city manager

"Good Faith" fun and frolics continued...

CAC members began to inform those present of their respective progress. Which, apparently, they seemed disappointed with. One member just got her list handed to her at that meeting ( she was absent from the previous meeting). Those who did the assignment seemed to all suggest that the answers they received were varied, vague, and they frankly did not see much that could be contributed from the poll. They later thought, however, that it may be a good idea to use what they had received and work out a plan to process the information. That decision came after WCCA and also members in the audience asked for copies of the poll CAC was looking at.

WCCA upon a very quick glance of the poll results, pointed out that it appeared many answers came from members of the Alliance for Community Media, and that CAC should not be surprised of the varied responses. Public Access environment is generally unique to the community it serves. Different communities have different needs, thus the varied answers. WCCA also pointed out that each city or town may subject to varied state franchise laws which will impact the answers and capacity of each center. The quest for such data is really a mute issue. As the city can only work within the parameters now based upon the agreement it has with the cable company. Unless there is plan to ask the Charter to kick in more to support our PEG channels. WCCA's shared it's position that point of ascertainment/assessment process is to determine community needs and base further negotiations or to bring such needs to the table. The window for ascertainment took place between 2004 and Jan 2007, before formal negotiations with Charter.

A community needs assessment would be applicable to the cable franchise license agreement or in formulating an agreement between the public access facility and the city. It would make sense if PEG assessment was done before entering into the formal negotiations with the cable company. That would be part of what is included in the negotiations. We reminded CAC that we are aware of hundreds of petitions, and previous reports that suggested increase funding and channel capacity for WCCA ,the public access component. We asked if the community voices on the subject counted for anything. We also wanted to know what happens with all the work CAC does? Does it go directly, unedited, to the city manager, is it filtered through additional advisers? Understandably, CAC did not want to speculate and answer. CAC members seemed to hope it counted for something. Apparently no one knows for sure. We do not believed this should be such a complicated matter. This is process that is guided by Fed and state law with an industry history that really spans about 30 years ( 22 years in Worcester) . It looks like there is an attempt to reinvent the wheel. Reinventing the wheel will not improve public access in Worcester. Comparing the second largest city in New England with some 50 plus thousand cable subscribers to towns with less than 10 thousand subscribers does not send the message of intent to assure increase capacity for PEG, redefining local programming and reducing it to a narrower definition, serves no positive purpose for PEG at this juncture. Atlanta GA, for example, has a fifteen year franchise with ten access channels thriving due to city encouragement. We see CAC members on a search on behalf of the city manager, to determine even the definition of "local programming", to see what other smaller communities are doing. We see a lot wheel spinning going on. It's nice to know such information, however, the process should really be based on community needs. Many have the impression the process now is more about something else. It is not apparent that something else is to meet community needs relative to Worcester's 22 year old and vital public access. If it is we wanted to know. We asked, how can we trust the needs of the community are making it way to the City Manager and best represented ? "Good Faith" was the answer.
We asked about the white elephant in the room, what is the status of the estimated $1.8 million dollar balance of un used cable funds the city has divided in an account for the government channel account and a separate Educational Channel accounts. We posed the question in the past and again at the last CAC meeting, which was not a quorum. More forms were passed out by the city's rep. We were then told it looks like all that money is now earmarked. WCCA then formally requested copies of the all the documents they were given by the city's government channel director/director of the city's cable division. The chair immediately distributed what copies they had available. We are waiting for additional Government and Educational Channel operational and Capital needs reports as I write this. We need more time to review these documents, but at a glance we learn:
1. That the cable funds are placed in an account labeled the government access account but serves as a holding account for "ALL CABLE funds" including PEG, administrative fees, and renewal offset funding. For the past twelve years of the previous license, the government access channel does not have an account of it's own.
2. WCCA is encumbered immediately from the account, yet we are paid in quarterly installments, any possible interest that may be generated from money intended for WCCA is not reflected. Other apparent government channel or related city cable expense distributions or categories are encumbered as requested.
3.The report seems incomplete it does not indicate any remaining amount committed to WCCA or for other possible commitments elsewhere.
4. The last page provides the government channel/city cable division budget for year 2008.
We noted that after ten years this is the first time we are seeing this after numerous request in past. We are not sure when these documents were produced.

It appears to us, as of 2008, on the revenue side in the city account the city brings forward a balance of roughly, $1.2 million added to Receipts ( we assume is the cable franchise fee) of $1.7 million reaching about $2.9 million. After we deduct a little over $1 million expenses which includes the government channel and WCCA's approximate $647K, there seems to be a balances of 1.9 million.
On the school access channel side, we see a balance forwarded of about $839K, after deducting their roughly $255k expenses, we see a remaining balance of more than $583K. So between the school account and the city's cable account there seems to be over $2.5 million. We pointed out that the city channel director stated that the city and school channel gets 20% each of the franchise, but the numbers did not seem to jive, we asked for clarification and received vague answers. The Education rep did not know about the balance and said he would look into it. One person in audience yelled out "it's a shell game". Members of WCCA asked for accountability. WCCA proposed to facilitate the three PEG channels. When we asked formally, again, for budget operation and capital reports from the city and school channel, one CAC member , referring to proposal WCCA had made offering to facilitate the three PEG channels, questioned the integrity of a Non-Profit facilitated PEG channel. We explained the many efficiencies of that proposal. We guess "Good Faith" only plays in one direction.

To be fare we need time to look deeper into the report. So far it raises a lot of questions. One page seems to contradict another. Supporters of WCCA were not happy campers at last nights meeting. CAC has given us the impression funds may be less, and that the city will taking funds to offset the next renewal, leaving less for WCCA. The amazing current capacity of WCCA is at risk. When it might not need to be. While all we get are vague answers when it comes to underutilized funds remaining in city accounts. This thing keeps dragging on. We wonder why there is so much confusion in the process. We are concerned why CAC seems to us to be spinning it's wheels, why is it that WCCA is and has been so scrutinized while it appears CAC now, after we raise the question, asks the city and the school to report on those balances.
This is all significant on many levels. To name two, with such large balance of funds remaining in the city accounts, implies there was never any need to contemplate a reduction in Capital or Operation funding for PEG. Especially for WCCA ,the public access center, which has been operating since 1986. It raises questions why the information relative to cable funds have not been made readily opened in the past. If we never asked would we have ever been told? "Good Faith" . For the record, the meeting was video taped by WCCA TV and will be posted on line soon.

City Manager's Cable Advisory Committee (CAC) had a quorum last night. They met in room 310 at City Hall. The following is our experience. We ( WCCA TV ) were not first to arrive. Three committee members were there with the representative of the the city govt channel 12, who is also representing the city manager, along with a member representing the WPS Educational channel 11 . As soon as the fourth CAC member arrived the meeting was called into order. The chair passed out an agenda to all who asked for one. A reporter form the T&G also was present.
Their task seemed to be to continue old business, which included to follow up on an assignment they had given themselves two weeks ago, which was to contact PEG access centers which they had on a pre-assembled list, to poll them concerning: The number of distinct PEG entities, How many PEG channels, What percentage of gross revs they receive, How are the revs divided to each entity, Other sources for PEG funds, What level of Capital funds they received and how it is divided up. They also sought answers to how each respondent would define "local programming", if they establish goals, if there are any limitations or restrictions to use of funds, who the LO is and how many subscribers they have.

In other words all the questions that we addressed and we believe CAC also addressed, or should have been addressed during the ascertainment / community assessment period that took place between 2004 and 2007. The franchise expired in Jan. 2007 and the city signed a renewed cable franchise, with a much shorter term, in Spring of 2008. WCCA's Public Access agreement, normally co-terminus with the cable franchise, is yet to be negotiated.

Yes, it did get a little testy.

Read More "Good Faith" fun and frolics

At last night's City Council meeting, Councilor Petty asked City Manager O'Brien when the city would have a new, long-term cable contract with Charter. The City Manager said he thought it would be within "45-60 days."

WCCA gets most of its funding via terms in the cable contract, and in 2007 has been unable to make any long-term committments with its financial future so unclear.

To listen to an mp3 of the conversation, click here.

We learned from reading this morning's Telegram that the City of Worcester has signed another six month extended franchise agreement with Charter.
We have contacted the city today and as soon as we can find out more we will keep you updated.
WCCA TV 13 has been serving the city's public access needs since 1986.
We look forward to seeing the city fulfill community needs as expressed in the ascertainment reports, city wide surveys, testimony and to the tremendous community and citizen support and appeals that have were recently made in favor of WCCA's funding and additional channel capacity.
We look forward to learning what the intentions of the city will be relative our future in Worcester. Keep reading the paper if you hear anything let us know.
We will keep you updated as we uncover more.
Thanks again, for your letters of support, volunteer help,and inspirational support.