Public access TV faces the axeBy TIm Redmond
San Francisco stands to lose the vast majority of its public-access cable programming June 30th unless Sup. Ross Mirkarimi is able to convince his colleagues to try to force Comcast, the local cable operator, to keep paying the tab.
Comcast for years has paid enough money through its francise agreement with the city to fund the San Francisco Community Television Corporation, a nonprofit, at a level of roughly $700,000 a year. That pays for the studios on Market Street and a staff to manage 134 local programs that show on channels 29 and 76. It’s a wonderful mix of stuff, put together for what amounts to a bargain price in decidedly low-overhead studios, and demonstrates exactly what the notion of public-access TV is all about.
But in 2006, the state Legislature took the authority to regulate cable franchises away from cities -- and that left San Francisco unable to continue demanding the payment for public access. Mirkarimi has figured out a way around it, and he has the support of state Sen. Mark Leno, who argues that the state legislation never intended to prevent cities from mandating public-access fees.
The technical glitch is language that seems to imply that the city can force Comcast to pay for facilities, but not for operating costs. Since the city’s pretty broke right now, it’s going to be hard to get $700,000 in General Fund money to pay the CTC staff. In fact, CTC applied to renew its contract, but the city said it was only going to be able to pay some $100,000 a year going forward.
But frankly, without a staff to operate the access channels, the whole enterprise will die.
Mirkarimi’s bill would hit Comcast with a new fee -- and based on a letter he’s received from Leno, he thinks it will fly legally. But the cable company says it will simply pass that on to customers (who frankly don’t have a lot of choice in the market). The Chronicle’s Marisa Lagos put it this way:
A city report estimates that consumers, who currently shell out $6.24 per year, could end up paying 352 percent more, or $28.20 per year
That sounds like a whopping fee hike -- 352 percent more! -- but in reality, we’re talking about all of $21.96 a YEAR, or $1.83 a month. Which is pretty minimal.
At the Budget Committee, Mirkarimi and Sup. John Avalos voted to send the bill to the full board, which takes it up tomorrow, May 5th. Saving public access TV isn’t as important as saving public health, but it’s a part of San Francisco, and it’s a way for diverse and creative voices to get on the air -- and it would cost the taxpayers nothing and cable subscribers pennies. This one needs community support.
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Comments (5)
Very good write-up....
Thank You....
Wow I have actually been very impressed with Supervisor Mirkarimi's involvement with this issue.
He deserves allot of Thanks.
His actions, and some of the other Supervisors have renewed some faith in San Francisco politics. I just hope they all get on board with it tomorrow and pass Ross' ordinance.
I am also a cable subscriber who has used public access tv, and I am more than willing to pay the increase in fees.
Posted by Dina Boyer | May 4, 2009 09:29 PM
Timid,
As usual you don't know shit. I have a huge campaign button from a couple of years ago that blares: 'Fire Zane Blaney!'.
The person who did the buttons lost their slots on Access TV. Blaney gave it to a friend. You buy into the outright lie that Channel 29 will 'go dark' if we don't pay Blaney and his friends. That's utter bullshit. The station got along fine without these privatized assholes. Then Zaney came in and out of 800k or so in annual funds from the General Fund he pays himself and 3 other friends over 500k. You knew that, right Tim?
I worked for a show there for a decade called: 'Ray's Bohemian Pad' that filmed poetry all over town and some music. No managers. No friggin' Blaney. All volunteers. It worked fine and the atmosphere wasn't like a concentration camp.
You're backing the bad guys here cause you did not do your research.
Unfortunately, that's nothing new.
h.
Posted by hbrown | May 4, 2009 11:23 PM
I used to have a show on public access Channel 29 about five years ago called "FotoTales" and got to know the organization pretty well. Let's just say that the management may be the worst I've ever seen in profit or nonprofit situations (and I've seen a lot), autocratic and clueless at the same time. Zane Blaney and his assistants have been sucking up half a million dollars annually while making things worse for everyone. Let's get rid of him and his crew and start over. He's not Public Access, though he certainly seems to think he is, and has convinced the not-very-smart-office of Mirkarimi that this is the case. Don't join this stupid crusade.
Posted by sfmike | May 5, 2009 10:41 PM
Comcast ? I wouldn't ask them for the TIME! Much less a dime, to fund "public access" television. I used to respect and value Tim Redmond's opinions, on things like the the PG&E ripoff, but after reading this article, sorry Tim, I can no longer support your ideas.
The City won't pay the San Francisco Community Television Corporation (dba Access SF) any more, big deal, they were the worst media management company ever! The City is accepting Request for Proposals for the job, so either get your RFP in or support David Miles Jr. in his effort to put some REAL public access media on the tube. Drop a letter in the snail mail to SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT C/O DAVID MILES JR. 2158 – 2160 19th St. San Francisco, California 94116.
The company NOT being given a contract again has a website here, http://www.accessf.org/ , a letter to the above address requesting that the San Francisco Community Television Corporation be disallowed from operation anywhere near San Francisco is highly recommended also...
Posted by James | June 2, 2009 09:15 PM
Since the mid 90's I created a skating TV show called, "Skatin' Place". This is award winning television that is now on the web at http://www.skatinplace.com
The short story is in 1999, Zane and the crew took over the Public Access station in San Francisco. They were impressed with me and made me the Producers Representative on their Board of Directors. We were all rollin' along smoothly until the leadership came up with some new policies that I felt were detremantal to producers and their shows. There were many complaints from people, but the one that was the crack in the road for me was the plan to move the timeslots around every 6 months.
When you move your time slot, you lose your audience. It's just that simple. I couldn't get the other Board members to recognize that. There were other alternatives, but I was voted down and the policies were implemented. A few months later they started proceedings to kick me off the Board of Directors because I made this statement:
"I fought to the end to try to get the board members to understand that this is NOT a positive move. I might as well had been talking to the Taliban".
That statement was all it took for Zane to have be brought up on diciplinary preceedings where I was very unceremoniously booted off the board. At the first lottery, my weekly show Skatin' Place, one of the few awarding shows on the channel, lost its time slot and that was the end.
The station has never been the same as that followed a decline in the number of local producers, local shows and lack of interest in Public Access Television.
I brought Skatin' Place back in 2006 and was the only show to win a WAVE award from the Alliance for CVommunity Media, but the thrill was gone.
Now here in June of 2009, the SFCTC that gave me the boot will see their contract with the City expire on June 30. The City has put out a Request for Proposal for a new Public Access Cable Operator. The bid came up months ago and the only group to answer was the current operator. Somehow the City said, "no thanks" and put the RFP out for Re-Bid.
I have written an answer to the RFP!!! I have a plan that will begin operation July 1, be in place by Aug 22 and be ready to throttle up in Sept. right after Burning Man. I am building a team that will reshape the Public Access experience nationwide and put it on par with the other local television stations in San Francisco.
Here is what I need now, RIGHT NOW. I need letters of support. I need to show the evauators that I have support of people who would take the time to write a letter to express that support. I need letters of support from individuals and from organizations and businesses.
Please write me a support letter. I will be turning in my RFP proposal, business plan and te whole nine yards on Wednesday, June 10. Drop a letter in the snail mail to SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT C/O DAVID MILES JR. 2158 – 2160 19th St. San Francisco, California 94116.
Please e-mail a copy to me at Sk8GodFather@earthlink.net
Thanks for your support. Read about my experience as a Board Member at http://www.skatinplace.com/CTCBoardDemise.html
Keep Rollin',
D. Miles Jr.
The GodFather of Skating
http://www.cora.org
Posted by David Miles Jr. | June 4, 2009 09:43 AM