From the Providence Journal of July 11th:
Rhode Island PBS phasing out coverage of meetings
Citing legal concerns over the conduct of some of its employees, the Rhode Island Public Broadcasting System said PBS employees will stop taping town meetings on the company’s time.
Instead, towns must find their own volunteers, said David Piccerelli, Rhode Island PBS vice president and chief financial officer.
Piccerelli said the company had to fire one of its employees after he “allegedly spoke out of turn … and was disruptive” while covering a town council meeting in Charlestown “after being instructed not to speak” during assignments.
The policy is being phased in statewide, according to Piccerelli, who said only a handful of communities continue to rely on PBS employees to tape the meetings. Among those communities, he cited Johnston and Cranston.
PBS employees are still taping Cranston and Johnston meetings, but they stopped going to Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton and Westerly about a month ago.
So let me understand this correctly: PBS had a poor employee. They fired the employee. Instead of hiring a replacement, they decided just to cancel the service? I think many of us know of the employee in question and breathed a sigh of relief over his removal, however, that one person was not “the service” that we received.
Any other institution would hire a new employee to cover this important position.
What it comes down to is PBS is being cheap and they think they can get away with not providing Hopkinton with an important historical service. No one at the state level seems to care and no one is going to force PBS to abide by the terms of a prior agreement. The Public Utilities Commission had the following to say,
“There were some agreements made in the early ’80s, but the times have changed,” Palazzo said, adding, “There is no requirement [for] any live programming of any sort.”
“Whatever gentlemen’s agreements were worked out in the 1980s cannot be expected to be carried out ad infinitum,” Palazzo said.
How about a NEW agreement? PUC, you also suck (and thanks for the 20% electricity cost increase).
July 11, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I thoroughly agree. It is infuriating.
July 12, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Hi!
I will try to check on this. Volunteers are important but paid people should do this. Because of dependability and cable operators have a monopoly or virtual monopoly.
Regards,
Scott
July 16, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Well before PBS took over I contacted the ex director : Robert Fish and related the four towns in southern RI would continue to be covered he said oh no I said oh yes. Well now here we are , yes of course when that party was discharged PBS didn’t replace him. Money is their issue. Elizabeth Diaz Esposito was previously overseer for Cox/public access tv now with PBS , a few wks ago she related to me all agreements from past were null and void, I disagreed. Their telling town mgrs to go out and get volunteers, careful someone might have their own agenda ,film and contaminate video !
Heres what can be entertained, contact PBS / PUC tell them all towns should get a share of the $1.8 million kitty given to PBS by you on your cable bill. Then the towns can take the monies and stream the meetings into their web sites. Then you do not have to deal with other parties,deliver tapes etc. . Also many are not aware of this all public access studios receive other grants which should of been at the disposal of all producers assisting in the cost of their productions. Thus towns again can do the same. Money, Money is the bottom line. Tell PUC you are going to boycott the 50 cents on your bill , if everyone in the state did that hmmm that would send a message. Now I was told when Cox purchased the cable rights they couldn’t unless they covered the four towns oh they squealed but finally agreed or elese no sale.Someone needs to go find the original contract with the 1st co. and then Cox and read the exact terms. We have never had live coverage anyway, always pre-recorded. Write to the FCC they gave cable privledges only if they made certain public and government had access. Present the contracts. Sue PUC and PBS ! Contact Cox find out what their stand was in transfer.
See thats why we did all work in field/home etc and post production ourselves. The relationships with public access tv was always difficult being independant is best. When the FCC forced public accss tv down the throat of the cable co’s. they had to accept or no cable. This forever more created a resentful atmosphere.
Good Luck !
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