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
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