Town officials upset about fee request from Open Stage Media BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
The cable picture is fuzzy for residents of Glenville, where officials say Open Stage Media is seeking a monetary contribution to get their programs shown. Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle said the Proctors-based entity that now oversees the public, governmental and educational access programming on Time Warner Cable is seeking a portion of subscriber fees to support the costs of the operation. “They’re threatening to take us off the system if we’re not going to support them financially,” Koetzle said at a Town Board work session Wednesday. The figure being tossed around is 25 cents per month per subscriber as a “pass-through” to customers, which would amount to many thousands of dollars annually from cable users in Glenville, according to James MacFarland, the town’s director of operations. Board members believe that fee is excessive. Proctors Chief Executive Offi cer Philip Morris denied that he was seeking a large amount of money, saying Open Stage Media is just looking for some type of contribution. “We have asked Glenville to participate because currently the only people who pay for OSM are the subscribers in the city of Schenectady,” he said. He and Glenville officials plan to meet this week and he is optimistic that some sort of agreement would be reached. Open Stage Media currently operates on an annual budget of roughly $120,000. About $100,000 comes from subscriber fees and $20,000 comes from donations and miscellaneous services for which they charge, according to Morris. He did not anticipate any major infrastructure upgrades at Proctors. It already has studio space and is about to complete its “Digital Soapbox,” which is a small studio where people will be able to come in and easily record a program. Morris acknowledged that he is seeking contributions from towns that are currently negotiating new franchise agreements with Time Warner. Glenville is the only one negotiating a new contract, which town officials say unfairly singles them out. “Until all those deals are made, we’re subsidizing all the other towns. That’s crazy,” said Councilman Mark Quinn. ....................>>>>......................>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00903&AppName=1
Mercury Morris needs to pay for his new kitchen and home improvements. The OSM hostile takeover of our SACC-TV was sickening. Another Gary McCarthy special. And the liberals morons at SACC approved it!
Nice to see a non-profit take advantage, once again, of taxpayers. Well at least their broadening their horizons to totally alientate another town. Thank goodness Glenville has a backbone. Wish Schenectady leaders could find a spare spinal column.
And the City taxpayers are looking for a fair PILOT from Proctor's. Proctor's to the City taxpayers-Drop Dead! The pathetic Gazetto has convinced itself that OSM is "better"?
Stick to your guns Glenville leaders. Pay them one cent. That's what the hack "coverage" is worth. Bring back the Explorer troop and non-DEM hacks who understood the terms volunteer and duty.
Morris is trying to bail out Proctors on the backs of the taxpayers. Go back to Jamestown, oh I forgot they threw you out and you left them with big debt too.
Glenville should tell OMS to go pound salt. Get the disc and show it at the senior center themselves!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Every Schenectady city resident pays 40 cents for receiving the PEG channels Public Access, Educational and Government channel and towards the costs to run the channels... equipment, staffing and related operational expenses etc.
The Glenville, Scotia, Niskayuna and Rotterdam communities also get to view these PEG channels which airs their "government meetings" but do not pay a fee and do not contribute to PEG in maintaining the channels, studios, staffing, and equipment etc.
At this time Glenville is the community being asked to have their residents with TW to contribute. I bet the other three communities will be asked also although I don't know the status of the TW contract with them.
Since Glenville also gets the Public Access, Educational and Government channels one of which airs their government meetings I think it would only be fair that they pay just like Schenectady residents do for them to contribute to the airing of their meetings and maintaining of the channels and operational costs studios, equipment staffing etc.
Right now it appears Schenectady residents are paying for all four communities Glenville, Scotia, Niskayuna and Rotterdam to see their government meetings and for all of the PEG operational expenses.
This has nothing to do with Morris, although it sure would be easy to think it did.
I never will agree to the way Mr. Morris orchestrated the takeover and what he did to SACC-TV although there are reasons to believe things are coming around so eventually other arrangements might be in the works.
This issue has nothing really to do with Mr. Morris trying to screw the Glenville people out of viewing their government meetings like holding it hostage. It is not a tax but a fee for services offered and Schenectady residents have been paying it for many many years. He is just telling folks the Schenectady residents are paying for Glenville to have the benefits of the PEG channels through the PEG fees Schenectady residents are paying.
I don't know why the Glenville meetings are erratic in scheduling and sometimes covered on Public Access 16 and sometime not. The Gov Channel 18 is where they should be aired.
The collection of these PEG fees should not be used to fix the TW infrastructure. The TW system no doubt is in serious need of fixing in the outlying areas. TW should to do their own work to maintain their systems they owe it to their customers out there.
The poor signals is TW's fault and nothing to do with PEG channels and their operational costs.
The PEG fees should only go to running the Public Access, Government and Educational channels and related operational costs.
If all four communities could work together so all TW customers benefit from PEG and if these four communities using these services help pay for the operational costs it would go a long way to adding to the services offered on PEG.
Twenty Five cents would help to pay for the operations of PEG and government meetings to the residents though the City of Schenectady residents pay more. Schenectady residents are paying more was because those creating the franchise agreement with TW (City of Schenectady and the SACCT-TV board of directors at that time of negotiations) agreed to that amount. I think twenty five cents from TW Glenville residents is a deal.
What also needs to be done in addition to these communities also helping pay for PEG and related expenses pressure should be put on TW to fix their infrastructure and system so those outlying areas get a good strong signal.
I also think that the scheduling of the Glenville Government meeting might need to be looked at by OSM to make sure they air when they are scheduled for. I have not followed Glenville's schedule since I am only interested in the City of Schenectady Gov. meetings
For those without the TW service the idea of playing the "government meetings" DVD at certain locations for our senior citizens and others so those using other systems like Direct TV etc. get to view their "government meetings" sounds like an interesting idea. Wonder how something like that could be arranged? I think you can get copies of the DVD's of shows aired but not sure.
Clarification line 1. Every "Time Warner Cable subscriber" in the City of Schenectady pays 40 cents towards PEG.
Clarification line 4: The Glenville, Scotia, Niskayuna and Rotterdam "Time Warner Cable subscribers" also get to view these PEG channels which airs their "government meetings" but do not pay a fee and do not contribute to PEG in maintaining the channels, studios, staffing, and equipment etc.
this same discussion is coming to Rotterdam, Mr Godlewski was so proud of mentioning the Cable contract at the Jan 1 meeting
residentS of rotterdam BEND OVER
instead of using 25cents for buildout to benefit the whole town as Mr Coza spoke of at the 1/12 meeting money will be wasted where a free alternative is available
where is GADFLY on this subject
if every property in rotterdam paid 25cents a month the total per year would be $33,000 - NO SMALL POCKET CHANGE
Talking to each other is better than talking about each other
if every property in rotterdam paid 25cents a month the total per year would be $33,000 - NO SMALL POCKET CHANGE
Not every property will be paying this fee. Note clarification post #10 http://www.rotterdamny.net/m-1295352766/#num10 Only TW cable subscribers. Not sure how many Time Warner Cable households there are. Only the folks working out the contract agreement would know for sure. Check with them.
If TW customers don't want to pay 25 cents let your legislators in your town know. Ask for a public hearing on the issue. Start petitions. Let them know you don't want to pay 25 cents every month and you aren't interested and don't want the Public Access channel, Educational Channel and Government channels and don't think you should be forced to pay it.
As usual the residents of the City are being ripped off. Than pathetic Mercury Morris has the gall to use them as an example for the others. This is a money grab by Morris pure and simple. Now he has 3 stations but programing for maybe half of one. We want our independent community television back. Without DEM sell outs McCarthy and Gardiner permanently wrecking it.
The Explorer Troop did a far superior job of televising City Council meetings. Glenville needs to keep saying Hell-NO! Of course the all DEM morons will go along in Rotterdam. Working together works!
Logged
Mercury Morris needs to pay for his new kitchen and home improvements. The OSM hostile takeover of our SACC-TV was sickening. Another Gary McCarthy special. And the liberals morons at SACC approved it!
All DEM jellyfish never have a spine. The only solution is to dump them all. Not just the Mayor who couldn't win dog catcher. 
