
DePaolo will seek approval from the Town Board, when it meets Nov. 19, for such
an inspection.
9) New Business:
a. AOC takes note of the studio closure 11/21 to 12/1 during Stefanelli's scheduled
vacation time. Van Leuken: is there not enough money in the fund from producers' fees
to pay a replacement for Stefanelli during that period? Stefanelli: no, there is money only
for a few days' worth of replacement. Before departing I will preprogram 2 weeks of
programming.
Van Leuken is concerned about possible failures of PEG channels during
Stefanelli's absence. Stefanelli replies: TWC engineer Paul Cullings is on call and can
restart NEXUS. Outages can be reported by the public at 272 -3456.
b. Handicapped access to the studio: the gate blocking wheelchair access to the
front door is still locked, but can be opened by arrangement. However water still cascades
down from the roof when it's raining, and could easily freeze and create a hazard. AOC
therefore expresses concerns about possible liability if injury occurs due to negligence.
10) Next Meeting: Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012, 4:30 p.m.
11) Adjourned 5:45.
Contact information for AOC members:
Svante Myrick, Common Council liaison <smyrick @cityofithaca.org>
Wayles Browne, secretary <ewb2g cornell.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
4
To: AOC November 2011 Access Studio Coordinator Report
- Institutional Access
October is budget month for city, county and school board, causing an
extraordinary number of live meetings. As many as 4 live meetings per week
occurred in October, plus reruns. All 3 groups have webcasting up and running.
- Equipment Repair and Maintenance Report
Our "legacy" equipment items are nearing the end of their useful life. As
was warned about a year ago, the last U -Matic [3/4 "] VCRs [purchased in 1990]
have failed and will be removed from the facility. The last linear editing system is
having problems with its Inscriber graphics system. This 1995 Windows NT
computer system is not repairable, so we will be considering our options for it
over the next few weeks.
- Equipment Fund
All equipment in the 2011 equipment plan has been ordered and should
be arriving within the next couple weeks.
- Programming Highlights
Several artists have been at work over the last 2 months doing
programming, which included a dance piece in the gorges, a
video /photomontage with original music and a photoshop artist's portfolio display.
- PEGASYS Hours
Please let me know this month whether you approve the proposed hours
change for 2012 that was submitted last month:
Monday 5:30- 9:30pm
Tuesday 5:30- 9:30pm
Wednesday 1:00- 5:OOpm [this is the only day with changed hours]
Thursday 5:30- 9:30pm