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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1982)
Air time up for grabs Eugene community makes own TV shows By Julie Kurilo Of the Emerald In between the Humphrey Bogart and Ginger Rogers movies shown on Eugene s cable channel 11. cable sub scribers can see a snowballing idea in motion called public access Simply put. public access television offers free air time to the community. Teleprompter — the local cable fran chise — provides air time without charge to individuals, groups, or insti tutions of the community who are in terested in producing a local program A portable equipment package is available to check out without charge from Teleprompter, including color camera, video tape recorder and lights The producers have to provide filming tapes and the taping location Public access in Eugene shares ca ble channel 11 with KOZY, a commer cial station that shows mostly old films Teleprompter provides the public channel under the franchise agreement between the city of Eugene and Teleprompter Although one needs basic produc tion skills to produce a show for the channel, community members wishing to use public access don't have to be experts "The concept of public access is that it’s not professional — it works like a community soapbox,” says Joe Weiner, who started Winds of Change," a 2-year-old weekly public access program Weiner represents public access production groups on a 21-member cable advisory panel named by the Eugene Metropolitan Cable Televi sion/Translator Commission to help create a nonprofit center for public access programs "On public access, you can ad vocate a point, you can be extreme, liberal or conservative, as long as you are not promoting a product or being obscene, " Weiner says Brian Sullivan, Teleprompter's local general manager, says there are min imal requirements for a program to be aired on the community channel Min imal technical quality, no obscene material, and a set of regulations ap proved by the cable commission are the guidelines Parties interested in using the channel would need to con tact Paul Halford, the coordinator of public access with Teleprompter Plans are underway for a community television class this spring through Lane Community College's Adult Education Program Diana Abernath ey, who also is on the public access advisory panel and involved with the production of "Winds of Change," will instruct community members in the basic concepts and production skills of shooting cameras and editing video tape Teleprompter s recent subscription rate increase has raised the hackles of some cable access activists who say the service received doesn't merit the increase Teleprompter, which recently was granted a $1 monthly rate increase in their basic subcription rate (to $7 95 a month), currently is undergoing a Photo by Ertc Mason Cameraman John Kielas films Joe Welnes interviewing gubernatorial candidate Jerry Rust. Photo by Eric Mason Cameraman John Ktalaa takaa aim. three-year review of its franchise with local governments To meet communi ty public access demands, Teleprompter has committed $140,000 for the next three years for equipment purchases, has agreed to provide to public access users a staff member trained in video technology and has leased the former Shelton-Turnbull print shop at 352 W 12th Ave as a production studio tor community pro grams. Sullivan says But public access supporters say Eugene and Springfield are getting only a fragment of what they should be getting for public access There are only four shows currently being produced on available air time through public access and supporters blame lack of equipment insufficient funds and lack of available training for the low number of programs Aber nathey says that despite the small amount of public access use the demand does exist in the community She cites the 100-person turnout for a community television workshop held in December as proof But there s so much to overcome in producing a program, she says The equipment provided is poor and lack ing editing facilities she explains With the Teleprompter amendment to the franchise Abernathey says we got less for three years than we asked for to cover one year s budget The Eugene City Council will be reviewing and taking public comment on the franchise amendment tonight at 7 30 Of the three jurisdictions that need to approve the amendment, Springfield has approved, with deci sion set for Eugene tonight and for Lane County Wednesday night Now serving our Luncheon special of a slice of pizza and large salad for $2.95. Old Town Pizza Company 174 East Broadway Eugene • 342*3366 jlmu Cultural Forum presents JOHli HARTFORD i a a a • • a a • i t a a a a a a a a a • * laaaaaaaaai NEW GRASS v.W-W REVIVAL BLUEGRASS. JAZZ, ROCK sahtoim?, maimi n $ ?s$® M fflHM DBMJLIBdDdDBD Tickets: ‘5.50, UO Students ‘6.50 General Public Available at: EMU Main Desk, Buy & Sell Center at 361 W 5th, Eugene, Earth River Records on the Eugene Mall.
