BAVC Threatens to Cancel Media Alliance Program on SF Community Access TV

The Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) has threatened to cancel the Media Alliance show "Media News" which airs every 1st and 3rd Thursday at 7pm 'live' on San Francisco Community Access Television (Channel 76). BAVC Executive Director Ken Ikeda issued the threat to Tracy Rosenberg, Media Alliance Executive Director and host of "Media News", on December 10, 2009, in retaliation for the organization's publication of a December 1, 2009, press release announcing a picket and protest by producers at San Francisco Community Access Television. See the link to that press release here:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/03/18631368.php

In issuing the threat to the producers of "Media News",BAVC's Ikeda has violated terms of the current Franchise Agreement with the City of San Francisco which prohibits any management control over producers' exercise of their First Amendment guarantees. The Coalition To Defend Free Speech and San Francisco Community Access Television calls on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and City Attorney to investigate this act of coercion from BAVC towards Media Alliance and the producers of "Media News" and take the appropriate legal action, including termination of the current franchise agreement.

BAVC's latest transgression is exemplary of its attempt to quash any opposition from either producers, viewers, or the
community-at-large, of its plans to close the doors of the state-of-the-art SF Community Station at 1720 Market Street
this Friday, December 18, 2009, at 8pm, and essentially shutdown public access television in San Francisco.

BAVC, a long-time political supporter of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and recipient of numerous grant funds from
the San Francisco Department of Technology and Information Services (DTIS) over the years, was awarded the 3-year
contract to operate public access television in June, 2009. BAVC is guaranteed over $470K in yearly public funding along
with a one-time conditional grant of $375K from the City which was negotiated as part of a settlement agreement with
Comcast.

The Coalition to Defend Free Speech and San Francisco Community Access Television calls on the San Francisco
Board of Supervisors and City Attorney to take swift action to stop the closure of the current Market Street station
and strongly urge the current operator, BAVC, to negotiate an extended lease with the landlord, Paragon Realty
of San Francisco. By negotiating a new lease, the City will save taxpayers at minimum, approximately $200K
in station demolition costs, funds that would be best used toward paying the rent at the current state-of-the-art
facility at 1720 Market Street.