WCCA Files a Petition to the City Council

WCCA presented a petition to the city council last night, asking for closure
and for the city to settle a new contract with WCCA before the end of
June. Councilor Rosen lead a motion by the council asking the city manager
to finalize a contract with the well liked station (WCCA)by the end of
June if possible. The motion passed unanimously. Mayor Lukes agreed , adding that it is time for closure on this matter.

WCCA has submitted a draft proposed contract which includes similar practical oversight and contractual obligations that has made WCCA's growth over the past 12 years possible. We sincerely hope the city manager will continue to allow WCCA to continue to meet community media needs and continue as a cutting edge public access model. As I said before, either the city leaders will support WCCA as an empowering community resource for all, or it will compromise it.

PETITION on behalf of many signatures and supporters of WCCA to the City Council:

WCCA TV respectfully seeks a time line for the process to settle a new contract
with WCCA to be completed before the end of June 2008.
We are of course grateful to the City for its excellent support all these years
since 1986. WCCA appreciates another extension and we welcome and agree
with due process and consideration.
In fact, congressional and state cable franchise law includes language that
includes due process, specifically, the opportunity for the licensing authority (i.e.
City of Worcester) to conduct an ascertainment process that must include a
community needs assessment, and that it should be completed before signing
an agreement with the cable company.
Whereas the city has already conducted an ongoing comprehensive
assessment of PEG needs since 2004, which has included substantial
documentation from a number of community groups including the Cable
Advisory and the Public Service and Transportation Committee, Riedel
Communications, and others, attesting to, in addition to demonstrating, a
community need and recommending support for WCCA's continued capacity for
increase growth, establishing WCCA's legitimate capital and operational life line
needs.
Whereas this was all appropriately done before signing the agreement with
Charter Communications and we were made aware that the city manager
conducted negotiations with sensitivity to such assessment needs concerning
WCCA TV.
Whereas the City has signed a cable renewal franchise with Charter,
we believe it is now in the best interests of both the City and public access, for
the City and WCCA to move forward with a new long term public access
contract with the City, which in the past has always been co-terminus with the
cable franchise, on a timely basis. We respectfully seek for this process to be
completed before the end of June. The city manager has given this matter due
public process , it is now a matter of closure. The welcomed extension may
allow WCCA to continue until September. The extension does not address long
term program needs, staffing, capital needs, planning to address growing
community needs that WCCA would like to be able to meet. Ten years ago we
had three employees, today we have ten and need more to better serve
Worcester's community media public access needs.
We are hopeful that the City Manager gives weight and due consideration to
tremendous amount of work, documentation and recommendations that has
already been completed and submitted to him, and that the city recognizes
WCCA’s legitimate need for a new contract with the City, so Public
Access/Community Media can move forward with secure and reliable funding
and growth, enabling WCCA to undertake operations with reasonable
contractual commitments from the City.
Respectfully Submitted May 27, 2008
Mauro De Pasquale, WCCA TV 13, “The People's Channel”

The following information has been sent to assist the City Manager to assist the Cable Advisory members with his review of best practices:
democraticmedia
more PEG

Buske Group Consultants
Ourchannels Worcester Assessment with viewer survey
Save Access
Cutting Edge Public Access website