FASIMBAS IN SESSION FOR THE 23 JULY EARTHDAY OF THE EMPEROR @ THE SIDEBAR DOWN TOWN BALTIMORE MARYLAND. FOR THE MIDATLANTIC BICYCULTURE GATHERING 4PM-7 PM. LATER ON IN D.C ON WPFW FM.FASIMBAS WILL BE ON RASTA PUNCH RADIO SHOW TO PROMOTE THE UPCOMING AUGUST THE 2 nd. POSITIVE MASSES FEATURING DUB & ROOTS FOR AFRICA FOR THE www.admp.org FUNDRAISING....
The African Diaspora Medical Project, www.admproject.org , is a not-for-profit medical relief organization that identifies and/or develops projects in Africa, supporting them with the technical, personnel and material assistance necessary to create successful health- related initiatives. In addition to fulfilling the health care needs of the people of Africa, the ADMProject is dedicated to educating the public and increasing overall donations to medical projects.
Two mainstay programs of the ADMProject are the Hands-to-Hands and the Open Arms programs. Hands-to-Hands is a network by which medicines, supplies and equipment are collected from various sources for the purpose of supplying African health facilities with those items necessary to provide good health care. The other, Open Arms, is our response to the orphan crisis brought on by poverty, disease, inadequate medical care and the AIDS pandemic affecting Africans today. UNICEF estimates that within the next 3 years nearly 15.7 million children will be orphaned by AIDS throughout Africa. The focus of this program is to develop orphan-relief projects to ensure adequate housing, education and access to health care for these displaced and vulnerable children. The ADMProject currently is working in Cameroon with future projects planned for Togo and Kenya.
To sum up, I am asking for your help in this worthwhile cause that deserves our immediate attention and consideration. Please, I appeal to you to make a tax-deductible contribution to help fund the cost of making these programs possible. Your sponsorship will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Lenox S. Dingle, Jr., M.D., CEO
Proceeds to benefit the African Diaspora Medical Project’s Cameroon Orphan Relief
& Blacks in Government’s Scholarship Fund
The African Diaspora Medical Project is a not-for-profit medical relief organization dedicated to improving the delivery of healthcare to Africa and its Diaspora.
BIG® is a national non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization that serves as a support, advocacy and resource group for African Americans in the Federal, State and local government. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services chapter of BIG provides annual monetary scholarships and mentorship to high school students.
For more information please contact:
ADMProject - 410-814-3381
The African Diaspora Medical Project is a 501(c) (3) organization. All donations are tax-deductible.
Community Media of Baltimore City or CMBC, the new website will be www.cmbc.tv. Baltimore City Comcast Public Access Channel 75 daily show schedules.
Maryland is on the front line of the fight for
Internet freedom.
Verizon and Comcast lobbyists are now descending
on the state capitol to kill a bill that would help protect Net
Neutrality -- the principle that keeps big companies like these
from controlling where you go and what you can do online.
This important bill (HB 1069) was put forward
last week by Del. Herman Taylor. He is standing up for the
Internet, working to keep it open and free, and making sure that
everyone can get high-speed access in their neighborhood.
Verizon and Comcast are sending in dozens of
lobbyists to speak against the bill before a legislative
committee hearing scheduled for next Tuesday.
It's time the people of Maryland pushed back.
Your state legislator needs to hear from you now: Protect Net
Neutrality! Support HB 1069!
Here are two things you can do to help:
1. Call now and tell your state
representative to vote YES on House Bill 1069.
Your
State Representative
Phone: 800-492-7122
Click here for
a sample script.
Then, please tell us about your call by clicking here.
2. Attend Tuesday's open hearing in Annapolis
to show your support for Net Neutrality in Maryland:
WHAT: Legislative Hearing on Maryland Net
Neutrality Bill (HB 1069)
WHEN: Next Tuesday -- February 27, 2007
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Room 230, House Office Building, Annapolis, MD
Anyone who wants to can show up and testify,
as long as you are there by 12:00 p.m. (noon).
Without this bill, Verizon and Comcast would be
free to gut Net Neutrality, cherry-pick which communities
receive high-speed broadband and video services, and ignore
consumer protections.
With your help in 2006, we stood up to the phone
and cable companies in Washington, D.C. By speaking out today,
you send a powerful message to your representatives: Maryland
needs an open Internet for everyone.
Thank you,
Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
1. Read this analysis of the Maryland Bill from
our allies at Public Knowledge: http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/831
2. Want to do more to save the Internet in
Maryland? Click
here.
3. To stay up to date on the issue, visit our
blog at SavetheInternet.com.
Ex Parte
Ms. Marilyn Dortch Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554
Re: Implementation of Section 621(a)(1) of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 as amended by the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, MB Docket No. 05-311
Dear Ms. Dortch,
This letter is to record the topics discussed in meetings with Commission staff on December 13, 2006. Face-to-face meetings were held with staff from offices of Commissioners Adelstein, MacDowell and Copps. The attached comments letter for the meeting was dropped off in the offices of Chairman Martin and Commissioner Tate.
In addition to discussing the comments in the attached letter, the following items were discussed:
Net Neutrality The PEG Access community is forced to take an interest in strong net neutrality enforcement. This is made necessary by the suggestion that, in the proposed IPTV or similar environment, Access operations would have responsibility for delivering our signals to the new entrant using internet resources purchased from the provider. Further, the to-the-home delivery system also makes use of the internet. Our small, generally under-funded operations would be subject to the prohibitive fees charged for the high-speed, priority video carriage necessary in the operation of a television channel. The provider would have two motivations for charging the highest fees possible: To increase profit; and To regain the bandwidth abandoned by PEG operations unable to meet the costs of transmission. Only Net Neutrality provisions can prevent this scenario in the absence of clear transmission requirements of video providers with regard to PEG.
Parity We discussed the need for parity between the new entrant and incumbent providers. It is clear that the incumbent will demand to compete on equal terms with the new entrant and will seek to abrogate any agreements which place them at a competitive disadvantage. If the requirements of the new entrant are lower than those of the incumbent, we will initiate a race to the bottom with regard to public obligations. This could affect issues of PEG channel capacity and support, the ability of PEG and I-Net to serve the entire community, transmission of PEG signals to the video providers and more.
Pre-Emption of Democratic Process Special emphasis was placed on the need to honor the legislative process of the past year. We also expressed the belief that the questionable legal authority supporting some proposed rules would lead to substantial and unnecessary legal costs for public interest organizations, governmental offices and the private sector.
We appreciate the time given us by the Commission officers and remain available to provide any further information or clarification needed in your deliberation process.
Sincerely, Anthony Riddle Executive Director December 13, 2006
Mr. Kevin J. Martin Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554
Mr. Jonathan S. Adelstein, Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554
Mr. Michael J. Copps Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554
Mr. Robert M. MacDowell Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554
Ms. Deborah Taylor Tate Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 2055
Re: Implementation of Section 621(a)(1) of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 as amended by the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, MB Docket No. 05-311
Dear Chairman and Commissioners,
On behalf of the more than 3000 Public, Education and Government Access (PEG) channels nationwide, the 250,000 community organizations we serve, the 1.2 million volunteers who make it work, and the tens of millions of viewers who benefit and enjoy their offerings, the Alliance for Community Media calls on the FCC to promote competition only while preserving the treasure of local, community controlled media.
The Alliance supports completely the fundamentals presented by NATOA in its ex parte filing on behalf of NLC, NACo, USCM, ACM and ACD on December 12, 2006, two of which fundamentals may be summarized as follows: The proposal lacks clear legal authority and will result in litigation. The deadline structure for franchise negotiations will likely result in bad faith negotiations and may be followed by potentially dangerous use of public rights-of-way without local oversight.
The purpose of our meeting today is to emphasize several matters of extreme concern to the national Access community.
Geographic Discrimination The proposed rule lacks a remedy for geographic discrimination. Our local communities use PEG facilities every day as a means of engaging our citizens in the democratic process. PEG provides access to city services, educational resources and job training. Democratic participation in PEG activities should be for all and should be not based on any company's business plan. The public-right-of-way is owned by all in our community, not just those in an area lucky enough to be served. We believe that inevitable market imbalances must be anticipated by the FCC, as they were by Congress, and that any rule-making must provide these three elements: A) A standard for identifying imbalances in service. B) A party responsible for identifying the imbalance-logically, the municipality. C) A means for prevention or remedy of the imbalance if it occurs
Reduction of PEG Support The proposed rule reduces the support for PEG or other community media services from what is allowed by current Federal law. This is a somewhat arbitrary reduction which will hurt our communities. It is even in direct contradiction to language authored by telephone companies and already passed in key states such as California and Texas.
Attached to this letter is a chart which shows the disastrous effect this reduction would have on PEG facilities around the country. Many facilities would be completely wiped out. This is made doubly destructive by the lumping together of PEG, I-Net and other communications services into a single category with the video provider left to determine their market value as a deduction from franchise fees.
Furthermore, history shows that reduced PEG support has had no demonstrable effect on either subscriber price or level of competition in municipalities where it has occurred. Subscription rates are not tied to incremental program costs, but to the maximum amount a customer is willing to pay for cable.
These reductions would disrupt and destroy a valued community resource with no positive effect on either competition or rates.
PEG Channels and New Providers It is essential that new video entrants be required to provide channels for PEG. We understand that such a requirement may not be included in this rule-making. This would be a mistake that would hurt democratic public dialogue. It would create an advantage for new entrants over existing providers who have such an obligation. It would do nothing to encourage more robust roll-out of bandwidth or of technologies which make more efficient use of exiting facilities.
Our Noisy Democracy For the past several years, we have all been engaged in a powerful political process at both Federal and State levels in order to determine where we as a people-both business and citizenry-ought to go in the next decade of technical change. It has been exhausting for all: proposals and counter-proposals, organizing and advertising, pleading, demanding and negotiating. But it has also been exhilarating.
As you survey this country from the heights of the Commission, you should be deeply moved by the way that your country has taken up these issues of communications-issues which, at one time, would have been beyond the gaze of average citizens are now recognized by millions as vital to our national character.
We hope that the Commission will recognize this noble process of community decision-making and allow it to find completion in the venue which was intended for it by the framers of the Constitution-in the Legislature, to be decided by representatives elected by and directly accountable to the people of the United States.
We look forward to working with the FCC to determine a community franchising process which supports both competition and community fairness. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments.
Sincerely, Anthony T. Riddle Executive Director Alliance for Community Media
CC: Christina Pauze Chris Robbins Heather Dixon Rudy Brioche Bruce Gottlieb
Annual PEG Support Funding From Cable Companies
MINNESOTA Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If 05-311 Allowed 1% of gross revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues St. Paul $1,437,000 ($761,000 for operations, $676,000 for equipment) $361,000 $1,076,000 (75%) Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, Shoreview, St. Anthony $1,046,023 ($951,629 operating grant, $94,394 equipment grant) $218,022 $828,001 (79%) Birchwood, Dellwood, Grant, Lake Elmo, Mahtomedi, Maplewood, North Saint Paul, Oakdale, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Willernie $811,000 ($771,000 for operations, $40,000 for equipment) $222,000 $589,000 (73%) Blaine, Centerville, Circle Pines, Ham Lake, Lexington, Lino Lakes, Spring Lake Park $591,190 (for operations and equipment) $139,188 $452,002 (76%) Eagan, Burnsville $647,982 (for operations and equipment) $225,237 $422,745 (65%) Andover, Anoka, Champlin, Ramsey $357,000 ($311,000 for operations, $46,000 for equipment) $125,506 $231,494 (65%)
Annual PEG Support Funding From Cable Companies
MINNESOTA Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth, Robbinsdale $716,266 (for operations and equipment) $500,000 $216,266 (30%) Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake, West St. Paul $293,000 ($235,000 for operations, $58,000 for equipment) $135,000 $158,000 (54%) Cities of Stillwater, Oak Park Heights, Bayport, and the Townships of Baytown and Stillwater $109,000 (for operations and equipment) $38,300 $70,700 (65%)
MARYLAND Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Montgomery County $3,703,519 ($2,013,993 for PEG operations plus $236,100 for PEG capital plus $1,453,426 for I-Net operations) $1,787,200 $1,916,319 (52%)
WASHINGTON, DC Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Washington, DC $2,160,000 $1,080,000 $1,080,000 (50%)
Annual PEG Support Funding From Cable Companies MASSACHUSETTS Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding state law-mandated franchise fee of $1.20/sub/year to State and LFA)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Barnstable, Yarmouth, Chatham, Dennis, Harwich $1,714,482 ($1,663,982 [4.5% of gross revenues] plus allocation of $505,000 in initial grants) $369,774 $1,344,708 (78%) Cambridge $1,215,148 ($965,148 in 2005, plus $150,000/yr. grant, plus allocation of $1,000,000 capital grant) $193,030 $1,022,118 (84%) Newton $974,502 ($833,502 [4% of gross revenues], plus $80,000/year in other grants, plus allocation of $610,000 in initial grants) $208,375 $766,127 (79%) Worcester $985,000 ($900,000 [3% of gross revenues] plus allocation of $850,000 in initial grants) $300,000 $685,000 (70%) Billerica $594,721 ($539,721 [5% of gross revenues] plus $55,000/year in capital grants) $107,944 $486,777 (82%) New Bedford $591,098 (3% of gross revenues) $197,033 $394,065 (67%) Malden $457,500 ($400,000 in 2005 plus allocation of $575,000 initial capital grant) $96,970 $360,530 (79%) Plymouth-Kingston $443,050 ($410,000 [3% of gross revenues] plus allocation of $330,500 in initial grants) $136,667 $306,383 (69%) Norwood $335,000 ($305,000 [5% of gross revenues] plus allocation of $300,000 in initial grants) $61,000 $274,000 (82%) Fall River $385,000 (2% of gross revenues) $192,500 $192,500 (50%) Holliston $131,998 ($106,998 [5% of gross revenues] plus $25,000/year in other grants) $21,400 $110,598 (84%) Carver $82,300 ($74, 000 [3% of gross revenues] plus allocation of $83,000 in initial grants $24,667 $57,633 (70%)
Annual PEG Support Funding From Cable Companies OREGON Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Portland $3,000,000 (3% of gross revenues) $1,000,000 $2,000,000 (67%) Multnomah County $561,000 (3% of gross revenues) $187,000 $374,000 (67%) Salem $400,000 (1.5% of gross revenues) $265,000 $135,000 (34%) McMinnville $73,297 ($1.00 per subscriber per month) $43,215 $30,082 (41%)
VIRGINIA Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Fairfax County $4,500,000 (3% of gross revenues) $1,500,000 $3,000,000 (67%) Arlington County $1,439,000 ($855,000/year; plus $584,000 in 2005 -- 1% of gross revenues) $591,500 $847,500 (59%)
ARIZONA Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Tucson $1,500,000 ($1.35 per subscriber per month) $700,000 $800,000 (53%)
MICHIGAN Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Bloomfield Township $313,243 (3% of gross revenues plus $33,500 annual grant) $97,910 $215,333 (69%)
Annual PEG Support Funding From Cable Companies
CALIFORNIA Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Santa Maria & Lompoc $464,000 ($395,000 in 2005; plus allocation of $69,000/year, from $828,000 initial grant) $142,200 $321,800 (69%) Glendale $613,333 ($600,000 in 2005; plus allocation of $13,333/year, from $200,000 initial grant) $300,000 $313,333 (51%) Ventura $350,292 ($263,625 in 2005; plus allocation of $86,667/year from $1,040,000 in Yrs. 1-3 grants) $146,050 $204,242 (58%) Gilroy, Hollister, San Juan Bautista $259,471 ($189,471 in 2005; plus allocation of $70,000/year, from $700,000 initial grant) $63,157 $196,314 (76%) Monterey $231,622 ($151,622 in 2005; plus allocation of $80,000/year, from $800,000 initial grant) $68,571 $163,051 (70%) Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton $304,295 (88 cents per subscriber per month) $163,902 $140,393 (46%) Humboldt County, Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, Ferndale, Blue Lake, Rio Dell $293,750 ($200,000/year; plus allocation of $93,750/year, from $750,000 in Yrs. 1-2 grants) $180,000 $113,750 (39%) Oceanside $487,333 ($214,000 in 2005; plus allocation of $273,333/year from $4,100,000 in Yrs. 1-3 grants) $389,538 $97,795 (20%) Santa Rosa $316,667 ($150,000/year; plus allocation of $166,667/year, from $2,500,000 in other grants during franchise term) $260,000 $56,667 (18%) Monrovia $83,000 ($46,000 plus 1% of gross revenues) $37,000 $46,000 (55%) Lawndale $60,000 (2% of gross revenues) $30,000 $30,000 (50%)
Annual PEG Support Funding From Cable Companies
OHIO Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Cincinnati $756,000 ($0.96 per subscriber per month) $497,956 $258,044 (34%) Forest Park, Greenhills, Springfield Township $161,665 ($1.06 per subscriber per month) $118,682 $42,983 (27%)
WISCONSIN Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues West Allis $200,000 (annual grant) $104,400 $95,600 (48%) River Falls $44,500 ($1.32 per subscriber per month) $15,790 $28,710 (65%) Madison $388,000 ($0.60 per subscriber per month) $360,000 $28,000 (7%)
ILLINOIS Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Urbana $162,536 (2% of gross revenues) $81,268 $81,268 (50%)
KANSAS Franchise Area Current PEG Annual Funding (excluding franchise fees)* PEG Annual Funding If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues PEG Annual Funding Loss If MB 05-311 Allowed 1% of Gross Revenues Salina $135,000 (70 cents per subscriber per month) $95,549 $39,451 (29%)
Proposed Operating Rules and Procedures for Community Media of Baltimore City
CMBC
ELIGIBILITY and MEMBERSHIP
Only individual or organizational members in good standing are permitted to submit programs for telecasting, to register for training, and to use the production facilities and equipment of CMBC. Members are in "good standing" when they have no unpaid charges, no pending disciplinary actions or citations for violating these policies or any rules and operating procedures. Minors are permitted to be producers, provided that an adult member, a parent or legal guardian assumes supervisory, legal and financial responsibility for a minor, submits the necessary forms and documents, and is present whenever a minor is in the field with CMBC equipment.
Producers must be residents of the City of Baltimore. A non-resident producer must have a sponsor who is a resident of the City of Baltimore and who is a member in good standing.
All producers and sponsors must submit proof of legal identity and bona fide residence upon initial application and renewals thereof. All phone numbers where the member can be reached must be provided. Changes of address and telephone number(s) must be reported promptly. Individuals must present government-issued photo identification (driver's license or passport) and proof of residency. Proof of residency can be established with a current document-less than 60 days old-addressed to the applicant and issued by a school, a government agency, a utility or an employer.
Producers are permitted to use their aliases or artistic names in their programs, in addition to their legal identities, but they must be disclosed in the initial application for membership and all renewals.
Organizations (nonprofits, public agencies and private businesses) must provide CMBC with a principal contact person for production and/or sponsorship of programming.
In the event that a individual or organizational member is held liable to CMBC for compensatory or other damages, CMBC reserves the right to sue and seek recovery of all legal costs and expenses resulting from litigation.
PROGRAM CONTENT and RESTRICTIONS
Producers at CMBC are First Amendment speakers using public resources to produce programming for the communities of the City of Baltimore. Consequently, they accept responsibility for their freedom of expression and agree to exercise it within the laws of the United States and the State of Maryland. Producers and sponsors acknowledge that they are solely responsible for the content of their programming and may, as a result, incur legal (including arrest and/or incarceration) and civil penalties for programming that does not comply with the laws of the United States or the laws of the State of Maryland. Programs may not contain any material that is obscene, constitutes libel, slander, or is an invasion of privacy rights, or a violation of a copyright, or otherwise violates the laws of the United States or the State of Maryland. Failure to adhere to this policy is a serious violation of the rules. It will result in the permanent suspension of all member privileges. Producers and sponsors agree to hold harmless CMBC, its staff and board of directors, all cable service providers, and the City of Baltimore from any and all claims arising from telecasting any program they submit. Programs must not contain any commercial content whatsoever. Solicitation, advertising, bartering, and the promotion of commercial products, or services are strictly prohibited. Use of public access facilities or channels for commercial purposes is a serious violation of the rules and will result in permanent suspension of all member privileges. Programs must not promote the sale of tickets or conduct any lottery, raffle, contest or game involving prizes awarded in whole or in part by chance.
CMBC recognizes film trailers, music videos and related media generally as promotional formats for advertising; programs composed of this kind of material will not be telecast. However, programs that incorporate film or video segments within the context of a discussion or critical assessment will be telecast provided that the incorporated material does not exceed 50% of total program content Producers may telecast the following feedback sources, at the end of their programs, from which a viewer may receive additional information: a. producer's telephone number b. producer's website location c. producer's e-mail address
Telephone numbers, websites and e-mail must be available for viewers' feedback without incurring toll charges or service fees of any kind. Failure to adhere to this policy is a major violation of the rules, and may result in the immediate suspension of all member privileges. "Call in" telephone numbers may appear during a live program. Otherwise, feedback sources may only appear at the end of a program, immediately preceding the credits. Producers of live-to-tape programs containing telephone numbers or "call-in" segments must indicate during all showings subsequent to the initial live telecast that they were pre-recorded, to minimize viewers calls to the listed number. Producers are responsible for obtaining the written permission from the appropriate licensing authority for use of all music in their programs. Failure to adhere to this policy is a serious violation of the rules, and may result in the permanent suspension of all member privileges. Producers may not use the CMBC logo in any of their programs or in any of their literature without written permission of the CMBC Executive Director.
PROGRAM UNDERWRITING
Producers are encouraged to solicit underwriting support to cover the out-of-pocket costs of producing their programs. Producers are permitted to acknowledge the support of underwriters in program credits. CMBC is responsible for determining whether underwriting credits meet the necessary requirements to preserve the integrity of public access as a noncommercial medium. Producers are required to furnish names and addresses of all underwriters of their programs to CMBC, and they may be required to disclose the amounts they receive and an accounting of how the funds are disbursed before underwriting credits will be telecast. Individuals may include the name they are commonly known by with their legal identity: For example: Support for the following program is provided in part by Maxwell H. "Max" Johnson
Individual underwriters may include their address in the credit.
Organizations must use the legal identity that corresponds with their Employer Identification Number (EIN), but they may also use the name by which they are best known. For example:
Support for the preceding program is provided in part by Kit's Kitchen --------------------------- Williams Family, Inc. 1300 Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21202
Unless the legal identity and brand name are the same (e.g. Coca Cola, Apple, VISA), brand names, products and services may not underwrite individual programs. Underwriters may be acknowledged at the beginning and/or at the end of the program. Credits may not exceed fifteen (15) seconds per underwriter, per program, irrespective of the number of underwriters. The overall content and appearance of each underwriting credit must be in keeping with the noncommercial requirements of public access. Underwriting credits cannot create the appearance of the program as an "infomercial," through the underwriter's relationship (or perceived relationship) to the content of the program.
Logos that are the company's name, or emblems or symbols used by an organization, are suitable for underwriting credits, provided they contain no representations of products or services. Presentation language, web addresses and voiceovers for underwriting credits must be neutral (see .3) and free of any words that connote a call to action ["shop here"], qualitative claims ["the best pizza"], direct comparisons ["Where's the beef?"], price or value ["affordable"], inducements [buy now and save"], or endorsements ["recommended by 4 out of 5 doctors"].
PROGRAM SUBMISSION and SCHEDULING
Each program should be on a SVHS, mini DV or DVD format. VHS tapes produce a compromised quality and should be avoided, if possible.
Each program must have a continuous Video and Audio track for the entire length of it. Audio should be recorded in stereo. If Mono is the only option, record the audio on the Left Channel.
Each program must start with a minimum of 10 seconds of Black, Color Bars or a 10 second countdown to the first video frame (maximum of 30 seconds). Programs should be either 28 to 30 minutes or 58 to 60 minutes in length. Multiple programs can be combined to achieve this length.
A program submittal form must be completed in its entirety prior to acceptance.
Each Tape or DVD should be clearly identified with a program name(s) and TRT (Total Run Time) on a separate sheet attached to or marked on the case.
All DVD's shall be DVD-R or compatible to NTSC Region 1 quality. DVD-Rs must be at 12x speed or better.
All DVDs must be submitted at minimum 1 day prior to first airing request date.
All submitted programs should be by a resident of the City of Baltimore. (Non-local programming must have a local resident sponsor.)
All submitted programming must be picked up no later than 30 days of airing or it will be disposed of or recycled.
Any person submitting a series of programs should contact CMBC to arrange a meeting time to discuss any additional requirements that the series may require depending on it length, requested air times, and the number of shows in the series.
In order to properly schedule series shows we require a minimum of 5 shows be submitted together prior to the requested air time.
Any person submitting series programming must make arrangements to pick up or have tapes and DVDs returned to them at the end of the airing period.
Any person submitting programs that must air within a specific time period must make prior arrangements with CMBC staff. Depending on the frequency of the programs, additional submittal requirements may be needed (i.e. daily airings will be handled differently than weekly airing requests).
Any graphic submitted for the Bulletin Board should be an 800 x 600 size. The file should not be larger than 5,000kb in size and saved as a JPEG or TGA file format.
Producers may sponsor programming produced by others with the permission of the owner or copyright holder. Sponsored programming is submitted in the same manner, and governed by the same rules as other programming. Each program must bear the following credit at the end: The preceding program was telecast at the request of [producer's legal identity] who is responsible for its content.
Channel time is made available on a non-discriminatory basis to members with the aim of being fair and equitable to all. CMBC is responsible for determining the time, place and manner by which programming will reach its audience. All scheduling decisions are final. Viewers are as important as speakers at CMBC. Producers are obligated to submit programs in a timely manner so that cable television viewing audience may learn beforehand about programs on television, in newspapers, and in other promotional materials. All required forms must be completed correctly and signed by the producer/sponsor. Unless otherwise stated, all programs are due to be submitted no later than the first of the month prior to the month in which they are to be telecast (e.g. due November 1 for telecast in December). Programs will not be accepted unless they are labeled precisely, as follows. Labels must be affixed to each program medium and storage jacket. (Items in brackets are optional.) Producer's name Producer's telephone number Series and/or program title Program record date TRT to the nearest second [Important Notifications] Scheduling priorities for telecasting on CMBC channels are: a. Series programs produced by resident members b. Single programs produced by resident members c. Sponsored programs by resident members d. Programs produced by non-resident members, sponsored by resident members. Scheduling consideration may be given to live or timely programs or the first program of any producer.
Programs suitable for adults only are scheduled at appropriate times, late in the evening or overnight. The slate for these programs must bear the tag line:
Adult Content: Not Suitable for all Audiences The legal identity of any member submitting or sponsoring programs for telecasting must appear on the submission forms as well as the medium (videotape, DVD, etc.) to be televised. CMBC may preempt scheduled programs to telecast timely or live programs of special interest to cable television subscribers. Preemptions must be requested in writing including the reason for the request, and approved in writing by the Executive Director. There may be instances where such requests cannot be accommodated.
CMBC reserves the right to retain a copy of any program telecast on public access and to re-telecast it in the future. Producers and program sponsors agree to hold harmless CMBC against all claims of errors, omissions or interruptions in the telecasting or distribution of any producer's programs, and claims for the erasure, damage, loss or theft of any producer's programs.
CMBC may operate video bulletin boards as one of its services to the communities of the City of Baltimore. CMBC is the producer and sole authority regarding of the content and appearance of such bulletin boards, and will develop any procedures for use of the service. CMBC may revise these procedures or cease provision of the video bulletin board services at any time without notice. CMBC reserves its right as producer of video bulletin boards to reject or edit any message that does not conform to its guidelines or for reasons of content or length. In no case will messages provided by the public be accepted that use CMBC's identity, address, telephone number, or otherwise associate themselves with CMBC without express written permission.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Producers must be certified to produce, or assist others to produce, programming for CMBC. The certification process entails knowing the work and responsibilities of a television producer and learning how to use CMBC's equipment and facilities properly. Certification permits producers to use equipment for and facilities in which they have been trained. Members will not be able to use CMBC production equipment or studio facilities until they have signed a statement of compliance and completed courses required by CMBC or satisfactorily passed assessment by CMBC. Certification is attained through training or assessment and is granted for a year. Producers who use the equipment and/or the facilities for which they were certified within the year, are automatically re-certified for another year. Otherwise, producers lose their certifications and must seek re-certification through either training or assessment. Successful completion of any training course is contingent upon full attendance at all training sessions and completion of out of class assignments, demonstration of skills learned and meeting course goals and objectives. Trainees unable to do so will not be certified and will be advised to re-enroll in the training course. Exceptions to class attendance in extenuating circumstances may be made by the Executive Director when all other requirements are satisfied at a high quality level. Payment of appropriate fees is required prior to enrollment in any course. Enrollment fees are not refundable unless the course has been cancelled by CMBC. Members may not reschedule from one section of a course to another; they must attend the dates for which they registered. The Executive Director may authorize short notice registrations, or accommodate special requests in order to ensure training resources are maximized. Producers seeking certification by assessment must demonstrate a knowledge of and skill in the use of equipment and/or facilities equal to that of someone who has successfully completed courses. CMBC will determine requirements for certification by assessment.
CONDUCT All visitors, members, producers and their guests are required to maintain a professional, civil demeanor in all interactions with CMBC staff and others using the facilities. CMBC reserves the right to refuse service to any person who acts disrespectfully or in a threatening manner towards any person in CMBC's facilities, and may require the offending party to leave the premises immediately. All visitors, members, producers and their guests are required to sign in on arrival and sign out when leaving. All visitors, members, producers and their guests are expected to help, not hinder, the conduct of CMBC operations and services. Those incapable of doing so for any reason whatsoever will be asked to leave immediately. Members are responsible for the behavior of their guests and will be disciplined accordingly. Members are not permitted to consume food and beverages in any of the production areas.
The possession or use of alcohol, illegal drugs and weapons while on CMBC premises is strictly prohibited. Members engaged in theft of CMBC or other members' property, or are engaged in any other illegal activity while on premises, are committing a serious violation of the rules that will result in the permanent suspension of member privileges. Smoking is prohibited in the facility.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
CMBC reserves the right to refuse services on a temporary or permanent basis or otherwise initiate suspensions of services, disciplinary actions, sanctions or other legal action against individuals or organizations interfering with or jeopardizing CMBC's operations or otherwise violating the policies and rules under which CMBC provides training, equipment, facilities, channel space and other services to the public. A member's right to exercise any privilege is immediately subject to limitations by the Executive Director whenever he/she is charged with violating any rule or procedure. Any restrictions on equipment and facilities use will remain in effect throughout the appeals procedure. A serious violation of the rules, including the following, will result in the permanent revocation of all member privileges at CMBC: a. injury or threat of injury to any person (including staff, members and others) b. theft, unauthorized removal, vandalism or willful damage of CMBC equipment of facilities; or theft of the personal property of any CMBC staff, user or visitor c. use of facilities or equipment for private or any purpose other than for the production of programming for telecast on a channel managed by CMBC d. consuming, selling or dispensing illegal substances, or possessing or brandishing a weapon on CMBC property or while using CMBC facilities or equipment or participating in CMBC activities in any other location e. false representation by user of herself or himself as a CMBC or cable provider employee f. sponsoring any program on the public access channels that contains unlawful materials g. cited and disciplined twice for major rules violations. A major violation of the rules, including the following, may result in the immediate suspension of all member privileges with CMBC for 90 days (first offense) or 180 days (second offense): a. misuse, abuse, negligent or unsafe use of CMBC facilities or equipment, or violating safety or security rules b. failure to return checked out equipment in the appointed day through intent, negligence, loss or theft, or failure to comply with the proper check-in procedures c. making false or misleading statements on any CMBC forms d use by non-certified user or use by a certified user on suspension of equipment checked out to a certified access user e. attempted disassembly or repair of CMBC equipment f. consistent, willful disregard for or repeated violation of the rules A minor violation of the following rules will result in up to one verbal warning and up to one written citation from the Executive Director. Two minor violations may result in the immediate suspension of all member privileges with CMBC for 90 days (first offense) or 180 days (second offense): a. failure to cancel a reservation with sufficient notice b. late return of equipment without an authorized extension c. return of functional but dirty equipment d. unsafe or improper packing of CMBC equipment for transport e. any other minor violation of the polices, rules and procedures
In addition, some violations may occur that, in the judgment of the Executive Director have an impact or repercussion that require the violation should be addressed as a major violation rather than a minor violation. Such situations are to be handled on a case by case basis.
Members charged with serious or major rules violations will be notified in writing by the Executive Director within 10 days of when the violation occurs or becomes apparent, and informed of the sanctions to be imposed and the conditions for reinstatement in good standing. Members charged with minor rules violations may receive a written or verbal warning or be notified in writing by the Executive Director of the charges, sanctions and conditions for reinstatement, within 10 days of the violation. Members may appeal any penalties, probationary sanctions or disciplinary actions imposed by the Executive Director to the Board of Directors within 10 business days. The Board of Directors will consider any appeal at its next regularly scheduled meeting. Decisions made by the Board regarding the appeal are final.
For those who weren't at the meetings the organization was named! It will be "Community Media of Baltimore City" or CMBC. Website building is www.cmbc.tv
Interim Public Access Program Submission Guidelines
Baltimore City's Public Access Channel (Channel 75) has completed an upgrade to its system to allow for more varied programming and to better serve the community.
We are pleased that we can now accept DVD's, mini DV and SVHS also, but in order to ensure your program is aired please rely on the following guidelines for submittal:
1. Each program should be on a SVHS, mini DV or DVD format.
2. VHS tapes produce a compromised quality and should be avoided, if possible.
3. Each program must have a continuous Video and Audio track for the entire length of it. Audio should be recorded in stereo. If Mono is the only option, record the audio on the Left Channel.
4. Each program must start with a minimum of 10 seconds of Black, Color Bars or a 10 second countdown to the first video frame. (Maximum of 30 seconds)
5. Programs should be either 28 to 30 minutes or 58 to 60 minutes in length. Multiple programs can be combined to achieve this length.
6. A program submittal form "must be completed in its entirety" prior to acceptance. Current e-mail addresses and/or telephone numbers must be included.
7. Each Tape or DVD should be clearly identified with a program name(s) and TRT (Total Run Time) on label on the tape (preferably) and/or on a separate sheet attached to it.
8. All DVD's shall be DVD-R (+ or -) or compatible to NTSC Region 1 quality.
9. DVD-Rs must be at 12x speed or better.
10. All DVDs must be submitted at minimum 1 day prior to first airing request date.
11. All submitted programs should be by a Citizen of the City of Baltimore. (Non-local Programming must have a local Citizen sponsor.)
12. All submitted programming must be picked up no later than 30 days after airing or it will be disposed for recycled.
Programs Series (A collection of common theme programs) Any person submitting a series of programs should contact the Baltimore City Public Access office to arrange a meeting time to discuss any additional requirements that the series may require depending on it length, requested air times, and the number of shows in the series.
In order to properly schedule series shows, new original programs must be submitted consistently every two weeks for 45 days prior to honoring a specific time slot.
Any person submitting series programming must make arrangements to pick up or have tapes and DVDs returned to them at the end of the airing period.
Time Sensitive Programs (Programs needed to air within a specific time) Any person submitting programs that must air within a specific time period must make prior arrangements with the Baltimore City Public Access office staff. Depending on the frequency of the programs, additional submittal requirements may be needed (i.e. daily airings will be handled differently than weekly airing requests).
Same Day Airing Any person wishing to submit a program for Same Day Airing must call a public access staff member at least 2 business days in advance to make arrangements. The program must then be received in the Baltimore City Public Access office by 11:00 am on the day of the airing. While Same Day Airing programs are not encouraged, they should be submitted in the S-VHS format and meet all the requirements listed above.
Graphic Stills Any graphic submitted for the Bulletin Board should be an 800 x 600 size. The file should not be larger than 5,000kb in size and saved as a JPEG or TGA file format or as a PowerPoint .ppt file.
Future Updates and Baltimore Comcast Public Access Television Channel 75
How To Submit a TV Program to Play on Balt. City Comcast Cable Ch. 75 Public Access TV Follow these simple steps to submit your own non-commercial TV program and potentially reach 120,000 households
1. Print out the Cablecast Reservation Form and User Agreement (opens in a new window, requires Acrobat Reader). 2. Fill out and sign the form. 3. Drop off or mail the completed form and an S-VHS or VHS video tape copy of the program to: Mayor's Office of Cable & Communications (MOCC) 8 Market Place, Suite 200 Baltimore, MD 21202 410-396-1100 (MOCC hours: M-F 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM)
To send bulletin announcements forward by email a powerpoint slide file, or a jpg or gif file with your email to publictv@baltimorecity.gov or info@cmbc.tv
BPATV New Equipment MOCC is installing the new equipment and they are requesting our patience and support. Cedric has requested that we please spread the word that any producers who can generate their shows on DVD format would be greatly appreciated at this time. It helps them to check the system. I believe we will still be able to submit on Super vhs etc but they are looking for anything on DVD format. per guidelines written above by: City of Baltimore Mayor's Office of Cable & Communications M.O.C.C. 8 Market Place, Suite 200 Baltimore, Md. 21202 410-396-1100
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COPE Bill Passes in House 321-101 Fri., Jun. 09, 2006 category/public access news See www.saveaccess.org and www.alliancecm.org for details. Verizon cable deal in Anne Arundel Co. to provide 5 public access channels Thu., Jun. 01, 2006 category/public access news The Baltimore Sunreports that the pending franchise agreement for Verizon to provide cable TV in Anne Arundel County would provide five public access channels (this probably means PEG channels), 5% of cable revenue to the county, and free cable service to schools, libraries, fire and police stations, and for other municipal uses. Deadline for Public Access TV Board Nominations: Wed., May 31, 2006! Wed., May. 24, 2006 Nominations for the initial 13-member Board of Directors of Community Media of Baltimore City (CMBC), the organization that will run public access Channel 75, must be delivered to the Mayor's Office of Cable and Communications by Wednesday, May 31, 2006. The nomination form and details are posted at www.cmbc.tv.
The initial CMBC board will be chosen from these nominations by the public access Board of Incorporators, which has been meeting monthly since the fall of 2005. Baltimore Sun: "Verizon gets cable deal in Balto. Co." Wed., May. 03, 2006 category/public access news According to an article in today's Baltimore Sun, the phone company Verizon has reached an agreement with Baltimore County to build a fiber-optic network and potentially offer cable TV to county residents in direct competition with Comcast, but the Baltimore County Council still has to approve the deal with a vote scheduled for May 15, 2006, and a cable franchise agreement must also be worked out between the County Council and Verizon. CouncilmanKevin Kamenetz negotiates franchises for the council. There is no mention in the article of provisions or funding for public access channels.
Update 5/4/06: Tom Peddicord, secretary and legislative counsel to the County Council confirmed that there is no public access channel in Baltimore County and added, "I never get any questions about it. Maybe there's a lack of interest."
Peddicord said Verizon has been invited to submit an application to provide cable TV services, but they have not responded. Perhaps they are waiting for the COPE Act to go through. Public Access TV and Internet Neutrality Under Imminent Threat from COPE Act of 2006 Sat., Apr. 29, 2006 category/public access news The euphemistically named Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006, a federal bill backed by the telecom industry, passed in the House Commerce Committee 42-12 and is being fast-tracked for a full House vote as early as the week of May 8, 2006! This overhaul of telecommunications law could be more devestating to community interests then the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
