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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Cable Communications Commission - 12/16/2002 • c; 4.0 1rl�tit' .. 2.t JAN Minutes I`, :F. E 2003 Corpus Christi Cable Communications Commission Corpus Christi City Hall—City Council Chambers, 1201 Leo oprd Str`eWE December16, 2002 . b `fir ftEL��iv® Committee Members Present: Chairwomen Norma Torres, Vice-Chair Joel,Yowell, Sylvia Dancer,Hector Morales and Richard Pulido 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 7:07 p.m. The minutes of the Cable Communications Commission meeting for August 26, 2002 werepproved as written. Staff informed the Commission that the Time Warner Inc./Grande Communications interconnection was complete and that public access programming was being cablecasted by both cable companies. Susan Cable told the Commission that the new Channel 10 PAUG (Public Access Users Group) needed to provide by-laws that required Commission approval. Cable received NuPac by-laws just before the meeting,they were reviewed and they now needed to be modified for Channel 10 PAUG by-laws..Cable stated that she had received some complaints from producers not wanting to work with Channel 10 PAUG and indicted that there was confusion about the responsibilities of PAUG and the organization NuPac. Following a discussion of the NuPac by-laws,the Commission asked Mary Beth Nelson, President of PAUG,to submit the by-laws including the PAUG responsibilities as listed in the.Rules and Procedures, and to post future PAUG meetings. Mary Beth Nelson stated that PAUG was trying to be ahead of the class. She said that rules were generally written and that the proposed fee was previously not charged due to TW doing all the work. Every rule was not cited, as per Nelson, because they are subject to change. The labeling problem had been resolved by-purchasing new labels. Joel Yowell told Mary Beth that PAUG could propose rules,but that the Commission authorized them.Norma Tones asked PAUG to include the five basic functions of PAUG as stated in the by-laws. Cable noted that TW had complained that program applications had not been received as requested. During a discussion of complaint resolution, it was noted that PAUG should review any concerns,bring the findings and recommendations to the Commission for review with possible action by the City Council, if need.Nelson stated that PAUG is trying, but that other commitments arose and that as volunteers they were doing their best.Nelson also added that Cable was mailing outletters that made PAUG'appear as if they did not want public access to work. • SCANNEJI Nelson also said that they had not received any complaints from Cable. Hector Morales asked if the South Texas Informer Educational Foundation was required to have by-laws and the answer was no because they were under a separate contract. Richard Pulido asked how a quorum was determined at their meetings and Mary Beth answered that it varied depending on the number of members that showed up. Cable told the Commission that PAUG meetings needed to be posted at City Hall, as required by ordinance. She also stated that the program id issue had been resolved and that the editing machine was now available at the studio. In addition,Robert Hughes is now available at the studio to assist program producers. Under future action items, Torres suggested that the Commission review and authorize the PAUG by-laws when they are submitted. P. C. Gracia explained to Morales that any complaints, including billing questions, are forwarded to TW or Grande for resolution. Gordon Harp, TW General Manager,reported that some transitional problems had occurred, but that the line of communications needed to be open, so that issues can be addressed. Harp stated that one show had been shown on 18 instead of 10 and that work was being done on the program schedule. Harp said that Tuesdays are the normal cut-off date for programming submittals for cablecasting. Harp responded to a question about DVD,by stating that the format could be possible provided that there was a sufficient number of users to merit the expense to TW. Becky Weaver, Grande Communications General Manager, happily announced that the PEG interconnection was now complete. Public access was being cablecasted , but not without minor problems that should be worked out according to Weaver. She announced that Grande had donated$1,000 to the local Food Bank. She said that Grande would also have some channel and program changes in the near future. During public comment,the discussion centered around Channel 10 PAUG, the collection and delivery of tapes and improvements being made, as well as, working together as a group to make public access successful. Emil Bolden said that he wanted to follow the rules and stated that tapes could be brought to him. Cruz Colomo stated that her program, Coalition for the Advancement of Women,had the labeling problem,but that it was resolved. Mondo Camina said that he missed Robert Hughes, but that it was time to let go of egos to make public access work. In answer to his question, Ray Madrigal was told to take any problems to PAUG. Madrigal said that he was glad to see • Harp wanting to cooperate with program producers. George Iniguez asked about DVD- cameras and if maintenance money would roll over from year to year. Jerome Bradford said that the group believed that the user applications had been submitted, although there was some confusion about them. Bob Clepac said that he reviews tape labels, however the labeling problem was due to the list and tapes not matching each other. Curt Logan, 7113 Laramie, asked if the studio was on a yearly contract and the answer was yes.. Cable explained to Mr. Logan that applications are to be sent to PAUG and that any programming complaints go to Mary Beth..Mark Dicarlo asked that the Commission place their requested items in writing to PAUG. He stated that the by-laws would be amended to read that PAUG administers the user policies with Commission . 2 authorization, instead of reading that PAUG establishes the rules. In addition,the rules would read that complaints be forwarded to the PAUG president and if they were not resolved, they would be sent to the Commission. Dicarlo asked if there was a problem with a fee to offset expenses and the answer was no. Cable also told Dicarlo that the membership needed to sign the by-laws, be voted on by the members and then signed by PAUG officers. Mary Beth stated that she was trying to get the group through transition and they were trying to make the process work for PAUG. During comments from the Commission, Hector Morales strongly stated that he was • disappointed on the P.A. system not working for this meeting. The staff told Morales that they would correct his concern. Sylvia Dancer thanked those people who attended the meeting. She wanted to make sure that the City Council was informed about the meeting tonight. Tones asked Cable to inform the City Council on the issues discussed at the meeting and the effort towards resolution. Yowell said that the by-law request be forwarded in writing to PAUG. He also noted that PAUG meetings be posted at City Hall.. The Commission set the next meeting date for January 20, 2003. The meeting adjourned at 10:08 PM. Minutes submitted by *f1a-0;-°' P. C. Gracia • • 3