Live Leased Access to survive? December 3, 2008
Posted by downwithabsolutes in Uncategorized.trackback
I’m at the Wilmington City Council special “workshop’ where the public will likely ream Council leadership from trying to get rid of LIVE LEASED PUBLIC access in the city, AKA Channel 28. I’ll report if anything crazy happens. Knowing some in attendance, I wouldn’t be surprised if it got a bit rowdy!
542 pm: They’re beginning allowing the audience to speak BEFORE the Council has even been seated in the chamber! These comments are, surprisingly, off the record.
545 pm: Standing room only. This is the most crowded I’ve ever seen the Council chamber.
547 pm: Mandella Khan calls for all issues revolving life, death, taxation, education, should be held after 5 pm every day so all residents can come out to meetings.
548 pm: Mandella Khan brought down the house! Saying essentially the city government is corrupt since Mayor Frawley left office.
552 pm: City Council President Ted Blunt is telling people to move in from the door because it’s too crowded. Maybe be kicked out by fire marshal. Something tells me he’s stalling.
600 pm: Sherry Congo (she of the funeral homes) is running through the narrative given to her by Councilman Norman Griffiths re: the pink slips of Comcast employees. As well as detailing how Verizon, should they enter the Wilmington market, doesn’t want live leased broadcast as part of a franchise deal.
602 pm: The mayor’s communications director, John Rago, has entered the chamber. To report back to his boss, I’m sure…
607 pm: An audience member named “Mr. Blue Chip;” is now speaking. Some of the names tonight have been quite interesting…
610 pm: County Councilman Jea Street has a representative read a letter supporting live leased access.
613 pm: Some chick got up to the mic: “First and foremost, I’d like to thank my God for bringing me here tonight.” Oh my…
618 pm: City Council Prez Ted Blunt offers his speech: supports leased access…likes life, but the contract never stated live leased access…loves seeing the committment from the public…yadayada. Spanks audience for not coming out to more meetings ie shootings in Wilmington. One audience member is heckling: “What about the HOPE Commission? It costs a million dollars!” Audience is getting a little rowdy!!
623 pm: Special session is adjourned. Regular meeting starts at 630. Councilman Charles Potter says a resolution will be introduced as it relates to this issue. I’m leaving.
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downwithabsolutes
Dominique
Mike Matthews
Say hi to Ted Blunt for me!
It would really suck if the cut channel 28 because; programs on 28 have been reaching out to bring important information to the community! Red Clay has their weekly show for year! Better yet just yell out Kilroy said, Fuck you Comcast !
Getting rid of live access TV? Stupid idea. And I love that some chick thanked “God” for letting her be at a Wilmington City Council meeting. As in anyone needed further proof there is no “God”….
547 pm: Mandella Khan calls for all issues revolving life, death, taxation, education, should be held after 5 pm every day so all residents can come out to meetings.
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Please, can someone tell this to county council?
What will I do w/o my weekly dose of local laughter during “Community Crossfire??”
Could not hear the broadcast today on any of my computer sites! Everything OK?
Sound came through, but very low, could not get volume.
For those Delaware libbers who never heard of Coalition for Community Organizations…well you heard now…Mandella Khan our Chairman. Always speaks truth to power! Citizens kicked ass! Way to go Wilmington…when the people stand up, the asskissers sit down. I don’t think there ever was a letter from Blunt to Comcast, and Potter asked to see the “so called letter”…bet it never shows up….Ted says, “we got assurances from Comcast…what assurance is it in writing Ted?
Potters resolution supported 13-0! Guess when 200 people show up…the city council starts looking at the votes and do the right thing. We are not letting up there will be another meeting this Friday night..the pressure will be kept up until we see the deal in “black and white”.
No more “Positive Promotions” as well? I wish the production level of Channel 28 was even as good as Matthews camera… It’s all going to go “Youtube” in a few years anyway.
Comcast equipment is so old…and they never put out a dime for “sets”, won’t permit the shows to bring their own in either. Not sure what the studios are like on Rt. 13, but when Blunt says they will keep live, he does not define where the production will be located. We want to stay on Lancaster Ave, with the staff we have been working with for years. Some of the production people have been there 14 years or more, they are like family to us.
Andrew: whats a “Positive Promotion”? And no, Chan. 28 wont be going to Youtube as there are no copies kept. There is one copy and that goes to the producer, Comcast keeps nothing.
Folks, ‘leased access’ and ‘public access’ are two entirely different entities. While ”public, educational or governement access” channels are creatures of the franchise, leased is a creature of Congress. All, that’s ALL, cable sites are required to make available ‘leased access’ if requested properly.
Ck out http://www.leasedaccess.org
Liz: http://www.posprotv.com/, it’s Tim Qualls’ production company and he seems to run quite quite the monopoly on cheezy graphics and microphones turned up way too loud. He has a studio in Christiana, DE and can be found at every car dealership and farmers market in the state. That all being said, he’s a fairly nice guy and he’s the only guy in the state trying to bring a “what’s going on around town” style show for DE / New Castle County.
Here are a few reasons why the Tim Qualls show cannot die… and Mike, feel free to play these clips on your show when talking about public access.
His name is “Superstar Ray Elvis” and he is (was?) a bagger / cart pusher at the Pike Creek ACME (and partially the bane of my existence for a few years. Via public access i’ve come to grow found of him and he’s ripe to be picked as another Howard Stern freak.
Wow. People up in Wilmington really need to get lives. No jobs, folks getting killed in the streets, incompetent politicians, and you get PO’d about public access cable???