HomeMy Public PortalAboutCable Television Advisory -- 2007-01-03 MinutesMinutes of the meeting of the Brewster Cable TV Advisory Committee scheduled for 7:00 pm on
Wednesday 3 January 2007.
The meeting is called to order at 7:03 pm on Wednesday 3 January 2007 by Larry Greeley.
Members present at this time are:
Larry Greeley
Norman Adams
Walter Powers
Art Stringer
There is no person present in the audience area.
Norman Adams distributes copies of the draft minutes of the meeting of Wednesday 1 November 2006
A motion is made and seconded to accept the minutes of the meeting of Wednesday 1 November 2006 as
presented. The vote to accept is unanimous.
Larry remarks that this is the time of year to start on our section of the next annual town report.
Norman uses a small laptop computer to run a demonstration CD containing TV prepared by TVTN
(Te1Vue Virtual TV Networks). The demonstration shows typical routine TV items transmitted from
TVTN over the internet to a particular "typical" town. This TVTN material is used on the government
channel to fill the time between TV material generated in the town under the aegis of the town
government -such items being live or taped viewings of e.g. selectmen's meetings and other such events.
The TVTN material can include weather information part of which is localized to the town, notices of
upcoming local events of particular interest, reports of recent past local events, and so on.
It is possible to insert on short notice (a few minutes in emergencies) public advisories such as from the
public safety agencies in the town.
Someone remarks that such advisories would not reach viewers in most homes subjected to power failures
such as occurred in the storm in Brewster in December 2005 even though the advisories would probably
get to the Comcast head end and the resulting Comcast signals would probably get to the ends of the cable
network.
During this demonstration Ellie Smith arrives and joins the meeting. Members present at this time are:
Larry Greeley
Norman Adams
Walter Powers
Ellie Smith
Art Stringer
Art asks the crucial question -how is the TVTN material to be paid for? No good answer is available
tonight. A representative of TVTN suggested (in a discussion with Norman Adams at the trade show
accompanying the annual meeting of the Alliance for Community Media in Boston in July 2006) that local
sponsors such as restaurants and other commercial establishments could be used to reduce the cost to the
town government to zero, and that other methods of paying the cost are possible. However, how any
method would work in detail needs precise and complete explanation by a TVTN representative.
A significant issue is how such use of sponsors would be viewed by Comcast inasmuch as Comcast does
not allow advertising on community access channels.
Larry says that he will get in touch with TVTN and ask for a representative to appear at one of our
meetings in the near future to talk about how much money is involved, where the money can come from,
alternate plans and arrangements, and so on.
There is a discussion of what possible sources of sponsorship might be available, and what elements of the
town government might be interested one way or another. Various local agencies and categories are
suggested:
Fire Department
Police Department
Library
Schools
Public Works Department
Golf
Brewster Whitecaps
Council on Aging
Thrift Shop
Chamber of Commerce
Post Office
other federal agencies
No doubt further additions to this list will come to mind later.
Walter agrees to develop a sketch of questions to be asked of such agencies and categories.
There is a brief discussion of the present status of the Brewster town govenvnent channel and of activities
related to its development and realization.
In regard to this topic Larry has talked with Jill Mason who has been handling the government channel in
Harwich for about 10 years. She runs a facility which occupies 3 rooms in the community center. She is
now afull-time salaried town employee paid some $45,000 per year which is accompanied by the town
benefits.
Larry comments briefly on a recent meeting of the continuing informal group relating to possible
development of closer cooperation among the 6 Lower Cape towns in regard to community access matters.
At the meeting of this group at the Wellfleet COA at 9:30 am on Saturday November 11 there was an
useful presentation by a lawyer specializing in cable TV negotiations from the town side, a William
Solomon. He looks to be much more aggressive in representing town interests than the negotiators with
whom we have become acquainted.
Larry discusses the latest information from Comcast sent to the Brewster Board of Selectmen, which
involves rates and costs.
Larry comments that the 3 year window for renegotiating the cable TV contract is creeping closer and
remarks that we as the responsible advisory group should be thinking about "ascertainment" to support
future negotiations.
The next meeting of the Brewster CTVAC is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Wednesday 7 February 2007. (This
is the regular time for the next meeting ie at 7:00 pm on the first Wednesday of the next month.)
The meeting seems to be out of other business to be taken up tonight. Art Stringer makes a motion to
adjourn. It is seconded by Walter Powers and is passed unanimously. The meeting is adjourned at 8:25 pm.
After the meeting is over Norman Adams reruns the TVTN demonstration in full for Ellie Smith who
missed part of it before she arrived.
Submitted by Norman Adams, Clerk, Brewster CTVAC
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