HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Cable Communications Commission - 08/26/2002 d .r'
cv -c t�
%
Minutes :'
Corpus Christi Cable Communications Commission`:-- rr; �.;=- ,•,,;
Corpus Christi City Hall—City Council Chambers, 1201 Leopard Street
August 26, 2002
Committee Members Present: Joel Yowell, Sylvia Dancer,Norma Tones and Hector
Morales
Time Warner Staff Present: General Manager Gordon Harp and Paula Kolda
Grande Communications Staff Present: Becky Weaver, General Manager
City Staff Present: Lisa Aguilar, Susan Cable and P.0 Gracia
The meeting was called to order by Norma Torres at 7:15 p.m.
The minutes of the Cable Communications meeting for June 17, 2002 were approved as
written with one correction.
Susan Cable stated that the election for PAUG officers had been held and that they now
needed to be certified by the commission. The commission certified the following
officers: President-- Mary Beth Nelson,three Vice--Presidents; Jermone Bradford, Rene
Saenz, and David McBride, Treasurer and Registered Agent--Mark DiCarlo, Secretary--
Billie B. Wilkerson and Public Relations-- Mando Camina. Cable explained that election
forms were sent to all PAUG users in order to comply with the ordinance requirement.
Mary Beth Nelson stated that officers were submitted and that the city elected to have
another election. Norma stated again that another election was held to conform with the
ordinance requirement.
Cable informed the commission and Mary Beth Nelson that the new PAUG needed to
submit their by-laws, so that they could be approved by the commission as directed by
ordinance. Nelson stated that PAUG objected to the lottery used by Channel 18 (RAUG).
Cable said that the ordinance allowed for an interim lottery. Torres added that a
recommendation could be made to the commission to change the ordinance. Lisa Aguilar
reminded the commission that current programming could continue for 90 days between
now and October 23, 2002, as stated by ordinance. However, Aguilar said that the time
frame between October 23 -Decemberl was not covered by the current lottery, therefore
an interim lottery must be held.
Ralph Alonso, a program producer, stated he was not interested due to that fact that a
clique wanted to control PAUG. Nelson stated that Channel 10 works on a first come,
first serve basis and that a 6 month lottery was currently in place. Nelson presented a list
of names of users wanting to remain with the current system. Morales asked if both user
groups had to hold a lottery and Cable answered that they did.
Robert Hughes stated that the lottery was not perfect because it locks out other users
during the six months. However, the lottery is a way to get members to meet according to
SCANNED
n
7 -
Hughes. Jermone Bradford said that the current system has worked well through all the
different companies that have owned cable service. He also added that perhaps the rules
were not enforced nor meetings held by PAUG, but that Mayor Neal wanted to have a
PAUG group in place. Ray Madrigal said that Nelson at the last minute stated that PAUG
did not want the lottery. Madrigal believes that the lottery is fair because you can draw
for your own time slot. Wilkerson said that rules to the lottery were objected to. Yowell
moved to go forward with the interim lottery, seconded by Morales. Motion passed 3-1.
Cable informed the commission that 51 producers had signed up for the lottery. She
added that a second drawing would be held, so that repeat programming and occasional
users could secure time slots. Cable advised the commission that three programs
requested an exception to the 30/60 minutes program limits. CCISD requested 120
minutes for football, 300 minutes for Title 1 and two separate programs for Del Mar
College. Ron George from CCISD requested a specific time slot for football being
Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Commission voted to allow the programs to have their
requested times but not for specific times. Motion passed. Commission approved Parent
Talk and allowed CCISD to extend to 300 minutes. Cable told the commission that a
producer or a representative (proxy) must attend the lottery without any written
requirement.
Cable began the interim lottery and the first time drawn belonged to Billie Wilkerson.
After the lottery was completed, the commission elected to make it effective on
September 16, 2002. Gordan Harp, Time Warner General Manger, stated that tapes could
be brought to the TW offices during the interim lottery period. Cable mentioned that TW
and Grande Communications, Inc. were working on an agreement to complete the public
access interconnection. She also added that future action plans for the commission to
consider would be to determine the procedure for live feeds, as well as, procedures for
special one-time programming.
Harp, in his quarterly report, stated several community efforts, but pointed out that 50
TW employees were registering voters for the upcoming election. He thanked the
commission for their efforts during the franchise renewal process and stated that TW was
not trying to get rid of public access. Harp was satisfied with the lottery process because
it appeared that most users got their usual time slots and repeat times. He urged the user
groups to take a leadership role during the transitional period and to develop a method to
bring tapes to TW offices. Harp stated that TW had an agreement with Grande on an
interconnection process for public access. Harp recognized Robert Hughes as deserving
the credit for bringing public access to Corpus Christi.
Morales inquired about the responsibility for the equipment that TW was donating to the
city. Cable told the commission that the city was the owner,that the successful public
access studio bidder would oversee it. Cable stated that NuPac and South Texas Informer
Educational Foundation, Inc. had bid on the proposal. She told Sylvia Dancer that KTUB
had a pre-bid proposal, but that they had not submitted a second proposal. The value of
the equipment donated by TW is approximately $ 150,000 added Cable.
Under public comment, Hughes said that he enjoyed video and photography and working
with the cable companies since 1978. He stated that he had enjoyed coordinating public
access and working with the users and that he was not bitter towards TW because they
had taken care of him.
Morales thanked Hughes for his assistance with public access. Rene Marroquin thanked
Hughes and his assistance Michael for helping him with his show. He added that$7,000
was not enough to replace equipment. Marroquin also stated that there needed to be
clarification on the advertisement/political rules and had signed the statement of
compliance under protest. Cable said that the statement of compliance had been in use for
some time. Hughes added that the form was liability protection for the cable provider.
Roland Garza thanked Hughes for putting up with his shows and stated that he was a
proponent for protection of individual rights.
Yowell expressed an appreciation for Harps' comments and in the manner that the lotto
was conducted. He hoped that NuPac would have a similarly fair and equitable lotto.
Dancer thanked Hughes for his good job on public access. Tones wanted to thank the
staff for guiding them during this difficult process. She thanked TW for wanting to work
with the community, as well as, Hughes for his role in public access. Torres stated that
public access would not go away and was hoping that another educational channel would
be added soon. She recognized Roberto Pulido, a new Commission member, who was in
the audience.
The commission did not set a date for the next meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 10:07 p.m.
Minutes submitted by
<a)c, Vmactsh.
P.C. Gracia
Management Assistant
3