AGENDA #5c
TO: Mayor and Town Council Members
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Summary of The Peoples Channel 2001 Annual Report
DATE: April 22, 2002
The purpose of this memorandum is to present summary information from The Peoples Channel’s Annual Report.
The Peoples Channel has submitted its Annual Report to the Town of Chapel Hill for Calendar Year 2001 (Attachment 1). The Peoples Channel is a non-profit corporation organized by area citizens to provide community access television in Chapel Hill. The Channel is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. We believe that the channel has met the requirements of the Performance Agreement with the Town, as adopted on June 25, 2001.
I. Facilities & Services
A. Governance. The Peoples Channel is governed by a Board of Directors whose members serve without compensation. Under provision of its bylaws, members of the Board of Directors are selected by approval of the Board of Directors at any meeting of the Board.
B. Staffing. There are currently two (2) full-time positions and one (1) part-time position. The position of Station Manager is now vacant due to the sudden death of previous manager Matthew Burke on February 26, 2002.
C. Programming and Scheduling. During 2001, The Peoples Channel aired 32 locally-produced series (six more than last year) and 57 locally-produced one-time programs (12 more than last year).
II. Funding and Development
A. Funding and Other Contributions
1. The Peoples Channel receives funding from several sources, primarily public access fees collected by Time Warner from cable customers under the Franchise Agreement. The cable television franchise approved by the Council and accepted by Time Warner in July 1996 allows the Town to have cable customers billed a public access fee. On November 26, 2001, the Council approved an increase in the monthly subscriber public access fee from 69 cents to 70 cents, based on inflation. Under the Performance Agreement with The Peoples Channel, the Town pays The Peoples Channel these public access fees, which are collected by Time Warner in customer bills.
2. The Channel’s profit and loss statements for the calendar year 2001 are included as Attachment 2. The statements reflect total income of $136,616 and total expenses of $136,639, leaving a deficit of approximately $23. The Peoples Channel’s Treasurer reports that the Channel used interest earnings from prior fiscal years to fund special projects this year.
3. The Channel’s financial records have been audited through June 30, 2001 and were found to conform to generally-accepted accounting principles (Attachment 3). We note that the audited financial statements are for fiscal year 2000-01 and do not correspond with the profit and loss statements for the calendar year.
B. Other Contracts and Performance Agreements
1. The Peoples Channel has negotiated with other communities for service:
(a) Orange County Board of Commissioners. In the summer of 2001, the Channel entered into a contract with Orange County to tape and cablecast Board meetings. The Channel has used private funds and purchased equipment for a mobile field studio. Volunteers installed studio lighting at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, where many of the meetings are held.
(b) Presentations to other franchise authorities. In 2001, the channel also organized a petition for interested Carrboro residents to obtain public access service in Carrboro. Due to lack of funds, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen concluded that they could not afford to fund public access.
IV. Future Directions
A. Equipment. The Peoples Channel has developed a schedule for long-term replacement of equipment. To date, despite its heavy use, the channel has only needed to replace one camera and has made arrangements to do so.
B. Community outreach. The channel worked in 2001 to contact the Latino community to facilitate productions directed to Latino viewers.
C. Proposed Performance Agreements with other Franchising Authorities. The Peoples Channel is currently working to secure performance agreements with Orange County, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chatham County. As we understand it, the funding mechanism for these agreements has not yet been determined.
That the Council receive the attached Annual Report.
ATTACHMENT 1
THE PEOPLES CHANNEL
ANNUAL REPORT
TO
THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL
FOR
CALENDAR YEAR 2001
Table of Contents
I. Introduction 6
II. Facilities and Services 6
A. Operations 6
1. Governance
2. Operating Days and Hours
3. Staffing
4. Advisory Board
5. Volunteers
B. Facilities and Training 8
1. Studio and Facilities
2. Equipment
3. Policies
4. Training
C. Programming and Scheduling 10
1. Procedures
2. Programming Sources
3. Special Programming
4. Other Programming Issues
III. Community Outreach and Promotions 12
A. Information on Channel and Services 12
B. Chapel Hill Independent Producers Society (CHIPS) 13
C. Outreach Activities and Community Responsiveness 13
1. Outreach Presence in the Community
2. Surveys
3. Other Outreach
IV. Funding and Development 13
A. Funding and Other Contributions 13
B. Development Activities 14
V. Contracts/Performance Agreements with Other Communities 14
A. Orange County Commissioners 14
B. Presentations to Other Franchise Authorities 14
VI. Future Directions 14
Preface
On February 26, 2002, The Peoples Channel was saddened by the sudden death of its station manager Matthew Burke. Matthew devoted countless hours to the development and maintenance of The Peoples Channel. As a result of Matthew’s dedication, The Peoples Channel is set on a firm foundation and a vision for its future growth.
I. Introduction
In 2001, The Peoples Channel experienced a substantial increase in the number of visitors to the station as well as continued expansion of programming and services and progress toward fulfilling the Town’s objectives and our own long-term vision for public access in the greater community.
Our goals for 2001 fell into five categories:
1. Board Development -- developing leadership within the Board and in the community; and creating an Advisory Board to provide support and advice on fundraising, community involvement, and long-range planning.
2. Identity Development and Community Involvement –Public Service Announcements, Promotional Programs; increasing outreach to community organizations and individuals.
3. Financial Development -- expanding funding options.
4. Plans for Expansion -- pursuing performance agreements with other local franchise authorities; exploring options to provide access services for government and/or educational channels; and investigating a permanent location for the public access facility.
5. Fulfilling Performance Agreement -- upgrading editing and playback equipment; and completing other obligations.
As the following report will show, we have accomplished many of these goals and are making progress toward fulfilling the others.
II. Facilities and Services
A. Operations
1. Governance. The Peoples Channel is governed by a Board of Directors, operating under a mission statement to provide the means and promote the opportunity for area citizens to create local cable television programming by, for, and about our local community based on the principles of free speech, diversity of expression, and democratic participation. Directors are residents of Orange County or a neighboring county who serve without compensation. Terms of office are three years and are staggered to assure continuity. Officers include President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer; the President serves as Chair of the Board and the Vice President as Vice Chair. As of December 31, 2001, there were 10 members of the Board; four positions were vacant. A list of current Board members and their terms and offices as of December 31, 2001, appears in Appendix A.
The Board of Directors operates according to Bylaws, which are available for inspection at The Peoples Channel. Policies governing training, use of facilities and equipment, technical requirements, content guidelines, scheduling, and discipline are posted at The Peoples Channel and copies are available to producers and visitors. The Peoples Channel also has a grievance process in place and a staff manual outlining personnel policies. The Board of Directors meets monthly at The Peoples Channel. These meetings are announced and open to the public, and minutes are made public.
2. Operating Days and Hours. The Peoples Channel facilities are open Tuesday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The facility also is open for appointments Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The facilities are closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Programming is cablecast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.
3. Staffing. At the beginning of 2001, The Peoples Channel had two full-time staff and one part-time staff: Matthew Burke, Technical/Operations Manager, and Ginger Bauerband, Director of Development & Outreach; the third position, Trainer and Technical/Operation Support (half-time) Cindy Bowling. Both Ginger and Cindy ceased their employment with The Peoples Channel in the first quarter of 2001.
The Board revised staff position descriptions to reflect current needs. Matt’s position was redefined as Station Manager. The other two positions became Training Coordinator (full-time), and Resource Coordinator (full-time). The Peoples Channel hired Steven Matherly as Training Coordinator and Julius Hewitt as Resource Coordinator. Steven came on board at the end of February and Julius started the first week of March. Steven resigned on November 6th and departed on November 13th. Julius Hewitt remains in his position. Steven’s work was absorbed by Matt and Julius except for training which was contracted out to a local instructor. A list of staff appears in Appendix A.
4. Advisory Board. At the retreat in January, the Board of Directors set a goal of establishing an Advisory Board. In March the Board approved formation of a 10-member Advisory Board with the following mission statement:
The Advisory Board of The Peoples Channel will consist of members of the community who serve at the will of the Board of Directors. Its purpose is to provide a diversity of perspectives on public access and how it can best serve the community and to advise The Peoples Channel on matters related to their mission. Members of the Advisory Board agree to be available as appropriate for consultation with the Board of Directors or staff of The Peoples Channel. The Advisory Board will be encouraged to participate in the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors and the annual public forum and other meetings as appropriate.
To date, seven persons have accepted The Peoples Channel’s invitation to sit on the Advisory Board. They are listed in Appendix A. Plans are underway to hold a retreat in early spring 2001, with members of the Board of Directors, the Advisory Board, staff, and other interested parties to discuss goals and objectives for 2001 and beyond.
5. Volunteers. While our staff are the heart of The Peoples Channel, we rely heavily on volunteers from the community, and their role is pervasive. During 2001, two volunteer producers created Public Service Announcements for senior citizens. Other volunteers provided assistance in program scheduling and office support. Volunteers also supply our programming, cover events in the community, and work on the crews of local access productions. Their contributions cannot be adequately quantified. The Peoples Channel has an ongoing need for volunteers, as we seek to expand services, explore performance agreements with neighboring communities, and strive to be more responsive to the communities we serve.
B. Facilities and Training
1. Studio and Facilities. The Peoples Channel operates out of a 1,600-square foot facility located at 300A S. Elliott Road, which includes studio, control room, editing suites, office, meeting area, and rest rooms.
An additional front office area of 600 square feet is sublet in order to economize on overhead costs. Until April 2001, the space was occupied by For Goodness Sake, a nutritional supplement company, doing business as Radiant Health. Radiant Health gave notice of their departure by the end of April. The Peoples Channel advertised the space in the Advocate and the Herald. The space was vacant for six months. In mid November, we signed Work Smart Office Solutions Inc., a computer networking and office solutions company, for six months.
The Peoples Channel invites local artists to display their work at the facility. Currently works by, Noriko Dickson, Doug Stuber and Carlyle Poteat are on display.
2. Equipment. The Peoples Channel facility is currently equipped with two linear editing systems, two non-linear editing systems, one of which is checked-out for home usage, and a two-camera studio with full set-up, including cameras, monitors, tripods, switcher, audio equipment, lights, and control room access. Check-out equipment includes three High 8 cameras, two digital cameras, five tripods, two monopods, and support accessories (lights, microphones, cables). Playback equipment includes a PowerPoint presentation which supports the Peoples Bulletin Board; An FM receiver on loan from WCPE to broadcast their signal while the Peoples Bulletin Board is airing, switching equipment with eight SVHS decks; a computer for the switching equipment; and fiber optic encoder and transmitter. During 2001, one digital camera and an SVHS editing deck were repaired.
In 2001, The Peoples Channel held a fundraiser to purchase a Kron nonlinear editing system. We raised $1,026 for the machine. The Peoples Channel paid the remainder of $1,499. The station received a donation of a computer from the United Way and purchased a new laser printer for $249. Office equipment includes Four computers, an 1 HP laser printers, 1 Brother laser printer, an HP inkjet printer, a fax machine, a copier and a TTY.
The Peoples Channel received a grant of $2,500 from Carol Woods Retirement Center for equipment to support the production of programming for Senior Citizens.
In May of 2001, The Peoples Channel purchased a membership database program called Facil, which is specifically designed for public access TV stations. Immediately we began to feel the effects of this program. The program is much more than a membership database. It tracks classes taken by each user, when the class was taken, if user became certified, and instructor for each class. It also tracks materials used and by whom and how much. It tracks equipment usage, which links, to each user plus it has schedule capabilities. At this time we don’t track equipment or use the schedule but we are slowly migrating in that direction. The program was purchased for $1,000.
3. Policies. Equipment may be checked out by local residents who are certified as having received training or demonstrated proficiency in the use of that equipment. Checkout period is generally 24 hours or over the weekend; longer checkout periods may be negotiated with staff and are dependent on demand and availability. Certified users may reserve time in the editing suite, usually in 1 to 4 hour blocks. Studio space may be reserved for meetings, classes, or production shoots; studio use for production is generally reserved in 3 to 6 hour blocks.
When check-out equipment or studio facilities are not reserved for public access use, The Peoples Channel offers limited options for rental, according to the following rate structure:
Equipment: High 8 Kit $85/day
DV Camera $135/day
Light Kit $35/day
Studio: without equipment $25/hour; $400/day
with equipment $135/hour; $1100/day
These rates may be varied where staff deems appropriate. The studio was rented without equipment for 24 hours for $600 and we rented the DV Camera once for $133. We also contracted with the Orange-Chatham group of the Sierra Club to operate Carrboro’s remote cameras and equipment in the Carrboro Town Hall for $125
4. Training, Equipment Check-out, and Facility Use. Training classes are offered individually or in-group sessions on use of the studio, field equipment, editing equipment, and other skills. Half-day field production classes and editing classes are offered, as well as 3-hour studio production classes. Training in specific or advanced skills is scheduled as needed. During 2001, 62 classes were offered and 168 people received training. Training is broken down as follows:
Number of classes Number of Participants
Studio 20 63
Field production 11 40
Editing/Casablanca 25 25
Other (orientation, 18 76
Character generator)
174 studio shoots were scheduled during 2001, with 634 production crew participating and 75 trainees involved. There were 30 live call-in studio programs. Editing suites were used 271 times and field equipment was checked out 398 times.
The facilities were used for 107 meetings. These included 12 Board meetings, 20 committee meetings, 45 staff meetings, and 30 unspecified meetings. There were 2,437 visitors to The Peoples Channel more than twice that visited in 2000. There were 150 PSAs posted on The Peoples Channel Bulletin Board in 2001.
5. Open House. In April we had an Open House inviting all current users as well as elected officials from Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Orange County, Carrboro and Pittsboro. Food was kindly donated by Weaver Street Market, Wellspring – Whole Foods, Harries Teeter, Red. Hot and Blue.
On December 4th, we held a pot luck Christmas party attended by producers, volunteers, board members and the general public. Over 100 people showed up for the event. It was so popular that our volunteers asked that we have more of them.
C. Programming and Scheduling
1. Procedures. The staff determines the schedule for The Peoples Channel. The schedule is submitted to the Chapel Hill News and the Herald Sun every Thursday for the following week. Programs are scheduled in six-hour blocks which run in the evening (6 p.m. to midnight) and are normally repeated the following morning (6 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (noon to 6 p.m.). The Saturday evening schedule runs through Tuesday afternoon, since the facility is closed on Sunday and Monday and no staff are on hand to program the playback equipment. Currently the Peoples Bulletin Board runs between midnight and 6 a.m. and between programs where appropriate. Programs that are inappropriate for younger audiences are scheduled to run only after midnight.
Priority is given to locally produced programming from the franchise area. This includes programs produced using The Peoples Channel facilities as well as other locally produced or compiled programs. Second priority goes to non-local programs submitted by local residents. Whenever time slots are not otherwise filled, they carry reruns of programs from The Peoples Channel’s archive. Through most of 2001, TPC aired two non-local live call-in programs, “Open Net” and “Inside North Carolina,” which are simulcast on channel 24. The Board discontinued the airing of these programs when Time Warner changed its line-up to include channel 24 for basic cable subscribers.
The program schedule is also posted on The Peoples Channel website, posted at the facility and new for 2001 posted on The Peoples Channel bulletin board.
2. Programming Sources. During 2001, The Peoples Channel cablecast 374 hours of original locally produced programming for an average of 7 hours of new local programming each week. This is a slight increase over 2000 totals. Though the quantity of programming may have essentially remained the same, the time and effort to create these programs increased dramatically. Programs such as 4-H Conversations a 30-minute program had many talent rehearsals as well as setup and design meetings. In total, Cathy Owens, the producer of 4-H, spent over 200 hours in the production of her 30-minute program. Triangle Television Theatre’s Play Celebration also required extensive rehearsal and set up time in our studios to produce a 1-hour program. Andrew Ross and Rob Underhill, the producers for Celebration, spent at least 300 hours in putting their show together. Excellence became the quest for 2001 for many of our producers. Currently there is a cartoon-oriented program in production. This group has already met 8 times in our facility working on dialog and sound effects. One of the producers has spent over 400hrs in creating and drawing the characters and storyboard. This program will be only be 2 minutes long.
During 2001, The Peoples Channel cablecast 32 locally produced series (consisting of two or more episodes) and 57 locally produced one-time programs. Eighteen non-local series and seven non-local one-time programs were cablecast. The Peoples Channel also cablecast eight movies with extra audio track depicting visuals for the visually impaired. The Peoples Channel carries PSAs from North Carolina State Government on topics such as littering and recycling. (Youth TV, which operated during 1998-1999, is currently on hiatus until we can secure funding to hire a Youth TV Coordinator.)
3. Special Programming. The Peoples Bulletin Board is a public service operated by The Peoples Channel staff and volunteers, which carries announcements of interest to the local community, as well as information about The Peoples Channel.
The Peoples Soapbox, initiated in November 1999, is designed to be a forum for local residents to voice their opinions and share ideas and information on any topic. No production experience or training is required. There are no restrictions on content except those required by law or by the Performance Agreement. A new edition of The Peoples Soapbox was cablecast in November 2001.
The Peoples Channel has embarked on the creation of PSAs for the elderly. These 1-2 minute spots run before or after programs. Volunteers created two spots in 2001. A series of different length spots were produced under the title, “phone fraud and what seniors should do.” Another spot was created about the importance of exercise as we get older. These PSAs are titled “Information Exchange” or INFO-X for short.
For 2001, The Peoples Channel created two short promotional videos which run before and after programs. These promos talk about what The Peoples Channel is and what services we offer the community as well as talking about issues involving censorship.
In June of 2001 “Group of Six”, a wholly volunteer group formed by The Peoples Channel for the purpose of creating documentary style pieces for local non-profits, finished their first project called “Just Walk Beside Me.” This documentary is about the Compeer program, which is sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Orange County. After receiving praise from the Mental Health Association, UNC School of Psychiatry, The Peoples Channel, and appearing in the Chapel Hill News the team decided to start working on their next documentary for El Centro Latino.
In September of 2001, The Peoples Channel began a program series called, In Our Time. This program was started for two reasons. First, the program is used to train volunteers in studio production. Second, the program is used as a public affairs vehicle covering topics that are of interest to the community. The program is always shot live and usually has call-in capabilities. The first two programs dealt with the terrorist attacks. Our hosts were Barbara Trent Oscar Award winning producer of The Panama Deception, Marty Rosenbluth, award winning director of Jerusalem: an occupation set in stone, and Dave Lippman, who works for free speech radio.
Smart with your car, a program that helps viewers by answering their car questions, began in May of 2001. This program was the first program to utilize the call-in capabilities on every program. To date there have been 20 Programs shot live with viewers calling in their car problems. “Talk about In Our Time” is a weekly live program about public affairs and as a training vehicle.
The Peoples Channel continues to tape and cablecast meetings of the Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC).
Last fall, as a public service to the community, The Peoples Channel cablecast candidate forums Town of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsboro candidates, sponsored by the Community Action Network, The League of Woman Voters and The Sierra Club. This election coverage was aired 20 times between October 26 and November 6.
Other Programming Issues. The Peoples Channel received complaints about Random Insanity, The Programming Committee investigated. It was determined that the program was not in violation of the indecency rule, and it was allowed to continue airing. FCC rules regarding indecency are in Appendix G. However, we continue to receive complaints about Random Insanity even though the program is aired at 12:01am on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday well outside of protected broadcast times. Some of these complaints have been vague threats as to whether The Peoples Channel should be allowed to exist at all. We respond by informing the individual that he/she has the right to make a program protesting Random Insanity and/or The Peoples Channel or anything for that matter. We have stated that we can only remove a tape if it falls in one of our categories, which are Copyright Infringement, Libel, and Obscenity. Random Insanity does have a large number of viewers and The Peoples Channel receives vociferous compliments from its fan base.
4. We’ve also received a complaint regarding, “The Universe of Yaweh.” This program is a religious-oriented program, which is submitted by a Chapel Hill resident. We’ve received complaints about blue screen appearing on the air. Usually this happens when a tape is not timed properly by the submitter and we end up with blue screen. However there have been times when the problem was either operator or equipment error, which we strive to happen less, or less.
The Peoples Channel has received compliments from viewers about its programs and services. Several callers have praised the addition of WCPE to our Bulletin Board and individual programs, such as coverage of the Attack on America Teach-In.
III. Community Outreach and Promotions
A. Information on Channel and Services
Information about The Peoples Channel and its services is publicized in a variety of ways:
Internet -- When Mindspring became Earthlink, they dropped our complimentary account, which provided The Peoples Channel with email services, Internet access, and Basic Web and Enhanced Web options at no cost. The monetary value of these services was $1,067.40 per year. A Volunteer offered us free web space and email routing at no charge and The Peoples Channel pays Earthlink $22.95 per month for internet access.
The Peoples Channel web address is www.thepeopleschannel.org. Our webpage is operated by staff and regularly carries our mission statement, hours of operation, phone and fax numbers, email address for messages, the Board of Directors, minutes of the most recent Board meeting, a schedule of classes and training opportunities, the current program schedule, and a list of locally produced programs currently airing with pointers to individual websites for those programs that have them.
On cable -- Information and announcements about activities, training classes, and program schedules are posted on The Peoples Bulletin Board.
On site -- The current program schedule, list of Board of Directors, minutes from the most recent Board meeting, policies and procedures, and other information are posted at The Peoples Channel. Copies of past Board minutes, annual reports, Bylaws, and other information are available for public inspection.
Publicity -- The Peoples Channel issues press releases to local media about events and services, including the program schedule and the taping schedule for The Peoples Soapbox. Articles discussing The Peoples Channel and its producers and programs have appeared this year in the Chapel Hill News, the Chapel Hill Herald, the Prism, the Raleigh News and Observer, and Spectator Magazine.
B. Chapel Hill Independent Producers Society (CHIPS)
(Formed in 1999, CHIPS provides a forum for local public access producers to share information, help each other with program planning and production, and promote quality and diversity in public access programming. Although an independent organization, CHIPS also provides two-way communications between The Peoples Channel staff and Board and local producers for sharing information on equipment, procedures and production needs, and feedback, both positive and negative. Members of CHIPS frequently help coordinate crews for local access productions and provide technical assistance. The Peoples Channel provides meeting space, access to computers, phones and office equipment, and other support, such as E-Circles, a web-based bulletin board.) Not active in 2000.
C. Outreach Activities and Community Responsiveness
Service to Non-Profits -- Much of the public service in the Chapel Hill community is performed by volunteers working in non-profits, such as Inter-Faith Council, Habitat for Humanity, Dispute Settlement Center, Rape Crises Center, etc. The work and the needs of these organizations need to be better known to the larger community. The Peoples Channel has set a goal of working with volunteer producers to present programming reflecting the work of these many non-profit agencies. This goal will be met through both public service announcements and longer form programming.
Public Affairs programming -- Chapel Hill is a unique community with many talents and resources. More than any other city in North Carolina, Chapel Hill citizens discuss and act on their concerns. The concerns are wide ranging, from local issues, state and national affairs and world problems. The Peoples Channel is in a unique position to broadcast a wide range of information from local well informed and articulate individuals and opinions from local citizens. The Peoples Channel has already opened its channel to this programming with the broadcast of symposium on Freedom of Speech sponsored by the Playmakers Repertory Company, a forum on the September 11 attack, programs on Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Peoples Soap Box. It is our intent to continue this policy and extend it.
The Peoples Channel also engages in informal activities and outreach efforts, including information booths at the Chapel Hill street fairs. At Apple Chill last year, staff and volunteers also visited the booth of every community organization participating at the fair, sharing information about The Peoples Channel and interviewing organization representatives; the taped interviews were later cablecast.
IV. Funding and Development
A. Funding and Other Contributions. Sources of income for The Peoples Channel in 2001 included $102,459.00 in pass-through fees, $5,667.20 in rent from our tenants, $20,200.00 in fees from the Orange County Commissioners, $2,726.80 in tape sales, $88.00 in equipment rental, $115.00 in restricted monetary contributions, $3,652.45 in unrestricted monetary contributions, and $198.00 miscellaneous income; this comes to a total of $133,992.45 in income. The Peoples Channel also received in-kind donations of goods and services. In the fall of 2000, the Town increased the pass-through fee from 68 cents to 69 cents per subscriber per month.
Our largest expense categories for 2001 were payroll ($73,388.09), rent ($32,442.68), video equipment and tapes ($6,014.04), utilities and phone ($5,667.87), services related to taping Orange County Commissioners meetings ($4,735.13), office supplies and equipment ($3,116.43), and insurance ($3,110.00). Our total expenses for 2001 were $136,976.67.
B. Development Activities
The Peoples Channel is making progress establishing community relationships with local governments, public interest groups and non-profits..
V. Contracts/Performance Agreements with Other Communities
A. Orange County Commissioners. The Peoples Channel began negotiations with the Orange County Commissioners in 1999 to tape and cablecast Commissioners’ meetings. Last summer The Peoples Channel signed our second one-year (7/1/01-6/30/02) contract for taping and cablecasting of Commissioners meeting. The Commissioners also have expressed interest in having other meetings covered as well.
B. Presentations to Other Franchise Authorities. Throughout 2001 The Peoples Channel maintained ongoing contacts with surrounding communities that are involved in franchise negotiations as we pursue additional partners in public access. In 2001 The Peoples Channel put together a petition for interested Carrboro residents. The petition went out in both Spanish and English. Many producers and interested Carrboro residents attended various Carrboro Alderman meeting to express their interest in obtaining Public Access in their Town. However, due to lack of Funds Carrboro felt they could not afford Public Access at this time.
The Peoples Channel also is in contact with the Orange County Cable Advisory Committee.
VI. Future Directions
1. Equipment
A. The Peoples Channel has developed a schedule for long term replacement of equipment. To date, despite heavy use, TPC has only needed to replace one camera. However, all equipment reaches the end of its useful life and must be replaced. This has been anticipated and replacement is scheduled. TPC does not anticipate immediate difficulties with the conversion to digital.
B. TPC is investigating new Systems for recording video and audio on the computer. This will make it easier to record and cablecast shorter programming features, such as information for non-profits, program promotion, public service announcements, etc.
2. Community outreach
We are always striving to reach out to more of the community. The Peoples Channel has been working with the local Latino community in facilitating productions directed to their community.
3. Proposed Performance Agreements with Other Franchising Authorities
The Peoples Channel, Inc., a non-profit corporation, is pursuing Performance Agreements with Orange County, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Chatham County. These governments are currently in negotiation with Time-Warner for new cable franchises. The Peoples Channel, Inc is proposing to operate public access for these areas either through channel 8 or other channels to be allocated by Time-Warner. We feel there is great value in the economy of scale. Also there is much value in sharing information throughout the two counties. The franchising system tends to “ghettoize” the area. With area wide public access Television, barriers can be crossed. In addition with the increase in the number of channels it would be possible to direct unique programming to specific areas. The Peoples Channel will request Performance Agreements that would include the same type of pass through payment. With increased revenue it would be possible for the Peoples Channel to substantially increase service to the communities.
Indecency has been defined by the FCC as language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activists. Indecent programming contains sexual or excretory references that do not rise to the level of obscenity. As such, indecent material is protected by the First Amendment and cannot be banned entirely. It may, however, be restricted in order to avoid its broadcast during times of day when there is a reasonable risk that children by are in the audience. Consistent with existing court decision in this area, the FCC currently prohibits the airing of indecent material between 6am and 10pm. See Action for Children’s Television v. FCC, 58 F.3d 654 (D.C. Cir. 1995), cert. denied, 116 S. Ct. 701 (1996)
“Obscene speech is not protected by the First Amendment and may not be broadcast at any time. To be obscene, material must meet a three-prong test: (1) an average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; (2) the material must depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable law; and (3) the material, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. See Miller v. California, 413 U.S 15 (1973)”.
The Peoples Channel Board of Directors – 2001
Robert Gwyn, Chairman and President
750 Weaver Dairy., Apt. 120
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Jerry Passmore
902 Crestwood Ln
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Robert Cosgrove, Treasurer
9301 Laurel Spring Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Roger Brower
405 Clearpoint Place
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Roland Giduz
P.O. Box 4
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
David Kasper Vice - President
P.O. Box2155
Chapel Hill, NC27515-2155
Vimala Rajendran
105 Lexington Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Don Yonavjak
8218 Farrington Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Leone Salgado
200 Elizabeth St. A 16
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Bettye Jenkins
1621 Purefoy Dr.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
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Local Programs first aired in 2001 |
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Literary evening hosted by Alex Shoemaker |
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Democracy South |
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Family at the West End Wine Bar |
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Hillsborough Growth Forum |
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Goin' Fishin' |
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Just Walk Beside Me |
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Cotton Patch Gospel |
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Cornelia Spencer Bell Ringing and Awards Event |
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Issues in the Arts |
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Community Theatre TV |
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Chuck Stone - Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
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Chapel Hill Parks & Rec Public Forum |
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Chapel Hill Forum |
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ECCHS Forum on Depression |
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Human Relations Commission on Sept 11 |
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Celebration |
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Holiday Parade 2001 |
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Carrboro Community Dinner 2001 |
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Hugh Morton Scenes of NC |
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CAN Election Forum 2001 |
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Extacy |
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Blash TV |
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Black & White in Harmony |
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Lake Ellen Art & Music |
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Attack on America Teach-In |
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Assembly of Governments Meeting |
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Arun Ghandi Lecture |
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Art Underfoot: Piedmont rug hookers guild |
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Apple Chill 2001 |
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Deer in the Midst |
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La Fiesta Del Pueblo 2001 |
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4-H Conversations |
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Mickey Mills |
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Orange County Disability |
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The Last Victim |
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TPC Board Meeting |
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Women League of Voters Candidate Forum |
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TPC Report: TPC training classes |
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TPC Report: Free Speech |
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The Mighty Quinn |
|
TPC Open House |
|
Unity Center for Peace |
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Unity Center of Peace Xmas |
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The Limits of Dissents: The trial of Junius Scales |
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Sierra Club Candidate Forum |
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Out of the Bush II |
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SEAC&OC Sierra Club: Ecological Landscaping |
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Spotlight on Women |
|
Village Review-Anniversary Show |
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Village Review-Visit in Ireland |
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Women's Outreach Commission |
|
Wandering In My Soul |
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Portsmouth: In Search of the Past |
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Orange County Candidate Forum |
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Local Series Active in 2001 |
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Today's Woman |
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The Barefoot Chef |
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Sportaholics |
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Special Insight |
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Southern Championship Wrestling |
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Smart With Your Car |
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School Board |
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Random Insanity |
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Ojos Latinos |
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Meet the Teacher |
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Living by the Word |
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Live @ the Cave |
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Live |
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Laying Down The Law |
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K-TV |
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International Eyez |
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Insight Durham |
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In Praise of Age |
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In Our Time |
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Higher Ground |
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Foundations of Power |
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Family Fun in the Triangle |
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Eyez |
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Dash |
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Daily Living |
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Continuous Train Wreck |
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Carolina Week |
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BOCC |
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Back to the Basics |
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Back Bone |
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Asian American Focus |
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Almanac |
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Non-Local Series Active in 2001 |
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Atheist Viewpoint |
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Bell Yeager's Freewill Baptist Church |
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Catholic Perspective |
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Financial Services Forum |
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Inside North Carolina |
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Metropolitan Community Church |
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Monkeytime |
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Night Flight |
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Open Net |
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Perils for Pedestrians |
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Positive Progression |
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The Prophetic Word |
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Truth of the Matter |
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Universe of Yahweh |
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Windows |
|
Larry Pickett |
|
Non-Local Programs first aired in 2001 |
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Wood Brass & Ivory Chamber Music Ensemble |
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Making a Killing: Phillip Morris & Kraft |
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Anarchy TV |
|
Homes & Hand Community land Trusts in Action |
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Legion Road Townhomes Dedication Ceremony |
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Help Wanted: Farmworkers in NC |
The Peoples Channel
STAFF 2001
Matthew Burke
Station Manager
Steven Matherly
Instructor
Cathy Owens
Instructor
Julius Hewitt
Production Coordinator
The Peoples Channel
Advisory Board 2001
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
University of North Carolina
CB# 3365, Carroll Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365
Ken Jackson
Wentworth & Sloan
167 E. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Morgan Kenney, Director
Chapel Hill Museum
523 E. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Sen. Ellie Kinnaird
207 W. Poplar Avenue
Carrboro, NC 27510
Shirley Marshall
205 W. Poplar Avenue
Carrboro, NC 27510
Rev. Robert Seymour
750 Weaver Dairy Road, Apt. 219
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Prof. Chuck Stone
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of North Carolina
CB# 3365, Carroll Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365