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Stop The Shutdown Of Community Access In San Francisco! Photos Of 12/1/20 Press Conference
A press conference and rally was held to prevent the closure of the San Francisco Community Access center at 1720 Market St in San Francisco. The city has the funds to pay for keeping the studios and station open but BAVC is planning to shut the center without an alternative community access center that would be available.
Stop The Shutdown Of Community Access In San Francisco!
STOP The Privatization Of SF Community Access
The City along with it's handpicked operator Bay Area Video Coalition are planning to close the community access center on December 20, 2009 without another location to do full productions. The city of San Francisco spent over $1 million to build this studio and will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to dismantle and destroy this media center. Instead of protecting community access by keeping this facility open until another facility is built, the city with BAVC is now involved in privatizing San Francisco Community Access television. The Denver model which is what they are setting up eliminates real community control of public access and limits access. It is not a public model that protects community accesss.
The City of San Francisco has handed over the operation of the Community Access Stations to the Bay Area Video Coalition BAVC. BAVC promised to protect community access television in San Francisco and work with the producers and programmers. Instead it has done the opposite.
The City of San Francisco and their chosen contractor BAVC with a multi-million dollar budget has told producers and programmers of community access television in San Francisco that the station will be shut down on December 20, 2009 despite the fact that the lease for the property does not expire until April 30, 2010 and it does not take three months to disassemble the equipment and studios. This means all productions from the Flash Studio and Main studio will be shutdown and BAVC has also said it does not plan to rebuild a main studio at it’s current location next to KQED. Their idea of community access is not equal access but access to those who can afford to pay. This takes place in San Francisco which is major center of media and communication in Northern California. There is a $350,000 grant from Comcast that the city could use to keep the center open until a new community center is built.
At the same time, the corporate driven BAVC is requiring producers of community access program to have their own equipment to develop and produce the shows. They are essentially saying poor and low income users of community access will be locked out of getting their programming on the channels unless they pay exorbitant fees. This is a violation of the principle of community access that it will not discriminate against low income workers and others who do not have their own equipment.
This also violates the promise of the City Department of Telecommunication and Mayor Newsom that they would protect community access in San Francisco. Many other communities including even smaller cities have fully staffed community access stations with main studios. These include Berkeley, San Jose, Sacramento, Pacifica, Santa Rosa and San Rafael. Why is it that San Francisco which is a large city cannot do the same? http://www.communitymedia.se/cat/linksca.htm
At the same time BAVC refuses to use community volunteers to help staff the station as many other Northern California community access stations do.
BAVC promised when they submitted their bid and after their take-over of the station that they would work to protect the production and producers of programs. This has shown to be a false promise. Productions and producers are abandoning Community Access shows that have been established by much volunteer labor over many many years. BAVAC is also prevent production in the main studio which is a clear violation of the agreement with the city. BAVC has not even provided written notice about it's plans to an elected community board of advisors for the station, the producers and programmers. They also did not contact the SF Supervisors. Finally after complaints to the City they sent out a notice on December 1, 2009 Is this how BAVC does business in San Francisco at San Francisco community access?
Community producers and programmers as well as community supporters of San Francisco community access demand that the City Of San Francisco require that the station stay open at 1720 Market St. until another station is constructed if there is to be a closure. We call for the cancellation of the contract with BAVC and the establishment of a democratically elected board that represents the community and labor to run the community access station. The board of BAVC does not represent the interests of community access and refuses to even meet with Community Access Producers and Programmers. It includes no producers at the station and also has no labor representation on their board. The city has chosen an operator whose board is not responsive to the community and residents of San Francisco and in fact whose majority of members do not even live in San Francisco. Is this a board that will represent the producers and residents of San Francisco who fund community access?
The city has millions of dollars in capital funds that could be used to maintain the station. Instead, the SF City Attorney and Mayor Newsom want to close our studios and destroy public access in San Francisco. Call for the city to use the $350,000 to keep the SF Community Access Center open until new studios are built. We must save community access.
Coalition To Defend Free Speech And SF Community Access
Initial Endorsers:David Miles, Steve Zeltzer, Ace Washinton, Kazumi Torii, Julian Lagos, Pam Sauer, Ken Johnson, Ellison Horne, Peter Kurtz, Raymond Hong, Stu Smith, Mary Ellen Churchill, Killiu Nyasha, Pat Warren, Karish Ladeek, Ken Hodnett, Joan Satriani, Ron Bermudez
To endorse the action and for further information contact
(415)867-0628
Call Members of the San Francisco Supervisors And Ask Them To Hold Hearings And To Stop The Closure And Privatization Of Community Access/Contact The San Francisco Department Of Telecommunications To Let Them Know You Are Opposed To Closing The Station and for the use of the $350,000 grant to keep the station open until another station is built.
Fraser Berry
Principle Admistrative Analyst DTIS-SFCC/Planning And Compliance Division
581-3976 barry.fraser [at] sfgov.org
1 South Van Ness 2nd Fl. San Francisco
Also Contact The BAVC Board Of Directors And Ask Them Why They Are Destroying Community Access by shutting down the present studio when funds are available to keep it open.
STOP The Privatization Of SF Community Access
The City along with it's handpicked operator Bay Area Video Coalition are planning to close the community access center on December 20, 2009 without another location to do full productions. The city of San Francisco spent over $1 million to build this studio and will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to dismantle and destroy this media center. Instead of protecting community access by keeping this facility open until another facility is built, the city with BAVC is now involved in privatizing San Francisco Community Access television. The Denver model which is what they are setting up eliminates real community control of public access and limits access. It is not a public model that protects community accesss.
The City of San Francisco has handed over the operation of the Community Access Stations to the Bay Area Video Coalition BAVC. BAVC promised to protect community access television in San Francisco and work with the producers and programmers. Instead it has done the opposite.
The City of San Francisco and their chosen contractor BAVC with a multi-million dollar budget has told producers and programmers of community access television in San Francisco that the station will be shut down on December 20, 2009 despite the fact that the lease for the property does not expire until April 30, 2010 and it does not take three months to disassemble the equipment and studios. This means all productions from the Flash Studio and Main studio will be shutdown and BAVC has also said it does not plan to rebuild a main studio at it’s current location next to KQED. Their idea of community access is not equal access but access to those who can afford to pay. This takes place in San Francisco which is major center of media and communication in Northern California. There is a $350,000 grant from Comcast that the city could use to keep the center open until a new community center is built.
At the same time, the corporate driven BAVC is requiring producers of community access program to have their own equipment to develop and produce the shows. They are essentially saying poor and low income users of community access will be locked out of getting their programming on the channels unless they pay exorbitant fees. This is a violation of the principle of community access that it will not discriminate against low income workers and others who do not have their own equipment.
This also violates the promise of the City Department of Telecommunication and Mayor Newsom that they would protect community access in San Francisco. Many other communities including even smaller cities have fully staffed community access stations with main studios. These include Berkeley, San Jose, Sacramento, Pacifica, Santa Rosa and San Rafael. Why is it that San Francisco which is a large city cannot do the same? http://www.communitymedia.se/cat/linksca.htm
At the same time BAVC refuses to use community volunteers to help staff the station as many other Northern California community access stations do.
BAVC promised when they submitted their bid and after their take-over of the station that they would work to protect the production and producers of programs. This has shown to be a false promise. Productions and producers are abandoning Community Access shows that have been established by much volunteer labor over many many years. BAVAC is also prevent production in the main studio which is a clear violation of the agreement with the city. BAVC has not even provided written notice about it's plans to an elected community board of advisors for the station, the producers and programmers. They also did not contact the SF Supervisors. Finally after complaints to the City they sent out a notice on December 1, 2009 Is this how BAVC does business in San Francisco at San Francisco community access?
Community producers and programmers as well as community supporters of San Francisco community access demand that the City Of San Francisco require that the station stay open at 1720 Market St. until another station is constructed if there is to be a closure. We call for the cancellation of the contract with BAVC and the establishment of a democratically elected board that represents the community and labor to run the community access station. The board of BAVC does not represent the interests of community access and refuses to even meet with Community Access Producers and Programmers. It includes no producers at the station and also has no labor representation on their board. The city has chosen an operator whose board is not responsive to the community and residents of San Francisco and in fact whose majority of members do not even live in San Francisco. Is this a board that will represent the producers and residents of San Francisco who fund community access?
The city has millions of dollars in capital funds that could be used to maintain the station. Instead, the SF City Attorney and Mayor Newsom want to close our studios and destroy public access in San Francisco. Call for the city to use the $350,000 to keep the SF Community Access Center open until new studios are built. We must save community access.
Coalition To Defend Free Speech And SF Community Access
Initial Endorsers:David Miles, Steve Zeltzer, Ace Washinton, Kazumi Torii, Julian Lagos, Pam Sauer, Ken Johnson, Ellison Horne, Peter Kurtz, Raymond Hong, Stu Smith, Mary Ellen Churchill, Killiu Nyasha, Pat Warren, Karish Ladeek, Ken Hodnett, Joan Satriani, Ron Bermudez
To endorse the action and for further information contact
(415)867-0628
Call Members of the San Francisco Supervisors And Ask Them To Hold Hearings And To Stop The Closure And Privatization Of Community Access/Contact The San Francisco Department Of Telecommunications To Let Them Know You Are Opposed To Closing The Station and for the use of the $350,000 grant to keep the station open until another station is built.
Fraser Berry
Principle Admistrative Analyst DTIS-SFCC/Planning And Compliance Division
581-3976 barry.fraser [at] sfgov.org
1 South Van Ness 2nd Fl. San Francisco
Also Contact The BAVC Board Of Directors And Ask Them Why They Are Destroying Community Access by shutting down the present studio when funds are available to keep it open.
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"A Picture Says A Thousand Words" the old cliche goes. And, these photos say it all including the one taken of the Two BAVC Yuppies lounging with Supervisor Mirkarimi's Aide, Jeremy Pollock, at the station on 12/01/09. Body language says it all.
It's quite clear that BAVC and their accomplices at the City's DTIS (Department of Tech. and Info. Serv.) think they can get
away with Grand Theft by stealing Community Access Television from the Citizens and Taxpayers of San Francisco.
Well, Boys and Girls, they can't and they won't.
Stay tuned.
It's quite clear that BAVC and their accomplices at the City's DTIS (Department of Tech. and Info. Serv.) think they can get
away with Grand Theft by stealing Community Access Television from the Citizens and Taxpayers of San Francisco.
Well, Boys and Girls, they can't and they won't.
Stay tuned.
Unfortunately, there are many inaccuracies in this story. BAVC is a non-profit media arts organization that has supported experimental media artists, social issue documentary makers and many other media artists and productions for more than 30 years. To read about BAVC's plans to keep public access vibrant and alive into the 21st century, please go to http://www.bavc.org/sfcommons
For more information:
http://www.bavc.org/sfcommons
Public Access producers still giving up mixed messages. Unfortunately one of the people in one of the pics in this story is a Public Access hater. DM never spoke kindly about the Public Access TV in front of the supes, but when confronted with change he also complains. He is a part of the problem. A Washington went around City Hall and bashed everyone on the staff and never did say anything positive about Public Access TV, but when given a new manager he still insists on bashing. Also another producer with the initials IW never spoke kindly about the former public access, but when given a new manager she also maintained her hating status.
And another person in a pic in this write-up with the initials RB was also a Public Access Hater.
If Public Access Producers and volunteers want change and Public Access restored then the haters need to stay home and let professionals take over....
And another person in a pic in this write-up with the initials RB was also a Public Access Hater.
If Public Access Producers and volunteers want change and Public Access restored then the haters need to stay home and let professionals take over....
BAVC says there are many inaccuracies in this article. I see a lot of spelling and grammar errors, but maybe BAVC can explain what is inaccurate point by point. There is much confusion about this. People should be protesting the initial budget cuts, not the people who are trying to provide these services on a fraction of the previous budget.
So- what is right and what is wrong with this article?
So- what is right and what is wrong with this article?
I would like to say that I don't understand all this hostility directed toward BAVC. (May I remind readers that had BAVC not responded to the City's RFP in early 2009--probably the only viable/qualified responder to the RFP--public access would have shut down completely as of June 30th, when the previous contract expired.) However, when I look at who the principal authors of this hostility are, I'm afraid I do understand it. "Same 'ol, same 'ol." Unless and until the City turns over access completely to these malcontents (not going to happen), this small group of folks will have nothing good to say about anyone running access in San Francisco, regardless of who they happen to be, no matter what honest effort is put into it, and regardless of any of the circumstances. They want to be in charge and in control, and ultimately free to create the rules and policies that will benefit them personally (such as lifetime primetime programming timeslots, and other guaranteed resources), despite industry best-practices and to the detriment of rest of the viewing and producing community. This was their agenda when the cable operator controlled access in the 1980's and 1990's, and continued to be their agenda for the past 10 years after management was granted to an independent non-profit.
I have yet to read in all of these accusations against BAVC, what it is BAVC has done (or is planning to do), SPECIFICALLY, that is in contradiction to the grant agreement (contract) they have with the City of San Francisco. Can anyone quote language from the contract that is being violated?
The Contract:http://sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/dtis/PublicAccessTV/ExecutedBayAreaVideoCoalition21Aug09.pdf
Again, I DO understand the access community's disappointment and frustration with the changes (reductions) in access services from previous years, but is this the fault of BAVC (who is simpl;y complying with its contract), or is it the fault of the City of San Francisco, which funds and controls these City resources?
Instead of hurling unfounded accusations at BAVC, painting them to be "the bad guy," the community ought to be rallying around and supporting BAVC, as it undertakes a very difficult task and transition. With the positive and unified energies of all parties involved and in a spirit of consensus and creative problem-solving, perhaps the City would be willing to re-open and re-think its prior decisions about the future and funding for access. But based on history, that seems unlikely to happen, and this small group is going to continue to poison the City's perception of access.
Speaking of public access "malcontents", poster "Aaron" is chief among them, since he lost his $75k/year "job" as a do-nothing
Asst. GM under the previous CTC management "team" at SF Public Access on August 31st, 2009.
By the looks of his pro-BAVC rantings here, it appears "Aaron" is trying to publicly re-apply for his old station "job".
That unemployment check doesn't go too far these days, does it "Aaron"?
Asst. GM under the previous CTC management "team" at SF Public Access on August 31st, 2009.
By the looks of his pro-BAVC rantings here, it appears "Aaron" is trying to publicly re-apply for his old station "job".
That unemployment check doesn't go too far these days, does it "Aaron"?
These are the same people who caused the City to find an independent operator to run public access. Their continuous, disruptive and malicious behavior made the Mayor's Office and Board of Supervisors BOTH want to unload the station. No one wanted to listen to endless, hateful and homophobic remarks and shouting matches tossed like mortars in Afghanistan by the very SAME people who have been UNhappy since the beginning. It's sad but true that this rag tag group is made up of those same disgruntled producers who demanded station policies reflect THEIR desires and to hell with the rest of us willing to abide by reasonable rules. I sat in a public meeting where three or four of this group hurled invective and hate toward homosexuals, the Board of Supervisors, the CTA Board, and everyone who disagreed with them. Now BAVC, the best operator there could be, outside of CTA, get to hear the outrageous complaints of people who would appear to be beyond solution. I sincerely feel this group destroyed San Francisco Public Access Television.
I'm throwing my support behind BAVC, unconditionally, and at the same time I thank Zane Blaney, Aaron Vinck Arnel, Chris, Dina, all the volunteers and staff who worked so hard to make it run so well. It was regarded as one of the BEST run stations in the US, and it was brought down by a tiny minority of producers no one seems able to satisfy.
Stu Smith
I'm throwing my support behind BAVC, unconditionally, and at the same time I thank Zane Blaney, Aaron Vinck Arnel, Chris, Dina, all the volunteers and staff who worked so hard to make it run so well. It was regarded as one of the BEST run stations in the US, and it was brought down by a tiny minority of producers no one seems able to satisfy.
Stu Smith
For more information:
http://www.tinpanalley.org
Don't believe one libelous word from SF Commons Producer Stu Smith, truly an Enemy of SF Community Access TV.
Anti-Union, Anti-Labor, and Anti-Social best describes this character and loser.
A solid "Yes Man" for the Company line (BAVC, CTC, Newsom, etc.).
When Stu's asked to "Jump", Stu's reply: "How High?".
Anti-Union, Anti-Labor, and Anti-Social best describes this character and loser.
A solid "Yes Man" for the Company line (BAVC, CTC, Newsom, etc.).
When Stu's asked to "Jump", Stu's reply: "How High?".
Whoever is Ex-Staff is misrepresenting themselves. And is quite obnoxious when talking about Stu Smith. There isn't any Ex-Staff there that is that mean and nasty unless its Michael F., who was one of the most obnoxious staff there to date.
Dear Indybay, the comment that bashes Mr. Smith is offensive, please consider removing.
Dear Indybay, the comment that bashes Mr. Smith is offensive, please consider removing.
The real history of how CEO Zane Blaney and his assistant CEO Aaron is that they drove out many staff members who had new ideas or wanted to really get the community involved. John Sanchez and many others got fed up with the constant crap that these micro managers imposed on the creative staff members. They yelled and terrorized many of the employees including Dina. The station still has no wi-fi for producers and programmers and they say they are in the 21st century? The producers voted many times against a lottery but they and now their replacement BVAC are spending money and time with a lottery. Isn't it interesting that BAVC say they don't have the resources to open up the main studio where the equipment remains locked up but they have resources to run a lottery for slots?
The fact is that other community access stations in Northern California continue to operate quiet well with a staff and volunteers that collaborate together. The record of Blaney and most of his board was my way or the highway and they got the highway themselves. Zane may now have to go to work as a waiter if he can find a job and even his former staff was asking why he had nothing else going.
This is somebody who has a vision for community access?
The fact is that other community access stations in Northern California continue to operate quiet well with a staff and volunteers that collaborate together. The record of Blaney and most of his board was my way or the highway and they got the highway themselves. Zane may now have to go to work as a waiter if he can find a job and even his former staff was asking why he had nothing else going.
This is somebody who has a vision for community access?
I'm not afraid to sign my name to state my experience and opinions. This ignorant, misguided handful of people (they call themselves producers, ha ha) have produced only chaos, disruption and ultimately the demise of public access (CTA) as their mission. They succeeded in getting rid of the CTA board and management and are now without a studio and I bet BAVC, DTIS, Mayor Newsom and the Board of Supervisors are all thankful these people are now history. They got what they wanted and it took away what the vast majority had. The majority was willing to play by the rules, and this small band of losers destroyed for one and all.
Stu
Stu
For more information:
http://www.tinpanalley.org
While I am a staunch supporter of free speech and public discourse, I do not endorse the group Coalition To Defend Free Speech And SF Community Access. I have previously made it clear to them that although I am interested in what they have to say, and support their right to say it; I am not taking sides with any group. As a member of the SF Commons Community Advisory Board I need to be informed of critical issues as expressed by the public of their concerns, questions and ideas regarding Public Access. In this particular case, I too have concerns about the closing of the Public Access facility at 1720 Market Street. While the future of Public Access under BAVC is very promising, there is nothing like having a public gathering place where people can support one another by creating programming in an environment devoted to public engagement media.
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