Pubic Access Television in Rochester -- A Time for Growth

Rochester Community Television (RCTV-15), Rochester's public access channel, is undergoing a major "face lift" as the Board and staff, along with the City Council, re-negotiate Time Warner's contract with the City. On Feb. 25, 2004, a panel consisting of Interim General Manager Carvin Eison, Vice President of Programs Ginna Moseson, and Programming Manager Rick Osborne, updated current RCTV producers on the changes that are occurring and/or are in the planning stage. The goal is to enable Rochester's public access programming to become more professional and to better serve the community. The contract negotiations process provides an excellent opportunity to ensure the availability of locally sponsored, locally centered programming that promotes a diversity of voices and the needs and interests of the community without concern for profit.

Body: Rochester Community Television (RCTV channel 15) is undergoing a major "face lift," thanks to the efforts of Interim General Manager Carvin Eison, Vice President of Programs Ginna Moseson, Programming Manager Rick Osborne, and other members of the RCTV board and staff.



Eison, Moseson, and Osborne met last night with RCTV producers at RCTV headquarters in Rochester.



For the last three years, the City of Rochester has been in negotiation with Time-Warner (the current cable service provider in our area) for a new contract. Time-Warner wants to remain the sole cable service provider in the area, and thus the City of Rochester has major leverage for ensuring that public access tv not only survives but thrives.



The plan is to completely expand and refurbish the facilities at 21 Gorham Street and to upgrade the production equipment, much of which right now is virtually falling apart.



The vision of the Board and staff is to enable Rochester's public access programming to become more professional, so that more people will watch (potentially making it possible for producers to obtain underwriting from commercial entities), and to secure the place of public access television within the cablecast spectrum.



Cable companies today want to get those public access stations back. They see those stations as a drain on their profits, and they are attempting to persuade city councils to dump their requirements that they provide the channel and the funds to support facilities and programming. That's why it is so important that community members work to convince those the decision-makers that public access television is a vital component in the maintenance of free speech in this age of media consolidation.



For more details on the meeting see the story on my