Loading...
TC 01-03-96 Television Advisory Committee Regular Meeting January 3, 1996 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7:09 p.m. by chairperson Mike Winch. ROLL CALL Present: Laird Huutsman, Ernest Tsui, Paul Rodwick, Mike Winch Staff: Donna Krey De Anza College: Ron Fish TCI: Kathi Noe Guests: Linda Grodt, Don Yaeger and Roger Magnaghi APPROVAL OF DEC. 6, 1995 MINUTES Paul Rodwick made a motion to approve the minutes as written; Winch seconded and the motion passed unanimously. COMMUNICATIONS Oral: Don Yaeger updated the committee on negotiations between the city of Sunnyvale and TCI to get public access in the city of Sunnyvale. He said the discussions are continuing and the next step is to get someone with technical knowledge to sit down with TCI and Sunnyvale and come up with a list of the hardware that is needed. Roger Maguaghi expressed his pleasure at being involved in the committee and likened the experience to some new computer software called "How Things Work in Busy Town." Written: Donna Krey passed out a "Thank You" note from Linda Grodt to the committee for her grant. Krey also distributed a budget summary and a copy of a letter that she had written to Sandra Acebo at the request of the committee. Also distributed to committee members were invitations to the February 2 Commissioners Dinner and a new grant proposal from David Cain. The new proposal will be discussed by the committee members at their February 7 regular meeting. OLD BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS Response to resident request on perusal of new technology: Following a short discussion on interactive video, the committee decided to pass on articles submitted by Mr. Magnaghi to TCI. Committee members agreed that the inclusion of interactive video on the cable system was something that would have to be looked at by the cable company and Kathi Noe agreed to examine the articles and pass on any pertinent information to TCI officials. Discussion of work plan/goals for 1996: Committee members talked about things that have been achieved and goals that they would like in the new year. Rodwick suggested scheduling a workplan for the commission which would include a calendar for activities relating to grants. The committee decided to agendize the reformation of the grants subcommittee for February's meeting. In addition to the workplan, the committee discussed producing an informational piece that could serve as a reference guide for residents on cable and telecommunication issues. A number of ideas were looked at including question and answer fac/sheets, using the Cupertino Scene as a vehicle for distributing information to residents and a brochure that could be available at various locations within the city. Tsui suggested the commission work as a liaison with the education community and said he would like to see some kind of a meeting scheduled with the educators and include it on the commission's work calendar. Huntsman offered the idea that the commission become extremely well versed in new technology and look at ways to communicate that knowledge to the citizens of Cupertino. Rodwick also suggested the committee might, at some point, put on a cable TV show where they would host a discussion on new technology and perhaps bring in industry representatives to discuss various services. He mentioned that the commission could track the progress of TCI's new system build over the next 30 months and suggested the Cupertino Scene would be a good place to publicize the progress that the cable company was making in building its new system. The discussion on goals will be carried over to the February agenda, giving commissioners a chance to think about other things that they would like to achieve. TCI: Noe explained that there was no written report this month due to the fact that many of the TCI workers in San Jose are either on vacation or ill. She said that she will mail the report to Krey by Monday next week and Krey will distribute that to committee members. Rodwick said he had several questions for Noe and that he was not satisfied with some of the responses he has received from TCI on other questions. He brought out a mail piece that he received listing services and channel line-ups saying that the piece was useful. He asked Noe about TCI's channel guide. She explained that it was more or less a TV guide and because of the printing schedule the information in it was not always as up to date as the preview channel which is aired on the cable system. She said that TCI has no dates as of yet on an interactive preview channel and when asked about putting some information on that preview channel about the public access channel, she said that to insert specific information about an individual channel is extremely labor intensive and it is not something that TCI at this point is willing to do. Rodwick said that he hopes the commission can find a solution to making more infommtion available about the public access channel. The commission decided to agendize for February a discussion on promoting the public access channel. Rodwick also asked what the difference is between an addressable and a standard converter, and Noe explained that an addressable converter is one that can be manipulated at the TCI office, where employees can run diagnostics and make changes in services. Standard converters do not have that capability. She said the majority of converters in Cupertino are addressable. Rodwick also mentioned that TCI has several channels that are shared with different programmers. He said there is no indication as to when the different programs are on and that it is confusing for viewers who, for example, are watching Bravo or want to tape something on Bravo and at some point the Bravo channel switches over to become a different channel. He suggested TCI somehow make it known to viewers when those switches are made so that viewers know what they'll be watch'mg at what tune. Noe agreed that that was a good point and suggested perhaps there could be info,mation on the channel line-up card. She will look into that. City of Cupertino: Krey told commissioners that the city council had approved the ordinance that expands the role of the committee and changes its name to Cupertino Telecommunications Commission. Council will have its second reading of the ordinance on Jam~a~ry 16 and that ordinance will be enacted 30 days following that second reading. She also mentioned that Cupertino Community Services (CCS) was in the process of qualifying Cupertino residents for the 25 percent discount that had been negotiated in the franchise agreement with TCI. The discount applies to low income disabled residents in the city. She also told the committee that there were three applicants for the three openings on the board and the council would be interviewing those applicants later this month. In addition, Krey info~a~ed the committee that there would be education grants available because of the funding from TCI through the new franchise agreement. She said that following a discussion with the city manager, the recommendation of the city will be that these educational grants come fl~.rough the Telecommunications Commission since there is a process already in place for di~ibuting ~rants. The idea would be for educators to apply for funding. The grant funding could amount to about $10,000 a year. Rodwick suggested that a different set of guidelines might be needed for education grants since they would be directly allocated to the school districts. Krey agreed and said she would keep the committee informed as the plan is developed. De Anza College: Ron Fish told the committee that the public access channel will submit 20 entries for the BACE Awards which will occur in May in Newark. He said that the access channel has received its third remote camera so the transition to Hi8 is complete. He also said that he will be taking equipment out of the TV truck that the college built and placing it in a new work station in Studio A. This will enable producers to perform animation and graphics before the studio sessions begin. And he said that the access program called "Access Pub" will be started up again on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. Fish told the committee that he has been researching the idea of putting the public access channel on Channel 1 and he said that he has been told that there are technical problems with that channel. Noe said that is true. She said there is roll-off on that channel and that if it was usable, TCI would certainly be using it. Rodwick said he is against using Channel 1 for public access because to get Channel 1 a converter is needed and it takes public access out of the domain of regular viewers who do not have converters. Fish expressed frustration at being located on Channel 26, saying that his viewership has fallen since the relocation of the channel. The live shows are not getting the calls that they used to. Krey asked Noe if TCI has plans to standardize its channel locations throughout all areas of service, so that public access channels in various cities would all be located on the same channel. Noe replied that this is TCI's intent, once the company' s fiber ring is built around the Bay Area. Rodwick suggested that TCI and the commission beth be used to get the word out about the new location. The committee again emphasized that they will be discussing the idea of promoting the access channel in Febpm~y, using possible public relations campaigns, to get the word out. Rodwiek also asked Fish if it was possible to identify which programs on Channel 26 originate from De Anza College, and Fish agreed that a small logo could be added to the shows as they were aired. Election of new committee officers (chair, vice-chair): Rodwick made a motion to m-elect Mike Wincn as chairman; Tsui seconded and it passed unanimously. Rodwick then moved that Tsui be elected Vice-Chair. Huntsman seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. ADJOURNMENT Rodwick made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 p.m., Huntsman seconded and the motion passed uanimously. The next regular meeting is Feb. 7, 1996. ATTEST: APPROVED: