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SecretAgentMav
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
6213 Posts |
 Posted - 02/08/2007 : 11:53:52 AM
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The following email was passed along to me by my superiors at UNO-TV:
Support is needed from the local television viewing community at a meeting on Monday.
To make a long request short, there will be a meeting by the Cable Television Advisory Council on Monday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. in the Douglas County Civic Center (the new building attached to the old courthouse at 1819 Farnam).
The board is reviewing the request by Cox Cable to dissolve several channels.
Two of the channels up for review are Cox Cable 17 and 18 -- the Knowledge Network.
We are looking for any viewers of programs on the Knowledge Network who would be willing to come to the meeting in a show of support for the programs they find valuable on the Knowledge Network. The supporters may be asked to speak or answer questions about what programs they find valuable and why. This support is very important to the potential future of programs aired on the Knowledge Network.
Programming in question would include those produced especially for the Knowledge Network such as ICU Learning English, Hola Amigos and La Otra Cara De La Moneda, and the student production, the Coach Kemp Show. The channel also airs the student production, the Omaha News.
Other programs that receive encore airings on the Knowledge Network include UNO Television documentaries (including Omaha history programs), UNO sporting events, the information program Consider This, and encore summer showings of the Zoo Bar Blues showcase.
If you find viewings of any of these programs on Cox 17 or 18 valuable to you, or know someone who does, we need your support.
If you have questions prior to the meeting, contact Jim Adams at UNO Television
554-2516
...Last night I had the strangest dream...
http://secretagentmav.blogspot.com |
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glennedy
Voice of Reason
Ireland
500 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 2:13:23 PM
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how can anybody think of getting rid of public television, it just aint right.
"Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games" |
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SecretAgentMav
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
6213 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 4:49:13 PM
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Cox claims that among the 6 public access stations in Omaha there is only programming to fill one of them.
...Last night I had the strangest dream...
http://secretagentmav.blogspot.com |
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SecretAgentMav
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
6213 Posts |
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Bigredmed
Junior Mav
948 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 5:05:22 PM
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Anyone know who is on the committee that is meeting on Monday?
I would be happy to email them.
I have no problem cutting down the number of PA channels if the data from Cox is indeed true. I want to be sure that Cox gives up something that is of general benefit in return. Letting them use the bandwidth to add a new premium channel is a non-starter. Letting them replace a couple of dead PA channels with KETV's 24 hour Nebraska Weather channel or some other generally useful alternative would be OK. |
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SecretAgentMav
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
6213 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 5:21:08 PM
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The problem with what Cox has on their website, is that it's a broad generalization, and not entirely accurrate-- there are grumblings that they want to move TKN to the 500-level of their service... putting TKN in the digital tier, and making you pay more for public access. Right now part of TKN's issues are that it's not made available to everyone-- people in Sarpy county don't get TKN. And does that split constitute two different public access channels?
Isn't public access supposed to be free?
As for Jim Suttle... I think more people watch Public Access than he lets on. You'd be amazed how many people come up to me on the street and recognize me as "Johnny Onthespot" from 'TV2 Presents: Spoofed News'. That was two years ago, and people still talk about it.
Meanwhile, WOWT mentions that Cox subscribers want more sports and entertainment. They've turned their backs on local sports. To start, TKN shows replays of NET broadcasts of UNO Athletics. Not to mention the Mike Kemp Show. And nowhere is it noted that the employees of UNOTV (KYNE and TKN) normally have a chance to work UNO football, volleyball, and basketball-- something that didn't happen this year because of budget concerns. WOWT usually picks up UNO playoff games with UNOTV crews... they didn't this year. Also, Telepro Productions had cameras set up at Qwest Center for the Notre Dame and Bentley series-- the cameras were there for Creighton basketball. Theo Murcer, who owns Telepro begged the local affiliates to pick up the hockey games, to no avail.
But if you'd really like to know about wasted broadcast space-- ask Cox Communications what they are doing with KOXO (you know, 02TV) these days? Without UPN, it's basically a home shopping network.
...Last night I had the strangest dream...
http://secretagentmav.blogspot.com |
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hackermav
Minister of Antagonism
1039 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2007 : 10:32:19 AM
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Personally I rarely watch the public access channels, if at all. I would much rather Cox offer some commercial programming that might ahve something of more interest to me.
If there is only enough content for one channel right now, then going from 6 to 3 seems right.
Now if Cox is just going to add new channels and also raise their price, then I would rather they just leave it as is.
I'm still waiting for programming to come back on 68 and 69, as Cox originally said they were going to do. I pay for 71, but only get 69 right now. Only to find out that they don't have a choice in what is being broadcast on their channels (they say it is all up to the networks) and that I am paying for tiers not the number of channels. Well if I am not paying for a number of channels, then don't advertise it that way. |
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SecretAgentMav
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
6213 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2007 : 2:40:52 PM
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Cox intends to take away public access as it is, move it to a higher tier, and make you pay for it. It just seems to me that it violates something the FCC has in place about community television.
The shows that will be affected are:
Westside TV
Consider This...
The Mike Kemp Show
Hola Amigos (OPS' ESL show)
ICU Learning English (UNO's ESP show)
La Otra Cerda de la Moneda / The Other Side of the Coin (a Hispanic public-issues show)
Reflections in Time
If These Walls Could Speak...
Omaha Since WWII
O-Zone
Classic Arts Showcase
(and many others)
What is being largely overlooked is the experience UNO students, OPS students, and MCC students get working on some these shows. UNOTV's budget is already razor-thin. In fact, we pretty much do pro-bono work anymore. Eliminating TKN and other Public Access channels will eliminate these shows, and with it the little money that comes in for these shows to be done-- because we can't sell commercial time.
For those of you who don't know... the Mike Kemp Show (the television production) is on a budget of $200 for the entire season. That barely covers the cost of tapes for the show-- and we have tried to be resourcesful, by recycling tapes... and well, you saw what happened last week-- we had to scrap the show.
I don't have the numbers for the budget of other shows, but I can tel you that the number is not very high.
Most of the reason there is a lack of programming on these channels, is that budget constraints squash any amibition we have of starting new shows.
Here's how it breaks down. TKN is seen by Cox basic subscribers... but only if you live in Douglas County-- for some reason Cox doesn't believe Greater Omaha stretches to Sarpy County. Cox is wasting their resources and trying to scapegoat Public Access. Perhaps if TKN was available to ALL Cox basic subscribers, there would be more of a following-- I know several of you have expressed interest in the show, and question why you can't watch from Papio.
Cox, with Jim Suttle as their sounding board, are trying to get deeper into your pockets.
...Last night I had the strangest dream...
http://secretagentmav.blogspot.com |
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West O Mike
All-Star Mav
Christmas Island
3824 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2007 : 3:17:38 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by SecretAgentMav
Cox, with Jim Suttle as their sounding board, are trying to get deeper into your pockets.
Cox sucks. Period.
Blog: http://huskermike.blogspot.com |
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Go Mavs
Junior Mav
USA
822 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2007 : 5:16:41 PM
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Not that my vote counts for much since I: a) live in Washington County; and b) have Dish Network because Cox doesn't cover this area---but I did vote for keeping public access on the link that Chris provided.
I agree that if they don't need all the stations, then cutting it back is a reasonable argument. But if, as SAM states, that they will then move the public access out of the public access tier, then I don't agree.
Based on my limited information, it sounds like Cox wants to use one reasoned argument to cover multiple issues that they're having, and are not forthcoming on the overall changes. They can't come up with reasoned arguments for the other stuff, so will co-op the one to cover all their changes.
But what can you expect from a company that gave the City Council essentially free stock options to move into Douglas County (yes, I lived in Douglas County at the time) in the first place. Oh, sorry, I forgot. They didn't do it as a bribe, just as a private offering. I still don't get how that wasn't illegal. The City Council at the time had no problem with that conflict of interest because it benefited their pocketbooks.
And we thought dirty PAC and lobbying money only happened in our country's capital.  I'm cynical enough to believe this is fait accompli.
It would be too bad for all of the public access programming. No, you may not watch it, but it does have a place for our educational and public access needs. |
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Hal Dawg
Movie Star...
1019 Posts |
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magster
Freshman Mav
Italy
192 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2007 : 10:30:21 AM
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| I'm out of town on business. Is there anywhere I can send an e-mail? Thanks! |
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SecretAgentMav
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Congo, Democratic Republic of
6213 Posts |
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glennedy
Voice of Reason
Ireland
500 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 2:37:37 PM
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hey, is anyone else going to this meeting today?
"Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games" |
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Bigredmed
Junior Mav
948 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 4:18:09 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Go Mavs
Based on my limited information, it sounds like Cox wants to use one reasoned argument to cover multiple issues that they're having, and are not forthcoming on the overall changes. They can't come up with reasoned arguments for the other stuff, so will co-op the one to cover all their changes.
Sounds like it to me as well.
quote:
But what can you expect from a company that gave the City Council essentially free stock options to move into Douglas County (yes, I lived in Douglas County at the time) in the first place. Oh, sorry, I forgot. They didn't do it as a bribe, just as a private offering. I still don't get how that wasn't illegal. The City Council at the time had no problem with that conflict of interest because it benefited their pocketbooks.
Not illegal at the time as ALL the competing cable companies were pouring stock and stock options on the "community leaders" who were pushing one or the other company. Cox bet better than Time-Warner or Cablevision. They won, as did their collection of "community leaders" who pocketed a bunch of Cox stox in the local operating company. No so for the other guys who pocketed a bunch of stock for operating companies that didn't get the bid and are now worth about as much as the shares on the wall of a Ruby Tuesday.
Seriously, every company bought local pols and their cronies to get a leg up on the competition.
Now a days this would be considered dangerously gray, if not actually illegal. In Medicine, this would be so illegal that Pete Starke would personally be there to arrest you. In the cable TV wars, it was considered compensation for all the work that these "community leaders" were doing on behalf of the various companies.
Basically, you got paid in stock and paid tax on that income out of your other income. Used to be quite legal and considered a good deal. You got paid $1000. You could take it in cash (during the Carter administration's 24% inflation  , or you could take a $1000 face value of stock in a company whose assets would be say 20% of what they would be if they got the contract. Win the deal, and you made a bunch of cash. Lose the deal and you had a $1000. |
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mavgirl84
Sophomore Mav
USA
345 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 7:41:40 PM
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I went tonight and there were 4 other speakers there for the Education committee 1 from MCC, 1 from OPS (a former reporter for WOWT whose an instructor), myself and one person for UNO/Creighton U....I spoke that they should keep channel 17, and that if they were to go down to 2 channels it would not be benifical to the community because then everyone would be fighting for airtime...
AND THE HOME OF THE MAVS............... |
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mavgirl84
Sophomore Mav
USA
345 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2007 : 10:04:44 AM
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Its been a few days/weeks now any updates on this topic?
AND THE HOME OF THE MAVS............... |
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