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Home My WebLink AboutMN-CABLECOMM-1990-04-10 CITY OF ITHACA CABLE COMMISSION Minutes -- April 10, 1990 Present: William Demo, Peter Hess, Richard Herskowitz, Tom Terrizzi. 1. Minutes of the February meeting were approved as written. 2.CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Correspondence received • a) Mayor Ben Nichols wrote to Assemblyman Luster and Senator Seward urging opposition to Assembly Bill 963-A which authorizes the funding of NYSCAN through, assessment of local cable operators. b) Mary Jo Dudley,Chairperson of the Access Advisory Board suggests that ACC purchase channel selectors for basic service that would receive 24 channels. Complaints received i) Robert DelBianco-concerned about the high cost of service and dissatisfaction with program selection; should be more competition in cable. ii) Freda Scabinski- higher rates and poorer programing than in the past. iii) Julian Carter-doesn't like channel 6 and 13, not on rebuild yet. iv) Tony Chiesa- ACC moved wiring from one end of house to the other without anyone being at home; damage to the siding. (ACC/Barbara Lukens stated that they settled the damage claim with Mr. Chiesa for $100 but that he never signed a release. v) Eloise Greene- wants to be on ACC service but beyond the line. (Barbara Lukens stated that the rule of thumb on extensions is that ACC will build where there are 35 dwellings on an linear mile. If less than 35 dwellings then the residents will have to share the cost of installing the line. It was suggested by Richard Hersowitz that the city send a form letter to those who file complaints that there complaint will be taken up at the Cable Commission meeting and will be retained in the record for future franchise negotiations but that individual written responses will not be written. Barbara Lukens asked for copies of the complaints before the Cable Commission meetings so that she could be prepared to respond. 3.PUBLIC COMMENT Bill McCormick offered the following comments: * The Commission should broadcast a monthly TV show to publicly answer complaints. The Chairman said he would consider it. * The Commission should urge Common Council to pass a resolutions requesting Congress to re-regulate the cable industry. * The Commission should try to get ACC to institute all 8 access channels. 4.ACC REPORT The ACC report given by Barbara Lukens is summarized in the notes attached to. these minutes. The Chairman asked that at the next Cable Commission meeting Ms. Lukens go over the list of reports that have to be filed and where they are filed. 5.OLD BUSINESS Senior Citizen Discount- The Mayor sent a letter to the City Comptroller asking that a mechanism be established for verifying those eligible for the senior citizen discount offered by ACC. ,.. ,-,,,,,,-,•,„,„-,...!,,...,,,,,....?„,.7,,F.,..,-..,11.,,,,•_:•-...-,..,,--7,,,,,,-,,,.7.-- . , ..- -..-'-7--.'-• ,-,.''.'•,,,,.'........'.,'''',.„•r7,75W1-..•,.?7,•,..f.-,,......777'''.'''-.-'' , -' .--.1.4---, - • , - ... . . , ...., ,..,, ., -,,,,,. - ., ....4,....j, .-_,„-.,•,..•'•,,,-,•.,,-.-',,,, ",,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,. .,-.- . . . r . . ., , • , , , , • - . -.. .- , , . .. . . .. . .... . . . , , .. . . .,... . , -. . . .. . , . , . . . . _ • . ,. . . , , . . . . -.., . _. .,.. . . , , . . . ... .. . .,. . - ,_ . '...-... •.. . . . , , _ , . ... . , . - , , •.-- • , . •- , . ... . , r . . .r. • . •., .. . , , •4 - . • • . .. . , . . . . , , -- ' • r , r . , . , , . . , , . _ .. , • . _ . . , . . , • • _ . . , , , .._ . ._ , • , , , , , . . . • , . , , , . , . r r , . , ___ Access Policy on Political Endorsements- Mr. Herskowitz will follow up with the State Cable Commission to determine their position on the local policy. 6.ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD REPORT In response to an AAB inquiry, Barbara Lukens stated that ACC has made a decision on purchasing new 60 channel converters. The MB questioned whether ACC can use a portion of the 2%of revenues that are supposed to be dedicated for capital improvements to the access studio for'installation and maintenance of equipment. Barbara Lukens she would have a report for the Commission at the next meeting regarding ACC's plans for spending the capital improvement budget for this year. Francis McKensie was voted Vice Chair of the MB. The next meeting Of the Cable Commission was scheduled for May 15, 1990. The meeting was adjourned. Minutes submitted by Tom Terrizzi ' �� . c J ,�'w. �.. - `� i '�. S • , _ - - - • Report to the Ithaca Cable Commission from American Community Cablevision. April 10, 1990. * Video coverage of Common Council meetings: Access staff • switches manually (requires phone call to the studio) to a logo and "we' ll be right back" message during Common Council meeting intermission and then switches back to live action following intermission. We plan to spend some of our access capital to put a switching device at city hall , so the switching can be done from there. * Reports requested by the commission: The monthly construction progress report was designed to apprise the City of progress on the rebuild. Now that the city has been completely rebuilt there is really no construction happening. • The exception to this is Stewart Park, which we were requested to build, and it is also complete. The annual report on construction to the city was included in my cover letter to Mayor Nichols which was submitted in January along with an annual report . I ' ve attached a copy here for reference. The only reference to construction was a note that the rebuild had been completed. City franchise fees are paid quarterly to the city, with a statement of the city revenues and the associated franchise fees. * ACC promoted National Cable Month at the Pyramid Mall over the last two weekends. A color TV will be given away as part of this promotion. * ACC sponsored the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra' s annual Youth Concert, which was held in March. 1 ACCESS ADVISC9Y POARn MEMBERS (as of March, 1990) : �ouis Mezgar - 1 yr. appt. ( Inst . Repr. ) _ompkins Thu -ty Pubic Library 312 North Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Eloise S. Greene - 2 yr. appt. (Non-city) Manager of Television Operations Roy H. Park School of Communications Ithaca College Ithaca, NY 14850 274-3242 Res: 100 Michigan Hollow Road RD 1 , Box 244 Danby, NY 14883 273-5547 Mary Jo Dudley - 1 yr. appt. Chair 312 First Street (City) Ithaca, NY 14850 273-5255 John Efroymson - 2 yr. appt. ( Inst. Repr. ) 420 N. Cayuga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 272-1034 Bill McCormick - 2 yr. appt. (City) 211 Columbia Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Peter Hess - Indefinite (ex officio) 202 1/2 Utica Street (City Repr. ) Ithaca, NY 14850 272-1831 Lauren Stefanelli - Indefinite (ex officio as Access Coord. ) ACC Frances MacKenzie - 1 yr. appt. ACC Floyd Johnson - 2 yr. appt. ACC Resolution of the Community Access Advisory Board, Passed unanimously, April 2nd, 1990. The Community Access Advisory Board continues to question the appropriateness of including the cost of labor and replacement parts used to maintain access equipment in the 2% city revenue package as provided in Section 14.C.3 of the franchise agreement. The Community Access Advisory Board requests that the Ithaca City Cable Commission ask American Community Cablevision (ACC) to clarify their accounting practices in regard to these items. The board further requests that, if ACC continues to maintain that this is an appropriate use of these revenues, that the Cable Commission seek additional information from the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers (NFLCP) and attempt to resolve this issue. Report to the Ithaca Cable Commission from American Community Cablevision. April 10, 1990. * Video coverage of Common Council meetings: Access staff switches manually (requires phone call to the studio) to a logo and "we' ll be right back" message during Common Council meeting intermission and then switches back to live action following intermission. We plan to spend some of our access capital to put a switching device at city hall , so the switching can be done from there. * Reports requested by the commission: The onthly construction report was designed to apprise the City of progres7-71-1 d. Now that the city has been completely rebuilt there is really no construction happening. The exception to this is Stewart Park, which we were requested to build, and it is also complete. \ The ort on construction /to the city was included in my co e ter to Mayor Nichols which was submitted in January along with an annual report . I ' ve attached a copy here for | reference. The only reference to construction was a note that the rebuild had been completed. fCity franchise fees are paid quarterly to the city, with a tatement of the city revenues and the associated franchise fees. . L • -7e5 I l. 01°7. * ACC promoted Nat e ional �C�ble Month at th ~�ryramid Mall over the last two weekends. A color TV will be given away as part of this promotion. * ACC sponsored the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra' s annual Youth Concert , which was held in March. ^ . � /��/ 4°7-- ~�� 0,9 / —,15 %, ,�, / ~� 11^9P F' '° . �n ��0 ^ ��■' '� 1