Public Access presentation informing the public on what Public Access is and why it is vital, Friday, December 3, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. 1.5 hours

Hello All --

Red Emma's (800 St. Paul Street) has invited Baltimore Grassroots Media to make a 1.5 hour Public Access presentation informing the public on what Public Access is and why it is vital. BGM will present on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. The presentation will be short and to the point. We will be brainstorming during our weekly meeting this evening at Unity United Methodist Church on 1433 Edmondson Avenue. Please attend the meeting and present any ideas you have. Also, if you want to lecture, please feel free to be part of the agenda for the presentation.

Thanks,
Kelly

Subject: [BPATV5] Re: PUBLIC ACCESS BELONGS TO ALL OF US CONCERNED CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE JOIN US

From: "Loretto Gubernatis"
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:13:30 -0500
Subject: [BPATV5] Re: PUBLIC ACCESS BELONGS TO ALL OF US CONCERNED CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE JOIN US

Update for next meeting. December 15th, at JHU Conference Room 10 N. Charles Street at 6:30 please call so we know how many people to accommodate.

Call Pro. Petersen at 410-516-2825 or Loretto Gubernatis at 410-732-8263


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

The group tentatively titled Concerned Citizens of Baltimore met for the first time on November 10th, 2004 at 6:30 at the great Blacks In Wax Mansion at 1601 North Ave. Present were the following; Dr. Joanne Martin, Loretto Gubernatis, Shawnte Campbell, James Brumfield, Dave McDuffie, Robert Lighty, Louis Gubernatis, and John Carrington.

It was decided that we would nominate an interim board to move along the process of incorporation. We decided to be a not for profit organization and operate in the democratic manner of election etc. Interim Officers elected were Loretto Gubernatis for President, Dr. Joanne Martin for Vice President, Shawnte Campbell for Secretary, Margaret Locklear for Treasurer and Dave McDuffie as Assistant Treasurer.

A committee was formed to draw up the by-laws. They are; James Brumfield, Louis Gubernatis and Dave McDuffie. They will report their progress at the next meeting. John Carrington will be temporarily in charge of Membership and will draw up Membership application form. Robert Lighty who is in Property Management will investigate possible other sites to house the organization and for meetings. It was decided that we would meet again on December 15th at the same time and location.

We decided to form an Advisory Board who will lend their name and support to our efforts but will not be required to come to every meeting or chair committee’s. Our Advisory Board so far are; Rebecca Hoffberger, A. Dwight Pettit, Dr. Marie Washington, Mary Pat Clarke, Zoh Meyerhoff Hieronimus, Camay Murphy, Catherine Pugh, Nancy Hinds, Pro. Peter Petersen, Bruce Jennings and Tom Saunders.

We do not in any way say that we represent Public Access Channel Five. We have come together for the purpose of assisting in any way the Mayor’s Office and the City Council in doing what is best for the future of Public Access. We would like to be the voice of reason in what seems a cacophony of confusion. It is in harmony and blending that the best music is experienced.

We wish to attest that our dealings (and among us are those who are producers for public access channel five) with MOCC has always been amicable, respectful and we appreciate greatly the efforts that Marilyn Harris Davis has gone to keep Public Access Channel Five Alive and operative during these last few years of turmoil. We feel she is dedicated to the cause of Public Access Channel Five and Baltimore. A truly concerned citizen. If the Mayor’s Office is interested in any of our group sitting on the board that is being formed by MOCC we would be honored to assist.

MISSION STATEMENT
This organization should work for the people of Baltimore and should represent the majority that are not being properly represented by public access at present, that is; children, teens, seniors, women and minorities. It is our goal to enable those who would like to have a voice to get their productions in proper form to be aired on Public Access. We plan to conduct workshops and seminars to encourage the development of a strong Television Industry here in Baltimore. We will charge a membership fee to those who can afford it. We will raise money from two events planned each year. If you would like to join us or support us in anyway please contact us. Or if you know anyone who you feel would be interested in joining us please pass on the information. We have tentatively titled this group Concerned Citizens for Quality Programming in Baltimore.


Here is the list of people who are interested in our group.

Loretto Gubernatis for McDonagh Davis Associates

Nancy Hinds Currently at BOPA, formerly 15 years with Channel 2 news

A. Dwight Pettit lawyer

Dr. Joanne Martin CEO The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum

Rebecca Hoffberger The Visionary Arts Museum

John Carrington Maryland Fun Time for Clear Channel

Shawnte Campbell for Soul Searching Productions

Camay Murphy Eubie Blake Cultural Center

Tom Reyes musician and contact for the arts and minorities

Zoh Meyerhoff Hieronimus Television producer

Dr Marie Washington Board of GBW

Tom Saunders Renaissance Production and city communications commission

Margaret Locklear Arena Players and Board of Fells Point Corner Theater

Professor Pete Petersen, Business Administration JHU, author Great Baltimore Fire

Catherine Pugh for Sister to Sister

Gennine Disviscour Md Historical Society

Christy Hallford Md Historical Society

Marks Chowing Ex Director the Hippodrome

Mary Pat Clarke

Robert Lighty Property Management

Jackie Washington Great Blacks In Wax

Travis Hensen from Great Blacks In Wax

Aaron Androh

Dave McDuffie Economics and Arts Administration

Michelle Sharp from Great Blacks In Wax

James Brumfield Realtor Long and Foster

Melissa De Board Director Top of the World

Marilyn Waranch Clear Channel

Danise Dorsey Jones

Bruce Jennings

Ruby Glover

J. B. Hanson

Janet Caslow Meals On Wheels

Jennifer Summers House of Ruth

Maureen Bryant Children's Advocacy Group

Tod Hotchkeppel television director, videographer..

Sophia Lynn



Loretto Gubernatis

410-732-8263


Please list any names you think might be interested and contact information and I will call them.

Hopefully rich people and charitable foundations will fund public access TV in Baltimore

Dear Editor,

Here is my personal information, and my "Letter to the Editor".

John DeSantis
1113 Scotts Hill Drive
Baltimore, MD 21208

Please know that my address is in Pikesville.

I'm retired. My home number is:
(410) 484-1987

I'm a volunteer with Baltimore Grassroots Media (BGM).
========================================

Hopefully rich people and charitable foundations will fund public access TV in Baltimore

"O'Malley says Comcast agreement was best deal city could negotiate" (title of Nov. 18 article). It was also spoken of in this way by Council members during the City Council session on the 22nd, where it was approved and moved forward for the final vote on the 29th. Based on all that I have heard at the various Board of Estimates and City Council sessions, it's obvious that Comcast has won the day to inadequately fund public access TV in Baltimore in this new 12-year contract, which activity will probably take a few years to even get started in a small way. Because of this it's time for rich citizens in the city and region to consider saving the day and step up to the plate and donate one, two, or three million dollars a year, to be added to the meager funding otherwise provided by Comcast, and make, once and for all, public access TV a super-duper operation and activity for the citizens of Baltimore to use and express themselves in.

Why? Because well-funded public access TV channels, with a few adequate facilities, staff, training, and equipment, will offer great benefit to our youth by giving them an ongoing and non-stop creative and constructive outlet and will help reduce crime, among many other positive things for our city. It will allow them to showcase their many different talents in sports and entertainment, and allow them to express their views on talk shows that they or others create around every important social, political, educational, and economic subject. If it's legal, adults, businesses, and foundations can sponsor and provide rewards of all types to winners in all kinds of contests within the many arenas of sports, education, entertainment, religion, philosophy, science, debate, new ideas, etc.

And everyone can wisely and creatively come up with more and more types of shows in order to lure our treasured youth off the streets and away from gangs, crime, and drugs to help educate them and to give them hope, opportunity, and creative activity in a great many ways.

And all these other individuals and groups can also produce and air their shows on the many channels of public access TV: schools, small and large non-profit groups and charities, religious organizations, social justice movements, youth and senior citizen organizations, entertainers, artists, scientists, poets, actors, writers, musicians, political candidates, and so on.

Amber alert

please look at the picture, read what her father says, then forward his message on.


Maybe if every one passes this on someone will see this child, that is how the girl from Stevens Point was found by circulation of her picture on tv. The internet circulates even overseas South America, and Canada etc. Thanks

Please pass this to everyone in your address book.

We have a store manager (Wal-Mart) from Longs, SC who has a 9 year old daughter who has been missing for 2 weeks. Keep the picture moving on.
With luck on her side she will be found.
I am asking you all, begging you to please forward this email
on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 9 year old girl,
Penny Brown, is missing. She has been missing for now two weeks..
It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone anywhere
knows anything, please contact me at: zicozicozico@hotmail.com
I am including a picture of her.V All prayers are appreciated!!

It only takes 2 seconds to forward this on. If it was your child,
you would want all the help you could get.

Community and Citizen Media Review Board

I just started a discussion forum at QuickTopic for our topic
"CommunityReviewBoard". To join in (or just to read) use your
web browser to go to:

http://www.quicktopic.com/28/H/z7wXnamYjhR

You don't have to register or sign in, and you can choose to
receive email for newly posted messages -- just click the
Subscribe button when you get there.

Public access TV in Baltimore is far more important than the internet

Public access TV in Baltimore is far more important than the internet "Letter to the Editor". By John DeSantis volunteer with Baltimore Grassroots Media (BGM).


In the November 18th Maryland section article written by Doug Donovan, entitled "O'Malley says Comcast agreement was best deal city could negotiate", Mayor O'Malley said that "Public access has been totally eclipsed by the Internet. We have to keep that in mind."

I find it hard to believe that the Mayor could say or even believe such a thing. The internet may be important in its own way, but based on the following thoughts of mine, I'd have to say that public access TV is far more important for Baltimore city:

Well-funded public access TV channels, with adequate facilities, staff, training, and equipment (not as our current unfunded public access channel that is without a staff, studio, and equipment), will offer great benefit to our youth by giving them an ongoing and non-stop creative and constructive outlet and will help reduce crime, among many other positive things for our city, like, just for example: allowing them to showcase their many different talents in sports and entertainment; allowing them to express their views on talk shows that they or others create around every important social, political, educational, and economic subject. Adults, businesses, and foundations can sponsor and provide rewards of all types to winners in all kinds of contests within the many arenas of sports, education, entertainment, religion, philosophy, science, debate, new ideas, etc.

Everyone in our Baltimore community, somehow organized and/or promoted by the media, should brainstorm together and come up with a long sample list of the very many and various kinds of shows that can be produced once we have a real and well-funded public access staff, equipment, and facilities -- especially for the youth of our city, inclusive of, and adequate to, all of their different age groups.

We can together wisely and creatively come up with more and more types of shows in order to lure our treasured youth off the streets and away from gangs, crime, and drugs -- a great variety of shows -- to help educate them and to give them hope, opportunity, and creative activity in a great many ways.

The Mayor, the City Council, the Board of Estimates, and Comcast, should, quote, "BELIEVE" in all this and see to it that it gets funded and put into action -- no matter where the money comes from!

Comcast should supply sufficient funding for public access TV. Because it funds many other communities better the mayor and the city council should vote down the proposed Comcast franchise agreement in favor of a better contract that includes more specifically allocated, yearly renewable funding for public access operating expenses.

From a moral and ethical point of view, a city the size and stature of Baltimore should not be treated in a poorly-funded denigrating, non-caring, and selfish way -- as it has been by Comcast; especially because of the enormous amount of money that Comcast makes off of its citizens each year who buy either its internet service, its cable TV service, or both -- like I do.

If public access TV is well-funded, Comcast will gain a lot more Baltimore cable TV subscribers who will want to see the shows that are produced, as well as all of the goodwill and respect that will be gained, leading to even more customers.

Why should Comcast, a rich corporation, bother with being socially conscious when it comes to public access TV? Because it can help Baltimore heal many social problems. Public access TV is naturally a very fair, uniting and healing social factor in the following important ways:

It absolutely leaves no one out and includes every citizen, rich and poor, every nationality, every race and ethnic group, and every institution and organization: schools, small and large non-profit groups and charities, religious organizations, businesses, social justice movements, youth and senior citizen organizations, entertainers, artists, scientists, poets, actors, writers, musicians, political candidates, and so on. Everyone, no matter what their ideas, reasons, or production formats, would be able to produce video tapes of shows to air on the many channels of public access TV if they ever wanted to -- once in a while or regularly. And everyone will want their friends, families, organizational members (and potential members), to see the shows that are produced -- and small and large businesses will want everyone to see the particular shows that they sponsor.

No matter how useful it is, in the final analysis, how can people sitting alone in a room and being on the internet compare with all of the important real-life activity and interaction for the city of Baltimore and its citizens that a well funded public access TV operation can provide?

If the Mayor, the City Council, the Board of Estimates, and Comcast can't, or won't, somehow work out a deal to put together sufficient funding for public access TV each and every year, no matter what all of their various individual or combined reasons might be, maybe in the final analysis, and in a wonderful save-the-day way, one or more of the many rich individuals, families, and charitable foundations in the city and region will step up to the plate and donate one, two, or three million dollars a year, to be added to the meager funding otherwise provided by Comcast, and make, once and for all, public access TV a super-duper operation and activity for the citizens of Baltimore to use and express themselves in.

Determination of Baltimore Cable Franchise Agreement, Incomplete

This coming Wednesday, November 17, 2004, there will be a news conference in front of Baltimore City Hall, at 8:15 a.m., supported by Baltimore Grassroots Media and other community organizations, as well as individual Baltimore Public Access TV City Comcast Channel 5 volunteers, producers of video shows. They will emphasize that the written and amended Comcast Cable Franchise Agreement, serves the community poorly and it would augment further an inferiority complex behavior by city citizens, which Mayor O'Malley stated he wants the city to lessen, during statement at the 3rd Annual Mayor's Cultural Town Meeting November 8, 2004 at Center Stage, when improving the city's image or appearance to the nation and world.

Also, the City Council will have another hearing of the Cable Franchise Agreement, on Thursday November 18, 2004, 12:30 p.m. There is reason to believe there will be a vote from them at that time.
Already the Board of Estimates has made a vote for the agreement with changes http://www.bpatv.org/City%20Board%20of%20Estimates%20OKs%20Comcast%20deal.doc

Letters have been sent to City Council representative and to media contacts stating the reasons for opposition to present terms of the Franchise Agreement.
The contract fails to include meaningful dedicated funding for public access TV, gives up four channels worth about $77 million, and will create a biased body to oversee the public access channel's management and content.


The contract fails to include meaningful dedicated funding for public access TV, gives up four channels worth about $77 million, and will create a biased body to oversee the public access channel's management and content.

Attempts to pass Council Bill 04-1504 Comcast Franchise Agreement prior to decision of Council Bill 04-1411, Ensuring Public Access Television for the Citizens of Baltimore City, introduced June 3, 2004. http://bpatv.org/Council%20Bill%2004-1411.htm

In addition: It is not in agreement with the City's Needs Assessment by a consulting contractor, Cable Television Needs Assessment Study For The City of Baltimore. http://www.bpatv.org/Cable%20Television%20Needs%20Assessment%20Study%20City%20of%20Baltimore%20PEG.pdf. Pages 1-10, sections 1.1 and 1.2, Key Findings and Identified Needs Summary
advises, annual revenue flow from Comcast, length of contract no longer than 10 years, increase in number of PEG channels, increase of bandwith,
It does not address many areas addressed in document WHAT BALTIMORE SHOULD HAVE: INFORMATION CHART

City Of Baltimore Council Bill 04-1504 Franchise - Comcast of Baltimore City,
L.P. Section 6 Public Services Page 27

City Of Baltimore Council Bill 04-1504 Franchise - Comcast of Baltimore City,
L.P. Section 6 Public Services Page 28

City Of Baltimore Council Bill 04-1504 Franchise - Comcast of Baltimore City,
L.P. Section 6 Public Services Page 29

City Of Baltimore Council Bill 04-1504 Franchise - Comcast of Baltimore City,
L.P. Section 6 Public Services Page 30

City Of Baltimore Council Bill 04-1504 Franchise - Comcast of Baltimore City,
L.P. Section 6 Public Services Page 31

What Baltimore should have:

A specific percentage of the franchise fee should go to public access. (BGM advises 2% of gross revenues for public access; 1% for educational access; 1% for governmental access. 5% franchise fee paid to the City by Comcast goes into a general fund; $0 is earmarked specifically for a public access fund.)
An initial grant, to be used to completely rebuild public access television in Baltimore; a certain fee to be charged per subscriber per month in the years thereafter. (Comcast has given no money for public access equipment and facilities during the current contract.)
At least 3 facilities with video, audio, and editing equipment, as well as training facilities, within easy access of public transportation.. (Channel 5 is run out of the MOCC office downtown – there are only playback facilities and there is no equipment or training available.)
A percentage of digital bandwidth (channel space) allocated for public access. (BGM advises 10% of digital bandwidth (channel space) to be designated for PEG access, with 3.3% specifically for public access. Only one channel, Channel 5, exists. BGM advises 3 Public Channels, #1-Public Announcements and General Programming, #2 Religious Programming, #3 Multi-Lingual Video Programming.)
An organization which is Public access operator which is completely separate from the City and Comcast, has a democratically elected, demographically representative Board, and has an open membership (anyone who lives, works, or is a member of an organization within the City of Baltimore. (Public access is controlled by the MOCC, in facilities which are designated for the use of the City for governmental programming. There is no independent organization running public access.)

Media sources:

http://bpatv.org/bcpa_tv.html
http://baltimoregrassrootsmedia.org/
http://baltimorepublicaccessnewswire.blogspot.com/
City Board of Estimates OKs Comcast deal
Baltimore Mayor's Cultural Town Meeting November 8, 2004. Announcements of New Programs
City Cable Deal short-circuits much needed Public Access, groups say. By Ezra K. Feiser, Daily Record Business Writer
Baltimore Grassroots Media Press Release 10-19-04 Board of Estimates, Mayor to Consider Fate of Baltimore Public Access TV: Mayor O’Malley’s Own Cable Experts Say Better PATV Provisions are Needed, but Comcast is a Major Contributor to His Campaign.
Protesters say deal will hurt public TV
Baltimore Sun: by Doug Donovan Planned TV deal raises concern
City’s Proposed Cable Contract Lacks Public Access TV Provisions
Cable Television Needs Assessment Study For The City of Baltimore
Exhibit VI PEG Access Photos
Council Bill 04-1411, Ensuring Public Access Television for the Citizens of Baltimore City.
WHAT BALTIMORE SHOULD HAVE: INFORMATION CHART
8/23/04: Public Access TV Advocates Call on City Council Members Dixon, Curran, Harris, and Mitchell to Recuse Themselves from Cable Franchise Vote

John DeSantis said at the Board of Estimates meeting on November 10th

Subject: [BGM] What I said at the Board of Estimates meeting on November 10th


Just in case there may be some useful ideas that we can together use to
put into some kind of an action in the future, I want everyone on the
BGM mailing list to know what I composed and read at the Board of
Estimates meeting on Wednesday morning.

Here it is.--John:

========================
Well funded public access TV channels, with adequate facilities, staff,
training, and equipment (not as our current unfunded public access
channel that is without a staff, studio, and equipment), will offer
great benefit to our youth by giving them an ongoing and non-stop
creative and constructive outlet and will help reduce crime, among many
other positive things for our city, like, just for example: allowing
them to showcase their many different talents in sports and
entertainment; allowing them to express their views on talk shows that
they or others create around every important social, political,
educational, and economic subject. Adults, businesses, and foundations
can sponsor and provide rewards of all types to winners in all kinds of
contests (sports, educational, entertainment, debate, new ideas, etc.)

Everyone in our Baltimore community, somehow organized and/or promoted
by the media, should brainstorm together and come up with a long sample
list of the very many and various kinds of shows that can be produced
once we have a real and well-funded public access staff, equipment, and
facilities -- especially for the youth of our city, inclusive of, and
adequate to, all of their different age groups.

We can together wisely and creatively come up with more and more types
of shows in order to lure our treasured youth off the streets and away
from gangs, crime, and drugs -- a great variety of shows -- to help
educate them and to give them hope, opportunity, and creative activity
in a great many ways.

The Mayor, the City Council, the Board of Estimates, and Comcast,
should, quote, "BELIEVE" in all this and see to it that it gets funded
and put into action -- no matter where the money comes from.

Thanks for listening and considering these ideas.

Baltimore Mayor's Cultural Town Meeting November 8, 2004. Announcements of New Programs.

November 8, 2004
Center Stage, Head Theatre
700 North Calvert Street
7:00 p.m.
The 3rd Annual Mayor's Cultural Town Meeting
Building on Success / Building Community

The following announcements during this event:

Panelists Introductions, Presentations, and Speeches:
Moderator: Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, Dean of Graduate Studies, MICA
Presentors:
Gin Ferrara, Director, Wide Angle Community Media - Local and Regional Attention for the Youth. Very generous to them. Numerous films and TV series. Baltimore is International City for better or for worse. What happens in our own backyards are often only heard in our own backyards. Main mission is to work with community groups to tell and hear their own stories. Teach media literacy production, partnerships with Creative Alliance and relationships Enoch Pratt Library. Works have gone to national film festivals and one of their students have received a scholarships to college at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Future hopes are more media distribution and to expand across the city. Hope that there will be a Public Access Channel that will be showing programs in an ongoing way and that we can tell the programming schedule to tell others. Hope to make a bigger picture of Baltimore.
Donald Owens, Artistic Director, Arena Players - Future productions planned. Art is essential to life. Produce plays, have a huge youth theater, learn discipline, value life and air that they breathe. Many have gone on to higher levels and fields. Plays, original writings, Shakepeare, Boliere, to local guy around corner, with Studio 801 and adults, teaching acting, Directing, screen writing, stage managements, speaking, a meeting place for the community. Art involves the community. Improves the quality of life, thought process, evaluating, cultural exchange, teenagers to Rotterdam. There is struggles to survive.
Cheryl Goodman, Founder/Director, Dance Baltimore, Inc.- New organization. There was no dance audience, had no sustained Ballet Company for a long time. Created to identify this audience. Everybody dances in some way or time. Thirty five dance professional companies and individuals met to indentify areas of opportunities, performances, media development, audiences and to know one another. Hippodrome Foundation gave the Morris Mechanic and Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance able to provide administrative management. Can help schools and individuals. Dance Baltimore 2005 will be held at the Hippodrome Theater.
Deborah Bedwell, Executive Director, Baltimore Clayworks - Late 70s were passionate in clay and its potentials. Renovated Mt. Washington Libary and the St. Paul Cos. gave a building. Serve two communities of artists and the City in which it happens. Recruit from all over the world and the United States to enrich cultural community. Provide facilities and new building in 2005. At Mondawmin Mall there is a Clayworks satellite location to work and teach, to reach a community based access. Tour de Clay largest visual arts event in the country in Baltimore, after request National Council of the Education for the Ceramic Arts Conference will be held in Baltimore, five days in mid March of 2005, 5,000 attendees. There will be expansion 2005.
Tom Hall, Music Director, Baltimore Choral Arts Society - Contribute through inspiration, help teaches educate students force in their lives, collaborate with schools, artists, and organizations programs. Holiday sing performance at the Hippodrome, Morgan State University Choir dedicated to Dr. Nathan Carter. 10 worshops for students. 20 to community groups. Group singing great way to generate social capital. Approaching 40th Anniversary.
Mayor Martin O'Malley Comments:

- Important topic and great cause. Really making a difference. Moving and changing the image of Baltimore everyday.
- Greatest assets are are in the arts, people and culture. Humbled by your talents and creativity.
- Constant threats in our young peoples lives, violence in neighborhoods, nuisance fires in schools. Rely on arts and culture to bring up the best things.
- Trying to be a better partner to the arts, by listening.
- Bond Issue H, won, 1.875 million targeting Station North and Highlandtown, Patterson Theater.
- The Bromo Seltzer Building will begin renovation for 15 artistic space housing, gallery, retail space in Fall, 2005. A second stairway will be built.
- Get more grant dollars that can go a long ways.
- 30 S. Calvert St. Studio space by cooperative, Downtown Partnership, BDC, Planning Department. Model for other city owned stable creative space.
- Artscape 2005 will be without light rail operation due to double track construction. There will be pressure on MTA to make travel better.
- Street performance ordinance has been passed by City Council.
- Hired mural program coodinator and to expand program with 10 murals.
- Hired 127 art teachers in school, after, and summer arts programs, with workshops.
- The War Memorial Plaza open area will be changed to grass so that people can sit during events.
- Mentioned inferiority complex. Designated by Forbes Magazine as the "Bohemian Bargain", "has it's groove back".
- Need to expand our boundaries such as University of Maryland.
- Have opportunity to thrive, in light of Federal administration with cuts in funding.

Questions from audience and Answers from the Mayor and Support Representatives

Audience Questions were asked:
Q. How to increase cultural arts on the medias, further Public Access Ch. 5?
A. Metro publication will soon be available, will showcase good news. Learn about the good things, through internet, newsletters. News and media will follow eventually.
Q. Plans to bring back garment industry, fashion shows?
A. Mentioned Baltimore Sun article about Mt. Vernon fashion show, Travis Winkie with Caribbean entourage. Need fashion district. Artscape will be adding fashions.
Q. Recognize Coppin State University. Regarding nuisance fires, need technical assistance, better lighting and sound equipment that many schools don't have to budget cutbacks.
A. Met with Student Council representatives, Walbrook did not have enough art supplies for rally, play the Wiz.
Q. Community based art center. Where to start out?
A. Go to Office for Promotion and Arts. Call City Office of Neighborhoods, Izzy Potoca 410-396-3835.
Q. Great job with Jewish American Festival. Maryland School for the Arts, why not more African American are not involved there. About new Baltimore Arena?
A. Not sure of racial breakdown. Not enough news coverage. Looked like diversity of kids. At opening looked like African American kids. Baltimore Arena is old, looking at making and planning, Greater Baltimore Committee interested. Will not be negative, looking into new arena. Would like it at same place now downtown. Would mean to close it for a year or more. Ramshead will open live events at Power Plant Live! in 2005, to hold 800 people, had only Bohager's tent.
Q. What is status of Morris Mechanic Theatre?
A. Mrs. Mechanic and realestate representatives, with Frances Merrick Foundation, are continuing to consider uses of Morris Mechanic Theatre. There is thoughts that use will be for community use. City officials will also have meeting with them.
Q. What about providing further transportation links from Metro redline, and from airports, etc.
A. Planners will take a look at extending the DC Metro line to BWI Airport, so then a link to light rail, to travel to downtown city events.
Q. Mike Shea, Baltimore Grassroots Media and Baltimore Public Access TV Volunteer, asked why does Baltimore continue to back the present Comcast Cable Franchise Agreement as written, when other cities have received a better terms than Baltimore. 4 Public Access channels lost equals $750,000 revenue per year.
A. There will be changes to agreement concerning minority hiring contracts. Not aware of the Washington DC arrangement. Will tell Comcast that they are treating Baltimore "shabbily". There are decisions in where funding can be found.
[Comcast Cable Franchise Agreement for 12 years will not be ratified as originally written, per mayor and legal department, due to minority contract issues, pending Board of Estimates meeting 11/10/04 and City Council decision pending]
Q. What about extending bar, clubs and restaurant hours like in Washington D.C.?
A. There is consideration in extending late night life hours similar to Washington, D.C.

DCTV, City Council at odds over budget

DCTV, City Council at odds over budget
By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain NewsOctober 28, 2004

Denver Community Television is at a crossroads as it struggles to keep from fading to black in the face of a severe funding cut. On Wednesday, the Denver City Council and Mayor John Hickenlooper gave DCTV a reprieve of sorts by earmarking $265,000 in the city's 2005 budget for the station. "With everything going on in the city, we have stepped up to the plate to support public-access television," said City Council President Elbra Wedgeworth. "Now they have to come to the table and step up. They have no choice now. They are like any other city agency now. They have to submit a budget every year, and there are no guarantees," she said. More than two dozen residents and DCTV supporters criticized the council and administration earlier this week for its decision not to fully fund the station.

Its budget has been sliced by nearly half from the $500,000 it had grown accustomed to receiving since its inception in 1990. That money came from Comcast Cable under terms of a contract with the city, but the pact expired in January, leaving the operation low on cash and forcing the city to come to its aid. Of the $265,000 allocated, $150,000 must be spent solely on equipment. That leaves $115,000 to cover staff salaries and rent.

Community leaders argued that the city should fully bankroll DCTV, contending it is a community asset that has given organizations and citizen groups shut out by the mainstream media an outlet to express their views and air their voices. "Our primary shortfall is that we didn't raise as much money as we should have," said Mark Bussinger, chairman of the DCTV board. "If you don't have access to the airwaves, you don't have a voice in this society."
Denver resident Carolyn Phillips, who produces a show on DCTV with Cole Middle School students, echoed those sentiments. "Its the only voice the minority community has," she said.
DCTV, which has a studio along Welton Street in the Five Points area, broadcasts an array of homespun programs on channels 56, 57 and 58. The budget shortfall leaves DCTV's management, board and supporters struggling to rebuild, said Dr. Agnes Martin, the new executive director of the station who was appointed in August. DCTV's six-member board also has seen a shake-up. Three members have been replaced, and Martin is seeking to recruit new members from area corporations and foundations to help guide the station.

"There are people really concerned about DCTV staying in the community," Martin said. "DCTV will survive. We will be stepping up to the plate. I'm praying everything works out." Martin has proposed a 10-point business plan designed to bolster fund-raising. The first plan of action: The station will launch a membership drive in November and broadcast a telethon in December to try to raise about $100,000 to supplement next year's budget and to avoid cuts in its staff of 12 technicians. Bussinger said DCTV signed two contracts with the city in 2004 that required it to raise 10 percent of its operating budget. DCTV raised $50,000, exceeding its mandate.

Now it's being asked to raise 80 percent of its operating costs for 2005, he said, an expectation "that hasn't been accomplished by any cable public-access television operation in the country." Wedgeworth disagreed. "For a year and a half, we've been trying to find way out of this problem," Wedgeworth said. "They have done zero. The board didn't keep the staff or producers informed. They always thought the city would bail them out."