Will L A Public Cable Channels Comeback? A Plan To Restore Public Studio Facilities

PUBLIC ACCESS SUPPORTERS LINE-UP TO TESTIFY
Stanley Sheinbaum (at podium) Leslie Dutton, T.J. Johnston


Los Angeles, CA Almost sixty people lined up to testify on Wednesday, April 29th at the City Hall hearing before the Budget and Finance Committee on ITA funding for public cable channels. There was only one proposal presented to the Committee to restore public studio facilities. First to testify were PUBLIC TELEVISION INDUSTRY CORPORATION (PTIC) officials who outlined in their one minute presentations how they would restore the public cable facilities. A complete video news report is to be released on the Full Disclosure Network this week.

Members of the non-profit PTIC Board of Advisors who addressed the plan were:

Stanley K. Sheinbaum, Ron Kaye, Scott Wilson, David R. Hernandez, Arthur Poma, Xavier Hermasillo, Sandra Needs, Dr. Charlotte Laws, Leslie Dutton, H. Andrew Thornburg and T. J. Johnston
Many other supporters testified as well and are featured in the upcoming video report.

FUNDING AVAILABLE
The PTIC proposal presented a plan to restore public cable studio facilities, one each year for the next four years. Fourteen public studios and channels went dark this January when Time Warner Cable opted out of providing public access, instead under the new DIVCA legislation they are required to pay the city $5 million per year to be used exclusively capital costs for replacing the public studios. This 1% cable franchise fee cannot be used for any other purpose according to the legislation and city officials told the Council committee they expect to receive the first payment of this money in just a couple of weeks.

HELP PUBLIC VOICE BE HEARD
The concept of public access cable channels, as intended by the FCC mandate, was to provide opportunity and facilities whereby independent producers could record their shows in sound proof studios with editing rooms, professional assistance and training. The FCC concept was to encourage citizen involvement and coverage of issues and events by enabling the public's voice to be heard in contrast to the main stream media and government perspective.

MORE CHANNELS COMING?
With the telecoms now providing Internet access and video delivery under the DIVCA legislation, A-T-T and Verizon are also required to provide public channels in the same manner as are the cable companies. Currently A-T-T has proposed a plan to place all Southern California Cities public programming on one channel in an "On Demand" fashion so that they will be downloaded rather than cablecast. The City of Los Angeles is opposing the A-T-T plan known as U-Verse and insisting they provide separate public channels.

PUBLIC TELEVISION INDUSTRY CORPORATION
A NON-PROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION
For more information on PTIC's Plan call:
David R. Hernandez, Vice President, PTIC 818-448-3403

Leslie Dutton, President 310-822-4449

WHAT HAPPENED TO MULTI-MILLION$ CABLE & VIDEO OPERATOR FEES?

Los Angeles CA The Full Disclosure Network® presents a video news report (six minutes) covering public testimony at a City Council Committee meeting on Information & Technology Agency held on Tuesday, January 27, 2009. The video reveals public concerns and distrust as to how the City has been using multi-millions in cable and video franchise fees. Among those testifying in the video at the public hearing are:

• David R. Hernandez, President L.A. Public Access Coalition
• Arlene Peck, Journalist- Public Access Producer

PUBLIC CHANNELS MANDATED: Multimillions of dollars in Franchise fees have been paid each year to the City by Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications and now ATT, Verizon and other telecom companies. The fees are from gross revenues from monthly subscribers who pay for an array of cable and video channels, that by law are supposed to include public access (PEG) channels.

COUNCIL TO SUE ATT ON PEG CHANNEL DELIVERY? The City Council Committee meeting on Information & Technology Agency has sent two measures to the full City Council to decide on Tuesday February 4, 2009. Here is report on committee action that recommends the Council abolish the board of Information Technology Commissioners and to file legal action against ATT (see report here) for non-compliance in providing DIVCA required public access video channels.

L.A. Budget & Finance Committee Scuttles Hearing on Public Cable Access Funding

DAVID R. HERNANDEZ

http://www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com/

Los Angeles, CA According to David R. Hernandez, president of the Los Angeles Public Access Coalition (LAPAC) the City Council Committee on Budget and Finance deliberately avoided a confrontation with the public when they failed to schedule a public hearing for this Monday, January 12th to consider funding for a designated public cable access channel.

EXTRAORDINARY MEDIA COVERAGE
It is believed the extraordinary publicity generated by the Los Angeles Times Patt Morrison column and front page coverage by Reed Johnson and Fox 11 News was responsible for the delay. ABC Nightline Special to air on Wedesday, Jan 14th 11:30 p.m.

COMMON CAUSE JOINS BATTLE
Hernandez announced on the LAPAC Blog today, that Common Cause has joined the battle to save public access and sent out a massive Email appeal to their members, nationwide, to facilitate Email letters to Attorney General Gerry Brown and City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo to seek injunctive relief under the Business and Professions Code 17200 Section 3 (Unfair Business Practices)against Time Warner Cable for loss of 12 channels and studios.

VIDEO APPEAL FOR ACTION
Here is the Video News Blog, where Full Disclosure Network first revealed the eminent demise of “public access” cable television channels. Featuring L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl with David Hernandez, describing the 2007 (DIVCA) legislation that enabled the Cities to take seize control of the public access TV.

Ed Asner Attacks Progressive LA City Council on Public Access Demise

Los Angeles CA Full Disclosure Network® presents a nine minute video news blog with Ed Asner who appears to attack the "progressive" members of the Los Angeles City Council and challenges them to stop the neglect of the public cable access television channels and to start funding the facilities here in the heart of the media world and Hollywood California. Asner, was especially critical of the City's practice of diverting the vast majority of $25 million in annual cable franchise fees, paid by the cable operators, into the city's general fund rather than supporting the public access channels, as it was intended

FORMIDABLE FORCES FIGHT DEMISE
Ed Asner is considered one of the most prominent activist actors of his time. He has emerged as the second political powerhouse to voice concern about government actions that would destroy America's public access cable television system, joining Stanley Sheinbaum, the former UC Regent and President of the L A Police Commission who has been waging a campaign to convince the California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, to file for injunctive relief to stop the closing of the Time Warner Cable public access channels in Los Angeles.

CITY FAILS TO PROTECT PUBLIC CHANNELS
Without opposition from the Mayor or the City Council of Los Angeles, Time Warner Cable has shut down public access cable channels in I.A. as of January 1, 2009. The City has failed to designate or provide for even one public access channel to fill the void, while approving a plan to retain four government controlled public cable channels.

PROGRESSIVE COUNCIL ACUSED OF KILLING FREE SPEECH
Asner, who won seven Emmy awards for his “Lou Grant” TV series focusing on the news gathering and reporting operations, tells Full Disclosure of his concern that the “Progressive" members of the L. A. City Council have lost their way and forgotten about the importance of free expression and the public's right to public "venting" their issues of concern.

POLITICAL POWERHOUSE TO SAVE PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE IN L.A.?

Los Angeles CA Political powerhouse Stanley Sheinbaum, former Regent of the University of California (appointed by Gov. Gerry Brown) and former President of the Los Angeles Police Commission has jumped into the fight to save public access cable channels and studios in Los Angeles. Appearing in aFull Disclosure Network® Video News Blog (ten minutes) Mr. Sheinbaum describes why he wrote a letter appealing to Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to intervene.

In this exclusive interview with the Full Disclosure host Leslie Dutton,Sheinbaum talks about the importance of having public access cable operations in Los Angeles. As a long time benefactor of the ACLU Foundation and close associate of Ramona Ripston, of the ACLU of Southern California, Sheinbaum says that “public access is important to keep an arm on government.”

In an urgent letter to California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. , Mr. Sheinbaum appeals to him to seek emergency injunctive relief to stop Time Warner Cable from shutting down the 14 public access studios and channels in Los Angeles on December 31, 2008 until such time as the City has made arrangements to replace the facilities.

Letters from other organizations who have appealed to the Attorney General along with Stanley Sheinbaum are:

• David R. Hernandez, Los Angeles Public Access Coalition
• THE CAUCUS of Producers, Directors, Writers & New Media
• Full Disclosure Network® (send Automated letter to the AG click here)

BREAKING NEWS: On December 17, 2008 Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick released the Audit Report on the two City-run government cable channels. In that report she calls for “more diverse programming and reducing costs and enhancing revenues.” Read the Audit Report that is certain to cause concern among independent public access producers, who may be required to pay fees to have their programs appear on public access channels should the City take over the operations after December 31, 2008.

Battle for Control of Public Access Cable Channels: City of Los Angeles Update

Los Angeles, CA The Full Disclosure program will once again be off the air on the LA 36 Cable channel tonight Sunday and Monday due to on-going " technical problems" at LA36, a City funded public access cable channel. However the programs continue to be shown on over 40 other public cable channels throughout California, without problems.

LA36 TECHNICAL PROBLEMS BEGAN
This summer in late July and August the Full Disclosure Network programs on LA36 Public Cable Channel began looking rather strange. At times the video was fuzzy and the audio was so distorted that viewers called Full Disclosure to complain, saying they could not understand what was being said. This problem was not occuring with other programs featured on the channel nor on any other cable channels where Full Disclosure is featured.

UNWRITTEN "DELIVERABLE STANDARDS"
Full Disclosure was notified by LA36 they had determined the source of the technical poblems was the master DVDs that must adhere to "Broadcast Standards" but refused to provide Full Disclosure with specifics. Full Disclosure retained an Audio Engineering firm who met with LA36 management and technical staff to determine how they were transferring the DVD video to their server, as he had already determined no problems with the Full Disclosure masters. LA36 admitted they were not using the master DVDs but dubbed tapes at 2x speed. When asked for a copy of the "Deliverable Standards" an industry term for audio and visual specifications required for content producers, LA36 indicated they did not have such specifications.

NO NOTICE OF OPERATION CHANGES TO PROVIDERS
After problems continued, the LA36 General Manager informed Full Disclosure they had made major operational changes, that Time Warner was turning over control the operations were to be handled "in house". This gave credence to rumors circulating that Time Warner was going to shut down public access channels and studios by December 31, 2008. LA36 claimed technical problems encountered were only on Full Disclosure's master DVDs.

FULL DISCLOSURE RETAINS COUNSEL:
Full Disclosure retained Bruce Maddox, expert audio engineer, as counsltant on the LA36 technical problems. He found the master DVDS in question, to be meet industry standards and acceptable for transcoding. In a meeting with Maddox and Full Disclosure producers LA36 management refused to provide written specifications known as "Deliverable Standards" for audio and video content, instead they agreed to accept three versions (formats) transcoded by Bruce Maddox, for delivery to LA36 for transfer to their new server to determine which version is compatible.

IS IT POSSIBLE?

Will Full Disclosure meet the unwritten standards of LA36?.

Stay tuned for next week's report to learn the outcome....................

Can Closure of Public Access Channels be Stopped? By L.A. City Attorney or Council?

DAVID R. HERNANDEZ,

PRES. L. A. PUBLIC ACCESS COALITION http://www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com/

Los Angeles, CA Producers and community activists are mustering forces to rally support for saving the public cable channels and public access studios in Los Angeles, at a full City Council hearing to be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 10 a.m. in the City Council Chanbers at 200 No. Spring Street, 3rd Floor.

CITY ATTORNEY TO FILE FOR INJUNCTION?
According to David R. Hernandez, President of the L.A. Public Access Coalition (LAPAC) in addition to the City Council's consderations on Wednesday, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is considering a request made by the LAPAC to seek an Injunction under the California Business and Professions Code 17200 to prevent Time Warner Cable from closing down fourteen public access studios and channels until such time as the City has provided alternative and equal facilities in their place.

PUBLIC STUDIO CLOSURE UNETHICAL?
In a letter dated November 30, 2008 Hernandez contends "the action of (Time Warner) closing fourteen public access sutdios offends public policy, is immoral, unethical, oppressive, unscrupulous and causes substantial injury to consumers who will be prevented from viewing independent programs on the City Public Access channels. Read the entire letter here.

COUNCIL TO SEIZE CONTROL OF PUBLIC CHANNELS
On November 22, 2008 the L. A. Council Committee on Information Technology Agency (ITA) approved a recommendation to consolidate all the public access channels into four government controlled channels and sent it on the the Full Council for final approval.

STATE LAW CREATED LOOPHOLE
The controversy surrounding the Time Warner Cable plans to close all public access operations by December 31, 2008 stems from legislation (DIVCA) enacted in 2007 establishing a State Franchising system under the oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission whereby
cable operators pay a franchising fee to the Cities in leiu of operating and maintaining the public access studios and channels. See ITA website for description of recommendations.

L A PUBLIC ACCESS COALITION TO TESTIFY AT HEARING
In addition to civic leader and Producer David Hernandez, some of the LAPAC group expected to attend and speak at the hearing are:

• Shane Devins, Producer
• Missy Woodward, Producer Critter Crusades
• Sally Hampton, Civic Activist
• Dr. Dan Wiseman, Producer Your Neighborhood Council
• Charlie Mount Classic Arts Showcase
• Leslie Dutton, Producer, Full Disclosure Network
• Michael Cohen, Producer
• Dr. Susan Block, Producer
• Charlotte Laws, Producer
• Elaine Brown, Producer
• Lady Cage-Barile, Producer
• Keith Hardine, Producer

L A City Council To Seize Public Cable Channels: Watch 12 minute Video

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® presents an exclusive video report (12 min) on how the L. A. City Council is prepared to seize control of the public access cable channels. Having conducted almost no public debate regarding the 2007 state legislation (DIVCA) that revised and obscured the City's franchising authority and public access requirements, this video reveals the City is going to seize control of all public access channel operations on January 1, 2009.

TIME WARNER WINDFALL Under the City plan, Time Warner will apparently go unchallenged regarding the closing of all fourteen public access cable studios and channels previously required under cable franchise agreements. Instead, the city is opting that Time Warner provide only four public channels to be controlled by the government. Local public cable television producers who oppose the city's seizure of the channels are looking into to legal action to restore the 14 public channels.

Appearing in this 12 minute Video News Blog at the first and only public hearing are:

• Councilman Tony Cardenas, Chairman Council Committee on ITA
• David R. Hernandez, Civic Activist & Producer (http://www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com/)
• Morris Griffen, Community Activist & Producer
• Devon Shane, Independent Producer
• Leslie Dutton, Full Disclosure Network Producer & Host
• ITA Staff members and Representative from the City Attorney’s office

NO DEDICATED CHANNELS FOR PUBLIC The City plan makes no requirement for a dedicated channel for public use. The recommendation was approved the Council Committee on Information Technology Agency & General Services (ITAGS) on Tuesday, November 11, 2008. With the apparent backing of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and after the proposal sat "in committee" for almost two years, an ITA staff member finally and publicly presented a report to Council Committee members Bernard Parks and Chairman Tony Cardenas, who appeared , in the video, to be surprised about the impending death of the public access cable channels.

The Council Committee’s action is expected to be ratified at a meeting of the full Council on Tuesday, November 25 (agenda item 16).

Please Note: The Council Hearing was scheduled with just enough notice to comply with the Open Meetings law, just before the Thanksgiving holiday while the public and the mainstream media is distracted.

At the end of the video viewers are asked to click on the link below where they can send an automated letter to each and every one of the City Council members, City Attorney, City Controller and the Mayor.

Video News Blogs On Hot Topics Move to Cable TV: Sunday & Monday

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® (FDN) presents "the news behind the news" in a Special Cable TV Series featuring six short Video News Blogs covering Hot Topics, to debut on 45 cable channels starting this week end.

WATCH ON L.A. CABLE CHANNEL 36
Nov 2nd Sunday 8-9 p.m. Part 1-2
Nov 3rd Monday 4-5 p.m. Part 1-2

Other Channels & Airtimes

WATCH NOW ONLINE

• Video News Blog #60
  DEATH OF PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNELS? (8:29 min)
• Video News Blog #59
  SCHOOL BONDS -FEED THE BEAST (10:44 min)
• Video News Blog #56
  COURTS & DA REFUSE DEPORTING ALIEN GANGS ( 3 min)
• Video News Blog #58
  RACIAL POLITICS LAUNCH HISPANIC PARK (9 min)
• Video News Blog #57
  DA ETHICS COMPLAINT FILED (8:27 min)
• Video News Blog: #55
  MASSIVE PRISONER RELEASE COMING? (8:15 min)

The series features national and local authorities who hold strong opinions on the issues addressed and in which they are directly involved and knowledgeable.

David Hernandez, Civic Activist, S F Chamber
Bill Rosendahl, L. A. Council, Frmr Cable Exec.
David Brewer, Superintendent L.A.U.S.D.
Monica Garcia, Pres. L A Unified Board of Ed
Guy Mahula, Chief Exec Facilities Division, LAUSD
George Buzzetti, Los Angeles City Activist
Keith Richman, Former Calif State Assemblyman
Geri Ann Hazlet, Superior Court of L.A.
Sandi Gibbons, Spokesman Office of L.A.D.A.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Ed Reyes and Jose Huizar, L.A. City Councilmen
Kevin DeLeon, California State Assemblyman
Gloria Molina, L.A. County Supervisor
Gabrieleno-Tongva Tribal Council Leaders

Althea Shaw, Aunt of murder victim Jamiel Shaw Jr.

Steve Ipsen President, Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys

The Full Disclosure Network® has been produced by twice nominated, Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton and Producer T. J. Johnston. In 2002 the Full Disclosure® special series "L. A.’s War Against Terrorism" was recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a local Emmy Award for a public affairs, informational series. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.

DEATH OF PUBLIC ACCESS TV CHANNELS? Video Call To Action (8 min)

Los Angeles, CA In an eight minute Video News Blog, the Full Disclosure Network reveals the eminent demise of “public access” cable television channels in the heart of the media world in the City of Los Angeles.

This video features clips from testimony of Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, a former Carter White House operative, who served as a Western Regional cable executive and public affairs television show host for Century Cable, Adelphia and Time Warner Cable companies in the Southern California area for over 20 years. Mr. Rosendahl emphatically laments the City’s move to shut down the public access cable channels.

Also appearing in the video is David Hernandez, long time civic activist and currently Executive Director of the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Hernandez describes how legislation sponsored by Southern Californians, State Assembly Leader Fabian Nunez and Lloyd Levine in 2007, sparked the move to shut down public access cable channels.

According to Hernandez, the Nunez/Lloyd legislation provided that cable companies could opt out of providing studio facilities by paying local governments a 2% cable franchise fee, instituting a “State Franchise Agreement” that is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission. In 1984 the Federal Communications Act, was enacted as bi-partisan legislation that mandated public access to cable channels to counter balance the dominance of government-funded cable channels.