3/26SF Protest Of Lottery In Community Access

kazumi torii <ktorii01 [at] hills.ccsfbay.org>
Secretary, Producers and Programmers Network Of San Francisco


Urgent Action Notice! Support Needed

WHAT: There will be a picket in front of AccessSF Channel 29 against the lottery system
WHERE: 1710 Market St Near Valencia St.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 26, 2002, at 6:45pm (They have a lottery at 7pm)
WHO: All the producers and volunteers who is opposing the lottery system for time slot.
Picket will be held each time when CTC has a lottery.


Statement To The CTC Board of Directors
7/12/2001


Whereas, a public hearing was called by the CTC to discuss a proposal
for a lottery that would change all the slot times of the present shows
and,

Whereas, the speakers at the meeting were unanimous in opposing this
method of adding new shows and whereas,

The CTC Board has a responsibility to represent not only the community
at large but the producers and programmers who present and produce the
shows on Cable Channel 29 and,

Whereas, the removal and regular change of times for the shows would
severely harm the audience of many of the shows that has been built up
over many years,

Therefore be it resolved that we the following producers, programmers
and community members call on the CTC Board to withdraw this proposal
and to focus on opening up the channel to 24 hours a day as well as
opening up the second channel to allow for additional space.


Name Show
Address Phone Email

Beth Mann ThrushTv 246 Alma St.
415-665-5940 puddin666 [at] earthlink.net




From: steve zeltzer <lvpsf [at] igc.org>
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 06:34:59 -0800
To: steve zeltzer <lvpsf [at] igc.org>
Subject: SF Community Access Dispute Erupts

http://www.sfbg.com/36/20/news_public_access.html

Battle of the network stars
A dispute over San Francisco's public access cable station erupts
By Rachel Brahinsky
San Francisco Bay Guardian

For several years Zane Blaney has managed San Francisco's public access cable television station with little visible controversy. Tall, silver-haired, and smooth-mannered, with the cultured voice of a radio broadcaster, he recently offered a tour of his new Market Street television studio. Appearing somewhat nervous, he showed off everything ˆ down to the squeaky-clean bathrooms.

"I don't usually show the rest rooms," Blaney said, "but I wanted you to see the makeup mirror, which some of the producers have been asking for, for years."

Blaney spoke cautiously, and he may have good reason to be concerned about his public image. In just four months the city contract that permits Blaney's group, the San Francisco Community Television Corp., to control public access channel 29 is up for renewal. And just last week an internal struggle that has been festering for more than a year erupted publicly.

It all started with a clash over a basic question: how to dish out time slots for shows. The conflict has escalated into a small war over the future of the channel, reflecting what some say is a deep divide between CTC's board and its programmers. On Feb. 5 board member David Miles, who produces the Monday-night show Skatin' Place, was placed on probation for 60 days by his colleagues.

The station works with more than 100 programmers who produce dozens of eclectic shows like Miles's, which is partly a funk-dance show, partly a skating-enthusiast video zine.

In the past, programmers who had a regular time slot were able to keep it as long as they wanted to. New programmers got in on a first-come, first-served basis. Blaney and several board members opposed the policy because it set up a sort of caste system, where some got first dibs simply because they'd been around for a while. Their proposal, which passed last November, dictates that the channel employ a lottery at regular intervals, to continually reapportion popular time slots.

Miles opposed the plan, defending the right of longtime producers to have seniority. However, his opponents on the 11-member board say Miles is contentious, and they point to a publicly distributed e-mail in which he compared them to the Taliban. Miles has since apologized for the remark, but board members justify the probation, charging that he violated their trust in airing his gripes. In fact, the board has a written policy that prevents members from speaking out publicly against board decisions.

Beneath the personal sniping remains the core issue: should San Francisco's public access station try to develop long-running shows with loyal audiences, or should it prioritize being open to as many voices as possible by switching up time-slot availability on a regular basis?

Miles and Steve Zeltzer, another producer, said that local producers are nearly unanimously opposed to the lottery concept.

The root of the problem, board member Bill Fiore told the Bay Guardian, is that the board is "not fully in touch" with the programmers. "Only two members of the board have been active producers. They've never really used the station's facilities. [Establishing the lottery system] is almost like a company taking the wishes of its workers into consideration last," he said.

Zeltzer, whose show Labor on the Job has run every other Thursday since 1983, was galled by the lottery plan. Zeltzer told us that changing his program schedule could eviscerate the audience he has cultivated in his 19 years on the air.

"Community-access TV is really the only uncensored vehicle for people, which is why we got involved," he said. "It's very critical that it be defended. If you're not on television, you're marginalized, because that's how people get their information."

Though the board has already approved the new lottery process, programmers like Zeltzer are pressing for a revised plan. They also want the station to be run by an elected board (currently it's self-appointed), and they want local programming to be prioritized over out-of-state shows.

For more information on Channel 29 go to http://www.sfctc.org. E-mail Rachel Brahinsky at rachel [at] sfbg.com.





The San Francisco Labor Council Executive Committee on March 6, 2002 and the Council as a whole on March 11, 2002 passed the following resolution. The SF Labor Council represents over 60,000 workers in San Francisco.

Resolution In Opposition To Channel 29 Lottery and For an Elected CTC Board

Whereas, it is critical that locally produced community access shows on ATT Channel 29 be encouraged and,

Whereas, community access is the only uncensored free speech on San Francisco cable for those who have been excluded from corporate controlled media and,

Whereas, the implementation of a "lottery" of Channel 29 show slots threatens long standing San Francisco produced labor and community shows and,

Whereas, around the country community access is threatened by corporatization and policies including "advertising" that have removed labor and community shows supposedly in order to "professionalize" community access and,

Whereas, the present unelected board of directors of the Community Television Corporation have ignored the unanimous opposition by San Francisco Producers and Programmers and,

Whereas, the need for a membership organization in which the board of directors is elected by the membership is critical to provide a more responsive board of directors of the Community Television Corporation,

Therefore, be it resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council opposes the change of policies by the Community Television Corporation to implement a lottery and supports locally produced shows having priority in programming slots and,
This council calls for the implementation of an elected board of directors for the Community Television Corporation and for it to become a membership organization open to all people in San Francisco and,

Therefore be it finally resolve that the San Francisco Labor Council will relay this view to the Community Television Corporation and the Board of Supervisors.

Adopted by the San Francisco Labor Council Executive Committee on March 6, 2002

Respectfully submitted,

Walter L. Johnson
Secretary Treasurer

San Francisco Labor Council
1188 Franklin St. Suite 203
San Francisco,California
94109-6852
(415)440-4809