Public Access in San Francisco, is it the end?
My dear friend Sunny wrote this email a few days ago. I will be going to the meeting on Monday, Feb, 23rd at 10:00 am at the Monday, the 23rd at 10:00 AM for the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee City Hall, Room 263, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA. This is a meeting where people can speak up in behalf of public access - even if you just want to keep watching it. For more information, please visit the AccessSF website: http://accessf.org/ As some of you know, I am on the Board of Directors at Berkeley Community Media, and we want to do anything we can to help save Public Access in San Francisco. If you live in SF, please CALL your supervisors and come to the meeting, if you can. If you live elsewhere, please find out about your local Public Access channel (if you are lucky enough to still have one) before it gets taken away.
Thanks,
Crescent
From Sunny Angulo:
Sent this out to some of my groups, wanted to pass it on to you. If you believe in a free and democratic media... this could very well be curtains for just that in our fair city. Maybe you've been a guest on the station, maybe you just like to watch good television, maybe you are a Free Speech warrior, maybe you belong to an independent media org that can join the fight, maybe you just hate Comcast, maybe you are a film/art/culture geek, maybe you are an activist, maybe you learned something from Channel 29 or got some kind of value from it. Whatever the case...
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Hey, gang. Many of you know that I've been a media activist for a long time, and believe very strongly in the public's right to have access to critical information and reliable and representative media that is not controlled solely by private interests. I have seen first-hand the benefits of a community's ability to control their own modes of communication, through independent sources of media, a diversity of voices and funding and training for strong investigative reporting. I can't stress enough how crucial this is or the kind of impact I have seen it make on severely underrepresented communities. I attend a lot of press conferences, protests and rallies for all kinds of causes, because I believe in them and want to support my community however I can. But I rarely try to personally recruit people to come out to speak on different issues. In the past, public access in San Francisco has been threatened with budget cuts and lay-offs, but never have things been this bad or serious. So, I'm taking a minute today to write you all in the hopes that you will take a second this week to contact a supervisor, come to the hearing on Monday or get involved on the AccessSF.org website in this crucial struggle. There is a hearing on Monday, and I know it's asking quite a bit, but maybe you can make it out? Here's some background on what's happening: , The Department of Technology (DT) of the City and County of San Francisco has issued its Request for Proposal (RFP) to manage pubic access beginning July 1, 2009. DT is offering $120,000 to do this job. That's an approximate $560,000 cut in operations funding. The RFP requires the bidder to make up the difference. This proposal effectively puts the nail in the coffin of public access as we know it. There is no question that if nothing changes all access to the main studio, flash studio, editing and equipment checkout will be gone on July 1st as well as any reliable playback and scheduling for our shows. One of two things will probably happen: Comcast will take it over and assume management of the station and who knows what that will look like, or the SFgov station will take it over, and envelope it into the City Hall station. I need to get some clarity on these two options, but neither of them is good. I just found out that LA Access was finally closed for good a couple of months ago. I also know Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is working to change the state legislative languaging around how funds can be appropriated and distributed, but I'm not sure how much this will help. I am meeting with him tomorrow to find out what specific things people can reference when they talk. Here is a link to the SOS coalition, which is more of a show of support by other individuals and organizations for Access SF. http://accessf.org/soscoalition/. It would be wonderful to have people join and get members of their groups to join. If you have ever been a guest on the Newsroom, you know the kind of reporting we have done over the years. We have been nominated for a California Emmy several years in a row (darn KQUED keeps beating us out!), and we've covered stories that no one else has. I've had people come up to me on the street, literally, and tell me how much they've enjoyed the show, and how it's the first time they've actually seen their own district supervisor speak or find out what their local officials actually do. We've had labor on, public finance workers, immigrant rights lawyers, Evo Morales's cabinet members, activists, Iraq war veterans, nuclear weapons experts - you name it. We have supported our local community groups, and we hope you can come out and support us in this very serious time. This is YOUR media. It's YOUR television station, and we need you now to help us save it. Please come out this Monday, the 23rd at 10:00 AM for the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee City Hall, Room 263, 2nd Floor. This is a meeting where people can speak up in behalf of public access - even if you just want to keep watching it. For more information, please visit the AccessSF website: http://accessf.org/ And also, for those who can't make it, here's the 411 for your local elected's: FOR REAL: help a sister out.
paz, Sunny Supervisor District Phone Fax Room E Mail Supervisors' Staff ALIOTO-PIER, Michela 2 554-7752 554-7843 274 Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org Stefani, Catherine Ballard, Sarah Stuart, Jennifer AVALOS, John 11 554-6975 554-6979 256 John.Avalos@sfgov.org Redondiez, Rachel Hsieh, Frances -- CAMPOS, David 9 554-5144 554-6255 272 David.Campos@sfgov.org Haynes, Linette Peralta Tuller, Zachary Schiavo, Pilar CHIU, David 3 554-7450 554-7454 264 David.Chiu@sfgov.org Chung, Rose Owen, David Noyola, David CHU, Carmen 4 554-7460 554-7432 260 Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org Tang, Katy Blackstone, Camelin -- DALY, Chris 6 554-7970 554-7974 273 Chris.Daly@sfgov.org Gomes, Lena -- -- DUFTY, Bevan 8 554-6968 554-6909 268 Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org Hayward, Boe King, Nicolas Kinsey, Nicholas ELSBERND, Sean 7 554-6516 554-6546 280 Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org Scanlon, Olivia Volberding, Alexander -- MAR, Eric 1 554-7410 554-7415 284 Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org Costello, Cassandra Chin, Lin-Shao -- MAXWELL, Sophie 10 554-7670 554-7674 279 Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org Lau, Jon Rogers, Emily -- MIRKARIMI, Ross 5 554-7630 554-7634 282 Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org Galbreath, Rick Brown, Vallie Pollock, Jeremy Mayor Gavin NEWSOM -- 554-6141 554-6160 200 Gavin.Newsom@sfgov.org
Thanks,
Crescent
From Sunny Angulo:
Sent this out to some of my groups, wanted to pass it on to you. If you believe in a free and democratic media... this could very well be curtains for just that in our fair city. Maybe you've been a guest on the station, maybe you just like to watch good television, maybe you are a Free Speech warrior, maybe you belong to an independent media org that can join the fight, maybe you just hate Comcast, maybe you are a film/art/culture geek, maybe you are an activist, maybe you learned something from Channel 29 or got some kind of value from it. Whatever the case...
********
********
Hey, gang. Many of you know that I've been a media activist for a long time, and believe very strongly in the public's right to have access to critical information and reliable and representative media that is not controlled solely by private interests. I have seen first-hand the benefits of a community's ability to control their own modes of communication, through independent sources of media, a diversity of voices and funding and training for strong investigative reporting. I can't stress enough how crucial this is or the kind of impact I have seen it make on severely underrepresented communities. I attend a lot of press conferences, protests and rallies for all kinds of causes, because I believe in them and want to support my community however I can. But I rarely try to personally recruit people to come out to speak on different issues. In the past, public access in San Francisco has been threatened with budget cuts and lay-offs, but never have things been this bad or serious. So, I'm taking a minute today to write you all in the hopes that you will take a second this week to contact a supervisor, come to the hearing on Monday or get involved on the AccessSF.org website in this crucial struggle. There is a hearing on Monday, and I know it's asking quite a bit, but maybe you can make it out? Here's some background on what's happening: , The Department of Technology (DT) of the City and County of San Francisco has issued its Request for Proposal (RFP) to manage pubic access beginning July 1, 2009. DT is offering $120,000 to do this job. That's an approximate $560,000 cut in operations funding. The RFP requires the bidder to make up the difference. This proposal effectively puts the nail in the coffin of public access as we know it. There is no question that if nothing changes all access to the main studio, flash studio, editing and equipment checkout will be gone on July 1st as well as any reliable playback and scheduling for our shows. One of two things will probably happen: Comcast will take it over and assume management of the station and who knows what that will look like, or the SFgov station will take it over, and envelope it into the City Hall station. I need to get some clarity on these two options, but neither of them is good. I just found out that LA Access was finally closed for good a couple of months ago. I also know Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is working to change the state legislative languaging around how funds can be appropriated and distributed, but I'm not sure how much this will help. I am meeting with him tomorrow to find out what specific things people can reference when they talk. Here is a link to the SOS coalition, which is more of a show of support by other individuals and organizations for Access SF. http://accessf.org/soscoalition/. It would be wonderful to have people join and get members of their groups to join. If you have ever been a guest on the Newsroom, you know the kind of reporting we have done over the years. We have been nominated for a California Emmy several years in a row (darn KQUED keeps beating us out!), and we've covered stories that no one else has. I've had people come up to me on the street, literally, and tell me how much they've enjoyed the show, and how it's the first time they've actually seen their own district supervisor speak or find out what their local officials actually do. We've had labor on, public finance workers, immigrant rights lawyers, Evo Morales's cabinet members, activists, Iraq war veterans, nuclear weapons experts - you name it. We have supported our local community groups, and we hope you can come out and support us in this very serious time. This is YOUR media. It's YOUR television station, and we need you now to help us save it. Please come out this Monday, the 23rd at 10:00 AM for the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee City Hall, Room 263, 2nd Floor. This is a meeting where people can speak up in behalf of public access - even if you just want to keep watching it. For more information, please visit the AccessSF website: http://accessf.org/ And also, for those who can't make it, here's the 411 for your local elected's: FOR REAL: help a sister out.
paz, Sunny Supervisor District Phone Fax Room E Mail Supervisors' Staff ALIOTO-PIER, Michela 2 554-7752 554-7843 274 Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org Stefani, Catherine Ballard, Sarah Stuart, Jennifer AVALOS, John 11 554-6975 554-6979 256 John.Avalos@sfgov.org Redondiez, Rachel Hsieh, Frances -- CAMPOS, David 9 554-5144 554-6255 272 David.Campos@sfgov.org Haynes, Linette Peralta Tuller, Zachary Schiavo, Pilar CHIU, David 3 554-7450 554-7454 264 David.Chiu@sfgov.org Chung, Rose Owen, David Noyola, David CHU, Carmen 4 554-7460 554-7432 260 Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org Tang, Katy Blackstone, Camelin -- DALY, Chris 6 554-7970 554-7974 273 Chris.Daly@sfgov.org Gomes, Lena -- -- DUFTY, Bevan 8 554-6968 554-6909 268 Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org Hayward, Boe King, Nicolas Kinsey, Nicholas ELSBERND, Sean 7 554-6516 554-6546 280 Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org Scanlon, Olivia Volberding, Alexander -- MAR, Eric 1 554-7410 554-7415 284 Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org Costello, Cassandra Chin, Lin-Shao -- MAXWELL, Sophie 10 554-7670 554-7674 279 Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org Lau, Jon Rogers, Emily -- MIRKARIMI, Ross 5 554-7630 554-7634 282 Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org Galbreath, Rick Brown, Vallie Pollock, Jeremy Mayor Gavin NEWSOM -- 554-6141 554-6160 200 Gavin.Newsom@sfgov.org
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