10/28/04 "Working for community media center," Times Union.

Working for community media center:
Fully equipped facility would allow residents to produce home-grown programs

By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer
First published: Thursday, October 28, 2004

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- One video camera owned by the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council is the entire inventory of the city's production capabilities. The creation of a fully equipped Community Media and Technology Center is a goal the Saratoga County League of Women Voters is pursuing through a newly formed Media Center Committee to work with the city government.

Funding for the center would be part of the city's cable television franchise with Time Warner, according to committee and city officials. The city currently receives about $270,000 from Time Warner.

The effort to build a community-oriented center began two years ago when Jackie Pardon started the Media Center Project after attending a workshop on community media. A video artist, Pardon set to work building grass-roots support for community media.

"We started getting letters of support" about the initial efforts, Pardon said. She also set to work with former mayor Ken Klotz, a Democrat, who put the city behind the Media Center Project. That support has carried over into the administration of Mayor Michael Lenz, a Republican.

"It's kept the project going. It's a step at a time," said Pardon.

The Media Center Project helped the EOC obtain funding to purchase the video camera. A complete center would have equipment, provide training to residents in the use of the equipment and how to use the medium of television.

Public access television with three cable channels dedicated to the city is what the Media Center Committee wants to establish. This would allow such events as City Council meetings, local sports and cultural events to be televised.

The steps to create such a center are gaining vigor. The Saratoga County League of Women Voters named Pardon co-chair of its Media Center Committee as the public group stepped in to increase pressure to get something done. "This is important. This is a project to bring our community together," said Bob Pasciullo, who co-chairs the committee with Pardon.

The committee leadership has met with Lenz to discuss what can be done to prepare for negotiations with Time Warner.

Lenz said he has allocated $30,000 in his 2005 budget to hire a field coordinator to work with a five-member committee to develop a plan for what is needed. Lenz said the city currently uses the $270,000 franchise fee for the city budget.

Pardons points to successful efforts in Pittsfield, Mass.; Monterey Calif.; Lowell, Mass. and other cities to build a community media center using income from the cable television franchise fees.

Troy has hired the Buske Group, a California company, to negotiate a new franchise agreement with Time Warner. Troy is paying the Buske Group $40,000 for these services. The Saratoga Springs City Council was advised last week by its consultant Steve Pierce to hire a negotiator to deal with Time Warner.

The effort to get funds via the franchise fee is to provide links between community groups so that their message can get out to each other and to the public at large. Pasciullo, who is president of the EOC board of directors, said such communications into residents' homes
via cable TV would allow information about food stamps and other programs to be made widely available.

"It's about people working with other people," Pardon said. "Access is about bringing people to people."

The committee members are Pasciullo, Pardon, John Van der Veer, Mary Lou Classen, Cindy Corbett, Paul DeGregorio, Holly Schwarz-Lawton, Eric Weller, Ralph Pascucci, Camille Daniels, Roger Wyatt, Arnold Byrd and Adam Lewis.

The committee's advisory panel is Dee Sarno, Jerry Luhn, Hilary Garret Smith, Kathy Corbett, Bev Mastrianni, Marie Glotzbach, Dan Irizarry and Dale Willman.


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