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Copyright by
RANDALL LEE VANDALSEN
1979

A HISTORY OF
THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC ACCESS
TO CABLE TELEVISION
IN EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
(1972 - 1979)

By

Randai] Lee VanDaisen

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partia] fulfiilment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Te1ecommunication

1979

ABSTRACT
A HISTORY OF
THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC ACCESS
TO CABLE TELEVISION

IN EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
(1972 - 1979)

By

Randall Lee VanDalsen

The concept of "public access" to cable television has been in
existence fOr less than ten years. Under federal, state and local
directives, many cable companies in the United States have been
required to provide free (or nearly so) time on a cable channel,
equipment to produce programs, and a policy of nearly no censorship of
what was produced. In many communities, this requirement has led
to excellent examples of how a new communications technology could
benefit the "public interest, convenience, and necessity," as hoped for
in the famous phrase from the Conmunications Act of 1934. In the vast
majority of cable systems, however, the public access channels have been
dormant.

As the cable television industry now eagerly moves into the remain-
ing U.S. markets yet to be wired, many cable operators have been quick
to eulogize that the public access idea was one of those "blue-sky"
fantasies that simply wouldn't work. As evidence for this belief, they

point to a few places where their affiliated companies make a channel

available for the public to use, provided one camera and a videotape
recorder, did little to promote the concept, and saw the service go
unused.

There is another side to the story, however. Many communities
have demonstrated that public access channels, when properly developed,
can evolve into thriving sources of popular local programming. To the
best of my knowledge, though, there has been no research conducted to
study these existing access centers and reveal how their success was
achieved.

The purpose of this study, therefore, is to analyze the development
and operation of one of America's most active cable access centers, in ‘
East Lansing, Michigan. Literally hundreds of volunteer producers stream
through the access facility during a typical week's time. Dozens of
local programs are produced on a weekly basis, many of them for years now.

My primary sources of information included local newspapers and
magazine articles, records of all public access programs kept on file at
the cable company, interviews with company officials, cable commissioners,
access center coordinators and volunteers and, since I have been an access
coordinator here for many years, personal recollections. Other important
data came from the East Lansing Cable Communications Ordinance, the city's
franchise agreement with the National Cable Company, the FCC Cable Tele-
vision Rules and several FCC memorand concerning the East Lansing
situation.

Major findings of this study include the definition of character
traits necessary for an effective access coordinator, ways to attract

volunteers to the center and teach them video production, systems

of organization which help make a very busy operation run smoothly,
the importance of working with the cable company, keeping up with the
latest technological developments in small-format video, and the

development of program promotion and audience measurement techniques.

Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Telecommunication,
College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University,

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts

I,

degree. ,////_Afif7 I

1"
/

//-—" I/ 'f I - r’ /
,/ /‘/ /.'/ . I _. r /
p?// ,«x_; ,~.<f' fiZfi‘tri...4¢EEblli AWE» ./
"' Directsr o he51s ‘ ‘

(¢

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to sincerely thank Dr. Thomas Muth of the Michigan State
University Department of Telecommunication for his continuous prodding
and support which helped make this volume possible.

A very large "thank you" is also extended to the hundreds of
public access volunteers who have made this "blue-sky" vision of
community-produced television an enormous practical success in East

Lansing.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES .........................
LIST OF FIGURES ........................
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION: LAYING THE GROUNDWORK . . .......
The Development of the East Lansing Cable
Ordinance and Franchise Agreement ......
The Rationale for Cable Access ..........
II. TECHNOLOGY: "WHAT CAN I GET MY HANDS ON?" ......
The FCC "Voids" the East Lansing Equipment
Requirements ................
Other Important Technological Developments . . . .

III. COORDINATING TECHNIQUES: "HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?"
The Making of an Effective Access Coordinator

Video Production Techniques: How the Access
Volunteers are Trained ...........

Organizing Trained Volunteers Into Production
Groups ...................

Dealing with Controversial Programs .......
Working with the Cable Company ..........
Maintaining Accurate Records ...........

IV. THE PROGRAMMING AND THE PROGRAMMERS: I'YOU PUT
WHAT ON THE CABLE?1?! ..............

vii

13
15
18
I9

21

23
24
26
29

31

Bringing the People In ...............

Removing Restrictive Obstacles to Community
Participation .................

Program Production Increases Dramatically .....

Production Quality: Should Only the Slick
Survive? ...................

Reactions from Original Ordinance Authors .....

V. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT AND MEASUREMENT: "IS ANYONE

WATCHING OUT THERE?" ...............

Promoting the Access Channel Programming ......

The Importance of Series-Type Programming .....

Early Audience Measurement Techniques .......

The Introduction of Audience Surveys ........

VI. CONCLUSIONS ......................
Impact On and Importance to the Community .....

Benefits to the Cable Industry ...........
Recommendations to Decision-Makers .........

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................
APPENDIX A: RED LETTER DATES ..................
APPENDIX B: EAST LANSING PUBLIC ACCESS SERIES PROGRAMS .....
APPENDIX C: l979 AUDIENCE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE .........
APPENDIX D: PUBLIC ACCESS RULES AND EQUIPMENT CHECK-OUT FORMS. .
APPENDIX E: TV PRODUCTION WORKSHOP RELATED FORMS ........

vi

33

34

41

45

SO

60
64
69

LIST OF TABLES

Page

1. Public Access Channel Series Programs Viewership
Levels (In Percent) ................... 47

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Page

1. Public Access Program Production ............... 36

viii

CHAPTER I

Introduction: Laying the Groundwork

 

Cable television is the only medium to which the general public
has had an enforced right of access. The first governmental unit to
establish this right was the New York City Board of Estimate. In 1970,
the Board awarded franchises to two large cable systems that fell under
its jurisdiction. The franchise agreements stipulated that two channels
were to be reserved for lease by the companies to persons on a common
carrier basis. The public would also have the right to lease production
facilities from the cable companies.1

The Federal Communications Commission established its mandatory
cable access provisions in its 1972 Third Report and Order. Cable
systems in the top 100 markets were required to supply free access
channels for educational, municipal, and public use. Any group or
individual who applied for access time was guaranteed up to five min-
utes free of charge on the public access channel. Only advertising,
illegal lottery information and obscene matter was not allowed.2

(The FCC later modified these rules significantly. A 1976 Report and

Order amended the previous access rules to only include systems with

 

1"Two Cable TV Services Here Win 20-Year City Franchises,"
New York Times, 29 July 1970, p. 61.

 

247 C.F.R. 76.25l(a)(ll)(i), (1972).

1

3500 subscribers or more. The new rules also required merely a
minimum of one "composite" access channel to be used jointly by the
public, government and schools.3) Another very important provision of
the 1972 rules pertained to the rights of local franchising authorities.
More stringent access requirements would not be allowed unless the
local franchisor obtained FCC approval at the time the system was cert-
ified. The Commission believed that other free channels and services -
if allowed to be negotiable items during the franchising process -
would "unduly burden systems" economically and thus thwart the Rules'

basic goals.4

This last provision, as I will discuss later, would have
very important ramifications in the case of East Lansing, Michigan.

The notion of "public access" to cable television has been at
work in the community of East Lansing since early 1972. In a short,
seven year span, it has evolved from simple, one-camera tapings of
governmental meetings to such things as complex five-camera, multi-
angle video replay, 15-person crew member recordings of local sports
events. Initially, potential cable programmers had little more to use
than "a portapac and a prayer." Now, about $200,000 worth of video
gear is at their disposal. A literal handful of early access users has
ballooned to hundreds of regular video producers. Public access
program audiences have grown from perhaps little more than the producer

and a few friends in 1972 to well-documented, very significant percent-

ages of the city's cable subscribers.

 

347 C.F.R. 76.254(a)(4)(b), (1977).

447 C.F.R. FCC 72-108 (1972), Par. 131-134.

With this thesis, I intend to thoroughly explore the history
of these and other developments. I believe this information will be
of great value to researchers and those now involved in the process

of charting the future course of community access to cable television.

The Development of the East Lansing Cable
' Ordinance and Franchise Agreement

 

 

In 1971, the East Lansing City Council and staff began working
on a cable television ordinance.5 Advice came willingly from many
facets of the community (educators, religious leaders, university
professors, engineers, etc.) which had united to create the Community
Cable Television Coalition. This group wastrimarily interested in the
potential for local services a cable system could provide. In December
of 1971, after hearing the Coalition's thorough critique of a proposed
cable ordinance, East Lansing Mayor Wilbur Brookover invited the group
to work closely with the City to come up with an improved document.

With "a sense of urgency," Coalition leader Rev. Truman Morrison
asked Dr. Thomas Baldwin, a Michigan State University professor of
telecommunication, to prepare a preliminary draft of an ordinance.
Dr. Baldwin was very interested in the work of the Coalition, and had
been collecting information for an ordinance since Fall of 1971. He
quickly wrote a draft, including provisionscn1channel capacity, services
to the city, public channels, and video production equipment to be
provided to the public. This proposal was sent to the Coalition for

revision and sent to the city attorney. The document was eventually

 

5Joey Reagan, "The Development of the East Lansing Cable Tele-
vision Ordinance: 1968-1972." (Unpublished report, Michigan State
University, March 1978), p. 5.

submitted as an ordinance by the Council in June 1972. At the
September 5, 1972 meeting of the Council, the Coalition proposed a
series of amendments to the ordinance. All were adopted and the
ordinance was finally passed at that meeting.6
Eight months later, the City signed a franchise agreement with
the National Cable Company, a subsidiary of LVO Cable, Inc. (now United
Cable Television Corporation). The agreement went far beyond the FCC's
requirements, particularly in the access and franchise fee provisions.
Notable aspects of the agreement which exceeded the FCC's rules were:
— The requirement of more than one educational access
channel. The franchise called for three channels
on the main distribution system to be used by
Michigan State University and the local public
schools.7
- A channel reserved for the public library.8
- A "local origination" service to be provided by
the company, including specification of the types
of programs which had to be presented.9

- Employment of a coordinator by the cable company

who would be in charge of the day-to-day operation

 

6Ibid.. pp. 9-10.

7East Lansing, Michigan, Franchise Agreement (May 29, 1973),
sec. l2(a), (b).

 

81bid., sec. l3(c)(7).

9Ibid., sec. l3(c)(l).

fOr production personnel added another $50,000 annually.14

The Rationale for Cable Access

 

To many people in the cable television industry, these access
channel requirements issued by the FCC and expanded upon by localities
like East Lansing were looked upon with scorn at worst and benign
neglect at best. They felt a lot of time and energy was being invested
in devising complicated rules for a compulsory service which hardly
anyone would use. To them, it was clearly just another case of
unwarranted bureaucratic intervention which made the operation of their
businesses even more difficult.

Having been deeply involved in the evolution of access to cable
television in East Lansing since 1972, I've been in a unique position
to witness the enormous growth of community participation in this service
and the benefits which access channels provide to the public. The
alternative, no access to cable channels, instead having to beg for
fragments of time on area broadcasting stations, is seriously deficient.
Unless you want to talk about your product or service that's up for
sale or represent an opinion lucky enough to fit into a rare public
affairs program, you're likely to be turned down when trying to obtain
access to broadcasting. The individual citizen has no right of free
access to over—the-air television, and this has led to many highly-

publicized lawsuits through the years. It has also led to situations

 

14From discussion with Robert Cowley,.National Cable
Company system manager.

where efforts to speak on important issues, both national and local
in scope, were effectively stymied.

Proponents of access to the media generally argue for the issue
on two basic premises: the inherent value of additional information
fOr society and a right of freedom of expression under the First
Amendment to the Constitution. Proponents say that equality through
access to the media would offset the economic advantage and experience-
based factors that traditionally determine who has the capability for
effective communication to large audiences. As Jerome Barron states:

"If freedom of expression cannot be secured

because entry into the communication media is not

free but is confined as a matter of discretion by

a few private hands, the sense of justice of existing

institutions, which freedom of expression is designed

to ensure, vanishes from sections of our population

as surely as if agcess to the media were restricted by

the government."

Proponents also say that access to the media would ensure "fair-
ness" in public debate and expose the public to relevant information to
enable them to make more intelligent decisions. Former FCC Commissioner
Kenneth Cox contends that ". . . the real objective (of access) is to
increase the information to society and help resolve its problems."16

As broadcasting has developed during the past 25 years, however,
gaining access to local programs to speak out on a subject of importance

to a community has become increasingly difficult. A prime reason for

 

15Jerome Barron, "Access to the Press -- A new First
Amendment Right," 80 Harvard Law Review. l649 (1967).

16William L. Rivers and Michael J. Nyhan, eds., Aspen
Notebook on Government and Media (New York: Praeger Publications
1973 I, p. l3l.

 

this problem is the fact that the local broadcaster is no longer a
significant source of programming for his or her station. The vast
majority of programming now comes from the networks and, more recently,
the syndicated market. As a station's airtime is taken up by greater
percentages of non-local fare, there are of course fewer programs for
someone from the community to gain access to. Compounding this problem
is the fact that we've now reached the point where, according to the
major pollsters, a resounding majority of the American public now
receives most of its information about current events from television,
and relies upon it as the most trustworthy medium. Thus, we can have
a situation where many people are likely to know more about the problems
in Iran or Northern Ireland than the issues involved in a local dispute
on, for example, the development of a new neighborhood shopping mall.
This dilemma of scarcity of telecast time doesn't exist on a
cable system. If you have the technical capacity for upwards of 35
television channels, as most cable systems now have, why not set aside
a few for local expression? The Federal Communications Commission was
made aware of this capability of the expanding cable technology and,
yielding to arguments from media reform advocates, established the
federal cable access rules in 1972. A few cable operators did their
best to comply with the law, seeing access channels as a way to show
the communities they served that cable was indeed a unique, exciting,
and responsive new medium. Many local government officials were also
excited by the idea of community access channels, and they designed
ordinances and franchise agreements that would encourage use of the

channels.

East Lansing has been one of those fortunate communities where,
to a great extent, the city officials and the cable company personnel
have worked together to promote the development of citizens' access to
cable. The remaining sections of this thesis will show how that
cooperation helped the East Lansing public access channel become a

widely-recognized success story.

CHAPTER II

Technology: "What Can I Get My Hands On?"

 

The video hardware which is available to the conmunity for
access program production is, of course, an extremely important
component in the design of a potentially successful video center. East
Lansing's videomakers have observed a stunning evolution in this area
during the last seven years.

In early 1972, National Cable Company was in the third year of
a ten-year contract with Michigan State University to provide cable
television services for the residents of the University's Married
Housing apartments. Responding to an intense lobbying effort from
members of the Married Students Union and others, National provided
one portapac (a black-and-white portable videotape recorder and

1 With this, a few unedited

camera) to be used to make local programs.
tapes (meetings of the MSU Board of Trustees, Married Students Union,
East Lansing City Council and Cable Commission) were recorded. The
tapes were turned over to a National Cable Company technician who
drove them out to the system's headend, where they were cablecast by

disengaging the "weatherscan" system (a camera which panned across an

array of weather dials 24 hours a day) and plugging in a videotape

 

1From discussion with Married Students Union President J. Edward
Terdal in 1974.

10

11

player. The weatherscan was then reconnected at the conclusion of the
program. This was a very inconvenient system, to say the least, requir-
ing a company employee to sit out at the headend often until very late
in the evening.

To alleviate this problem, National installed a cable drop and a
modulator in the Married Housing Office meeting room in February 1973.
Programming could be sent out on the cable from this site by activating
the modulator and a remote control device which would switch off the
weatherscan system. Then, whatever fed the modulator would be cable-
cast directly from the drop site. The cable company also donated a
black-and-white studio camera and the videotape recorder which had been
used at the headend for cablecasting. This recorder also had an editing
function, an important addition which gave potential programmers some
much needed flexibility.

When the remote cablecasting drop was installed, the Married Housing
Department hired me on a part-time basis to coordinate the use of the
facilities. I had been one of the handful of residents interested in
the possiblities of this new access service. In September of 1972, I
had organized MSU's first student video organization, the "Video
Workshop." The group had become a clearinghouse for information on
cable access, instruction and assistance with TV production, and
tracking down other hardware which might be available for community use.

A significant portion of my job as cable coordinator for Married
Housing was spent looking for, begging, and borrowing production
equipment we could use. Those who were there at the days of our early
production setup remember an outrageous hodgepodge of intertwined gear

which somehow managed to work. It was a system worthy of a Rube

12

Goldberg Award. Walkie-talkies were employed as an intercom system.
Cables would be hanging from the ceiling, strewn across the floor, and
snake through doorways. A home stereo receiver would suffice as an
audio mixer. A “switcher" was created by jamming a VTR in record

mode and moving its input selector back and forth between the two

video inputs. Many miscellaneous items like video monitors, special
cables, and headphones were borrowed from departments on campus likely
to have such equipment (Telecommunication, Psychology, Family and Child
Sciences, etc.). Quite a fewitems, however, were dragged in from home
by the access users.

In August 1973, though, I had a major stroke of luck. While
directing a crew through a taping of a speech on campus by union
organizer Cesar Chavez, I met some folks from the Youth Development
Corporation, a Lansing Model Cities agency. It turned out that they
had quite a bit of video equipment, but had no one who really knew
what to do with it. We soon struck up a deal: in return for letting
the Video Workshop at Married Housing use their equipment, we would
train their people how to use it. The hardware included a portable
switcher with monitoring facilities, a Videotape recorder, a portapac,
an audio mixer with cables and microphones, and videotape. A real gold
mine, indeed!

At about this time, National Cable was beginning the extension of
its system throughout East Lansing. Soon they would hire their first
full-time public access coordinator, David Korte, whose initial job it
would be to line up the purchase of hardware to comply with the exten-
sive franchise agreement provisions concerning the public access service.

The agreement specified two portapacs, a portable lighting kit, an

I3

editing system, and a 625 square foot studio with two black-and-white
cameras, a switcher/special effects generator, monitoring facilities,
audio panel, a film/slide chain, and a video recorder.2

In early 1974, while National's new office/studio building
was under construction, Korte began allowing people to check out the
portable equipment and use the editing system. The gear was kept in
the basement, next to the boiler room, of the University Inn Motel.
Without a doubt, users could hardly wait for the new building to be

ready. That would take place in September.

The FCC "Voids" the East Lansing
EquipmentTRequirements

 

 

The next significant development occurred in July 1975. The
Federal Communications Commission, after studying the East Lansing cable
ordinance and franchise agreement for over two years, issued an impor-

tant Memorandum Opinion and Order which attempted to "void" various

 

sections of these documents, including the aforementioned equipment
requirements. Even though the equipment had been purchased and in use
for nearly a year, the FCC labeled these provisions as "excessive" and
said that "the cable system is in danger of bankrupting itself to ful-
fill the terms of the agreement."3

The City of East Lansing vehemently fought this ruling. They

argued their case in a petition for reconsideration of the July

 

2East Lansing, Michigan, Franchise Agreement (May 29, 1973),
sec. l7.

3FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order, National Cable Company(East
Lansing, Michigan), Mimeo No. 52439, July l4, 1975.

 

 

14

Memorandum, explaining why they felt the voided provisions were

 

important. The City also asserted that the greatest financial drain
on National was not the access channel requirements. The company's

4 Indeed,

local origination service was pointed to as the culprit.
an earlier report stated that National had lost more than $l00,000
during the local origination channel's first two years of existence.5
National had allocated a lot of money to the l/o channel, intending

it to be a mini-TV station which would hopefully pay for itself
through revenue generated from commercials. The l/o service had a
6-person staff and a full color studio which was much more extravagant

than what was used by public access producers.

Since the July 1975 FCC Memorandum also voided the local origin-

 

ation channel requirements, National Cable used it as the justification
when it closed down the l/o service in February of 1976. However, all
production facilities of the l/o operation was turned over for public

access use. The list of equipment included the following:

A 1000 square feet studio with full lighting
grid and cyclorama.

2 color studio cameras.

A color film/slide chain.

Full color switching and monitoring facilities.

Audio facilities including:
Audio mixer and distributor

Microphones and cables

 

4FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order, National Cable Compagy (East
Lansing, Michigan), Mimeo No. 723l3, September 21, 1976, par. 3.

5Towne Courier (East Lansing, Michigan), 18 February 1976.

 

15

Audio cart recorder/player
Reel-to-reel recorder/player
Record turntable
- A color videocassette recorder.
This was a very significant move forward for public access and, as I
will discuss later, helped lead to an enormous surge of activity.
I should also mention that on September 21, 1976, the FCC

released another Memorandum Opinion and Order concerning East Lansing.

 

This one retracted many previous "voids," including those concerning
the equipment requirements for the public access and local origination
channels.6 The City, however, decided not to enforce the franchise
agreement to the letter and bring back the local origination channel,
being very pleased that the company's total community programming focus

was on the public access service.

Other Important Technological Developments

Late 1976 also Saw the birth of a "remote unit." This was made
by dismantling the old black-and-white studio control room and housing
the components in modules which could be safely loaded into cars and
taken to an event. Thus, we were now able to produce multi-camera
presentations of sporting events, plays, concerts, fashion shows, poetry
readings, political debates, etc. This was a tremendous improvement

over the previous one-camera tapings of such things with a portapac.

 

6
FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order, National Cable Company_(East
Lansing, Michigan), Mimeo No. 723l3, September 21, 1976

 

16

Other significant technological develOpments happened in early

1977. The first was the company's purchase of a time base corrector,

a device which greatly improved the transmission quality of videotapes

on the cable. We were the first cable system in Michigan to get the
CVS-510 TBC, a brand new model built specifically for the closed-circuit
market by a company which was known for its high-quality time base
correctors at work in broadcasting outlets. Since then many other access
channels throughout the Lansing area have followed our lead.

The next big event was the acquisition by the East Lansing Cable
Communications Commission of a special "sub-band" modulator. This
instrument would enable you to televise an event live from where it
happens, as long as you are near a cable drop. The first example of
this took place on April 20, 1977. The incident was a legislative
conference at East Lansing's Hannah Middle School. There, a 35-person
crew produced the show like a political convention, with five cameras
and a dozen microphones scattered throughout the building. A portable
switcher and aduio mixer fed the sub-band modulator which was plugged
into the school's cable drop, allowing us to cablecast the event live
for seven straight hours without a break! The sub-band modulator has
been used about a dozen times since then.

Another helpful move in the hardware area came soon thereafter.
That was the construction of a master control room which would have the
playback and switching equipment necessary to program the public access
channel. Prior to this, the studio control room switcher also fed
directly out to the channel. This meant that the studio could not be
utilized during programning hours unless you were using it for a live

cablecast. Here again, the goal and result was improved flexibility.

17

Nineteen seventy-eight saw us become the first cable system
in Michigan to add the new generation of videocassette recorders,
the Betamax. They combined good quality with low cost, light weight,
and ease of operation. I feel it's very important for an access center
to not be afraid of experimenting with the new technologies as they
develop.

The most recent hardware additions were prompted by National's
addition of Meridian Township, a community adjacent to East Lansing,
to its service area. The township's access provisions require a
separate studio and other gear. That studio is currently in the plan-
ning stage, but things like a new color switcher and cameras, a
Betamax editing system, and new portapacs are now in use.

The amount and quality of the facilities provided to the public
access volunteers have certainly been reasons for the East Lansing
system's extremely high level of community involvement. Most of the
other access centers in the country pale in comparison.

But a much more important factor in determining an access
center's likelihood of success is the type of people working to make
it all happen. In the next two chapters, their roles will be carefully

examined.

CHAPTER III

Coordinating Techniques: "How Do
I Get Involved?"-

 

 

The most difficult aspect of running a successful video access
center is attempting to involve a significant portion of the community.
Without question, community access leaders across the country are
attempting to affect a profound social change: that people from all
walks of life can become producers as well as consumers of television
programs.

This isn't a completely radical idea, however. Parallels exist
in a number of other fields. Do-it-yourself auto and home repair centers
have been present for many years. Audio tape recorders, which not too
long ago were found only in record production labs and broadcasting
studios, now are operated by millions of consumers. Similar examples
include the use of home movie cameras and video recorders. Another
currently burgeoning field is that of home computers. A common thread
through all of these examples and the community access TV movement is
the idea that new technologies should not remain only in the hands of
the "experts." It has always been difficult to help the public see
the worth of using these new tools, however. That is a major task

of the access coordinator.

18-

-19

The Making of an Effective
Access Coordinator

 

 

The critical personnel position for developing the use of the
access service is that of the public access coordinator. This person
must be someone who truly enjoys working with people from many facets
of the community. He or she must be deeply committed to the goal of
making the access concept work, regardless of how trying it is likely
to be at times. Patience is a very important trait to have here.
Users will often make many mistakes along the way towards mastering
the video equipment, so they'll need plenty of encouragement. A good
sense of humor is a vital tool to have to help keep everyone feeling
at ease. Access users must enjoy their time at the studio facilities.
Access coordinators should strive to attain a relaxed, informal
atmosphere there.

The coordinators must also be good television producers them-
selves, and be willing to work on access programs when possible. New
volunteers can learn a substantial amount by just watching a skilled
producer/director during an actual production. If the coordinators
are poor videomakers themselves, you're likely to wind up with the
"blind-leading-the-blind" syndrome, of no benefit to anyone. However,
it's also not wise for the coordinators to be in charge of all the
access productions. The goal should be to become primarily gggg_

facilitators, giving pe0ple the necessary training and tools to develop

 

their own creations. Otherwise, the amount and variety of programming
will be far less than the potential, and the coordinators are likely

to completely burn themselves out.

.20

An important point: one who would consider being a public access
coordinator should not expect a 9-5 work schedule. Access users'
schedules are much more likely to allow time for TV production in the
evenings or on weekends, so arrangements must be made in accordance
with this fact. Very rare is the access volunteer who sees this
television production as a full-time hobby.

What I've had to say so far and will describe here later has come
from my personal experiences in the field since 1972, and discussions
with many video center activists from around the country. Back in
those very early days of access TV in East Lansing, techniques used
to involve citizens of the community in access were a far cry from
present methods. David Korte, who was National Cable's public access
coordinator until I succeeded him in early 1975, and I, who got my '
initial licks in as the first director of the MSU Video Workshop, had
to begin by speaking to countless community groups, artists, politicians,
bureaucrats and many others to stimulate a few flickers of interest.
This was a time of great frustration for us, with most people we talked
to not convinced that this was a potential activity for them. A good
portion of the programming during the early cablecasts from the Married
Housing Office was spent recruiting new volunteers, attempting to
explain what this "hare-brained idea" was all about.

A few basic management skills eventually became increasingly
important for us to have as the number of users grew. A large, easy-
to-understand "reservation board" was constructed on which people
could sign up well ahead of time to use portapacs, editing stations,
studio facilities, or the remote unit. A section of the board also

showed the public access program schedule for the next month, letting

21

producers easily find out when the available time slots were. It's
clear that if you as an access coordinator fail to develop a workable
facilities reservation system, unnecessary conflicts are bound to
develop, perhaps causing potential active users to spend their time

elsewhere.

Video Production Techniques: How the
Access Volunteers Are Trained

 

Teaching television production to the public has been one area
we've experimented with extensively in East Lansing. At first we
would take a small group (5-6 people) and show them the basics, a
very "minimalistic" approach. Participants would see how the equipment
operated mechanically, warned about the ways it could be damaged,
given a few tips on technique, and that was about it. I think there
initially was a desire to not be too "domineering" here, instead
believing that people would automatically know what to do once they
got the tape decks and cameras rolling. That, unfortunately, didn't
happen very often. Both David and I had many frustrating experiences,
seeing people make the same obvious production mistakes, again and again.
To deal with this problem, a workshop in the form of a daily
newscast was organized in early 1976. Here, anyone could sign up for
crew or talent positions and get their first hands-on contact with video
equipment, refine skills, and get instruction on better techniques, all
while doing a regularly cablecast program. This didn't work too poorly,
with a few people (as hoped for) going from this to produce new series
programs of their own. But the vast majority were content to only

work on this newscast. Another problem was the fact that the show

22

was on at 5:30 p.m., too early for people who had a typical work
schedule.

In late 1967,.1 initiated a series of free "classes" in video
production which were offered at various times (usually evenings and
weekends). A group of 15-20 participants had to sign up in advance
and were taught as a group once a week for six weeks, two hours per
session. Each week something new would be taught. For example, one
week we might teach lighting techniques and set construction, another,
camera composition, control room operation, etc. Hands-on studio
training was stressed again, and portapacs were encouraged to be used
to produce segments for insertion in studio shows. There was a very
good reason for this. People who had been trying to produce an entire
program with portapac footage usually had two results. The first would
be a visually dull taping of an entire event from one camera angle.
Very simple to produce but not often very interesting to watch. The
other option was to use the portapac like a film camera, taping in
documentary style from many angles, maybe even with more than one porta-
pac, and then editing the footage into the final product. The problem
here was that very few people had the time to spend required for this
method's postproduction stage. It wasn't uncommon to see people
struggle through 40 or more hours in the editing room to come up with
a 30-minute program. Naturally, this wasn't a very realistic thing to
expect of many access users.

Therefore, the studio workshops stressed the fact that television
production is a 9:933 process, with each crew member very important in
the creation of the final product. All participants in the workshops

were given the chance to work at each crew position, giving them the

23‘

possibility of specializing in some spot if they preferred. But

we always encouraged people to try everything. Television production
isn't very democratic as a process. A program can have only one
producer and one director. Once the tape recorder is rolling, all crew
members have very specific tasks. The only way we could really demo-
cratize this process was to try to encourage as many pe0ple as possible
to have a crack at producing a show about their interests.

This method has worked very well through the years. Hundreds of
different people have produced special shows and series based on their
own special talents and ideas at the East Lansing access center. Our
phil050phy has also encouraged a sense of "group consciousness." We've
been fortunate to see a tremendous crossover of personnel between
programs, with perhaps a host of one program being a camera operator for
another. Or simply an audio operator on a series one week might be 1
running a camera on the next show. I feel that the promotion of this
approach by an access coordinator works wonders for users' morale and
keeps them coming back. It's important to not let access volunteers

feel they're getting in a rut.

OrganizinggTrained Volunteers
Into Production Grogps

 

 

Once the people have gone through the basic training course,
what do they do next? Well, in East Lansing we have encouraged would-
be producers to find something interesting about the local community
and explore it. This could be anything from a mini-documentary about
the local gay rights movement to tapings of public hearings on highly-

controversial rezoning proposals, or simply talk shows with area sports

24

personalities. One thing I have done which has helped all these people
with widely-varying interests get together was organize well attended
(150+ people) community forums on public access. At these, potential
volunteers could hear from many producers in areas like news and public
affairs, sports, comedy, religious, minority affairs, music, and other
types of programming. These meetings have been very successful as a
method of directing new volunteers to more experienced producers who
needed a fresh influx of crew members.

On the public access channel, there is room for local pe0ple,
events, and issues to appear, and all in prime time. This is the thing
that sets public access TV programming apart from the vast majority of
over-the-air television. When's the last time your local broadcaster
pre-empted "Charlie's Angels" to air an in-house produced documentary?
Or even made one to air at any time? We have found that in East Lansing
a large group of people really want to see more television programming
about their community. I'll discuss this further in the upcoming chapter

on audience studies.

Dealing with Controversial Programs

 

An area in which community access TV gets a lot of criticism
is that it gives a forum to "crazy, unstable" people, or ones who will
say things some people especially don't want their children to hear.
I have a very strong suspicion that this is why you see so little
happening on channels set aside for public access on cable systems
across the nation. The reaction by system operators to the early access
programs, like the soft-core ''Midnight Blue" in New York City, was

one of horror. They worried that a service being used like this would

lose them far more customers than it might gain. Restrictive access
policies were established, there was usually no promotion of the service,
and the facilities that were provided were often miniscule. These
systems for access were designed to fail.

One thing overlooked, though, was the simple fact that we're
all not living in New York City! Not very many corrmunities are going
to have people interested in getting on the cable access channel with a
show like "Midnight Blue." It certainly hasn't been the case in East
Lansing. There have only been a couple of cases during the past seven
years where any action had to be taken to deal with such problems. No
viewer has ever objected to commentary by groups like the Socialist
Labor Party, the Right-to-Life movement, or the Communist Party, all
who have appeared on the public access channel. What people have
complained about has been what they referred to as "obscenity,"

"profanity,' etc. When this first happened, I advised the producing
group of the complaints and said they might take it easy next time,
since they were in an early evening time slot. When their next program
generated even more complaints, I said that we'd have to move them to

a later time. They decided to stop producing, rather than change time
slots. They weren't angry about this move, though. The producer even
apologized at length for the trouble caused by his show. When a similar
problem occurred in another program, the producer agreed to go to the
later time slot. This policy was encouraged to be the one to use by
the East Lansing Cable Communications Commission and the cable company
has agreed with it. I think this strategy is preferable to outright

censorship (e.g., kicking a program or producer off the access channel

permanently). The process also is a good example of how we let

26

"community standards" (through viewer response and East Lansing Cable
Commission mediation) dictate our reaction, as was recommended by the

United States Supreme Court's most recent ruling on obscenity.

Working with the Cable Company

 

The last major area I'll discuss in this chapter deals with
working to get the cooperation of the cable company. If you can't get
them on your side, the public access service is likely to suffer dearly.
In many communities where the cable system's support is minimal (only
providing the channel space and very little equipment), the access center
is operated outside of the company by interested people who are cone
stantly struggling to keep the place financially above water. More
energy has to be spent finding sources of funding than generating new
and better local programming. Many places like this have simply had to
fold up operation. A recent example of this occurring was the "Project
Video“ center in Jackson, Michigan.

In East Lansing, though, the community was lucky to have enough
interested citizens who saw the potential of access and saw to it that
guidelines were written into the cable franchise agreement which would
help make it possible. But all the best video hardware in the world
won't make an access center work. The people employed to lead the way
are the one's most responsible for the success or failure of community
access. And along with being able to deal with community groups and
government people, they had better know how to work well with the cable
system management.

The vast majority of managers in the cable industry have known

little about community access and how to make it viable. It's been

27

seen as a burden, a trade-off, or a raw deal. Many have openly fought
the concept, and some have done this all the way to the Supreme Court.

Those of us who have seen what access television can do have a
responsibility to educate the industry. They have been rightly more
concerned with getting systems constructed, selling the service, adding
new innovations, and setting up smooth day—to-day operations. To
many cable operators, this idea of "access" came up from nowhere to be
required of many in an industry which had been in existence for 20
years without it and had done just fine. Of course the initial reaction
would be one of confusion. But now we see some companies competing for
new franchises that shine the spotlight on their pr0posals for commun-
ity access, and back them up by pointing to their past successes. A

One of the first things I would recommend to people trying to get
access off on the right foot with a new cable system is this: try to
get to know the cable company management staff as real people, not
merely cogs in a gigantic bureaucratic machine. And let them get to
know you, too. This first step goes a long way in helping break down
the natural fear of the unknown. If you can sometimes share a laugh
with the manager it's much more likely that future clashes over video
equipment purchases, for example, won't be quite so severe.

Don't be afraid to sit down and let the manager know what you
as coordinator have in mind to do to stimulate the use of the facilities.
I've done this often through the years in East Lansing. I like to
spring as few surprises on the company as possible. Their early out-
spoken skepticism I heard during the initial months has now all but
vanished because we've been able to accomplish much of what we said

we wanted to.

28

An early concern of the company was that the public access
channel was being dominated by what they characterized as "weirdoes."
"Where were all the more established community groups?" they asked.
This concern was justified, but I wasn't very surprised that many
early users came from the "non-Establishment." These people had no
voice at all in any of the established media. Here was their outlet.
But we had to try to include as many portions of the community as
possible.

There were a number of things we could do to attract the more
well-known organizations. We could televise live debates of candidates
for City Council, enlisting the help and participation of the League
of Women Voters. A public affairs series might get a leader in the
area United Way campaign. You could explain more about community
access to him after the show and, as it happened here, he might get
a series going about the various services his organization provides,
and all in far greater detail than possible on over-the-air TV. Or
convince the local college to let you videotape the hockey games, or
other sports not given much coverage by the community's media outlets.
This will really attract attention to the access channel and get you
many positive phone calls. And, as it also happened here, you might
wind up with your volunteer play-by-play commentators invited to say a
few words and hand out some awards at a season-end sports banquet!
Don't forget to let the company management know about these developments,

either.

29

Maintaining Accurate Records

 

This brings up the point about making reports and keeping objec-
tive records of the access center's activity. These have been inval-
uable tools for me to keep the powers-that-be informed, both the cable
company and the cable commission. Since people from neither group have
come by very often for lengthy first-hand looks at the public access
activities, I've supplied regular reports which summarize what has
been taking place. These could include brief statements about a good
telecast of a hockey game, the goals mentioned by a producer of a new
series, a farewell to a long-time access user who may have just landed
a job in another part of the state, how the latest group of workshop-
participants is doing, how new equipment is working out or what old
gear is in for repair, and many other items. The purpose here is to
keep the VIP's aware that things are still moving along. The activity
is much more than a passing fad (many series have been produced regular-
ly for over three years now!).

Including objective periodic data of such things like levels of
studio and remote unit use, program production, and portapac checkouts,
is also very important here. You have to do more than simply say you
have a wonderful feeling at the access center that things are going
and growing. You're a lot more believable if you can also point to
month-by-month data which shows clearly that the use of facilities
and the variety of programming has continued to improve. This makes
it much easier to request and get necessary expansion and improvement
of the access center equipment at each year's budget request time.

Such records are also an excellent tool to let a coordinator know if

a renewed active recruitment drive might be necessary to turn around

-30

a downward trend in the amount of facilities usage. Otherwise, relying
primarily on word of mouth may become a sufficient method if the records
show that you're in a booming period, when it takes most of your

energy to simply keep the hardware Operating and your sanity intact.

ITEM:

ITEM:

CHAPTER IV

The Programming and the Programmers: l'You
Put WHAT on the Cable?!?!"

 

 

In 1977, Nancy Dyki worked at a local health center as

a medical technologist. After reading a newspaper article
about the East Lansing public access center, she signed up
for a production workshop, learned the ropes, and soon was
volunteering for a number of productions ("Tee Vee Trivia,"
”MSU Hockey," "MSU Summer Circle Theatre," etc.). Having
quickly become fascinated with video, she enrolled in
engineering and electronics courses at Lansing Community
College. By the summer of 1979, Nancy had earned a lst
Class FCC Broadcast Engineer's license and was hired

by the East Lansing Public Schools to be their cable

access channel coordinator!

Now in his early 20's, Tim Arnold is known by a number

of local people as the owner of a few pinball arcades in
the area. In 1975 he and a few friends found their way
into the access center, formed a group they called "Atomic
Studios Productions," and created their own often-hilarious
comedies like "The Deek Dork and Gloria Comedy Hour"

(an adult puppet show) and "Benson Gaffner, Primate Eye."

A series of talk show parodies one evening became something

31

ITEM:

ITEM:

32

called "Tee Vee Trivia" in February 1977. It could be
described as a cross between Art Fleming's "Jeopardy"
and Groucho's "You Bet Your Life," with audience
members phoning in to be "contestants." Tim became
"Sloucho Barx," hosting this show behind a fright

mask and wig. "Tee Vee Trivia" has been on the cable
every week since then, with specials like the annual
"Frogbite Telethon" and many weird visitors, including
a Charles Manson lookalike. The series is now the most
popular weekly show on the public access channel, with
a viewership of seven percent of all cable subscribers
tuning in. Tapes of "Tee Vee Trivia" are also biked to
Ann Arbor for telecast on that city's access channel (and

yes, Sloucho has received calls from there too!).

Ernie Culp is an energetic 70-year-old retired auto
worker. He's also known as "Uncle Ernie," whose "TNT

True Adventure Trails" series has been seen on the public
access channel since late 1977. A hobby of Ernie's for
the past 25 years has been making home movies, which he
now brings to the National Cable Company access studio and
dubs in a narration and background music. There is a
religious theme in the series, but it's very low key and

lots of fun.

Eric Peasley has become one of the access center's most
available sports announcers, willing to volunteer his

services to call the shots for hockey games, soccer matches,

>33

or at ringside. Very, very low key during his

first attempt at play-by-play, Eric was gently
coached to put a little more life into his delivery.
Ever since then, he's been impossible to hold back.
There is one thing that many people don't know

about Eric, though. He also happens to be a mechanic

at a local Volkswagen dealership.

Bringing the People In

Without a doubt, the most important thing to strive for in
developing a successful access center is a large and varied assortment
of volunteer producers. The more representative your programming mix
is of the community served, the more successful and aware of you're
likely to be. The mighty tough task of the access coordinator is to seek
out those people who would be willing to take on a very new type of
hobby: making their own television show.

Community involvement in East Lansing's new public access center
was not very heavy during its first couple of years of existence.

Many people were in one way or another coaxed into coming over, but
relatively few (maybe a couple dozen) stayed on to produce programs
on a regular basis. This was more than likely due to a couple of
reasons. First, there simply weren't many people around whom a
budding producer could call upon to work on a program. It takes
more than one or two people to develop such a project over time. A
common occurrence would be for an enthusiastic producer to burn out

after a couple of attempts or be very frustrated, seeing such

34

amateurish programs coming out and having no one to share that sense
of frustration with. There's no easy way out here. You've just got
to be patient as the word gets around the community about the potential
of the access center and more people appear there. Later there will be
plenty of available crew members who, with proper encouragement, would

jump at the chance to help out.

Removing Restrictive Obstacles to
Community Participation

 

Another major early stumbling block was some of the cable company's
initial operating policies concerning public access, both formal and
informal. The rules included a provision that the studio provided for
access users could be used free of charge for only thirty minutes
(including set-up time). This, of course, discouraged many people from
using the studio, relying instead on portapac productions (with the
limitations which I've discussed in the previous chapter). Another
problem was due to the existence of the local origination channel which
National Cable operated until early 1976. Since this service had a
potential for making extra revenue, much more attention was given it,
and some of the early access users felt very unwanted at the cable
company building, which housed facilities for both l/o and public
access. There seemed to be a "You're in the way" attitude directed at
many early access users. This changed dramatically in February, 1976.

On Friday the 13th, National Cable dropped the axe on the local
origination channel, citing huge losses and not much revenue potential
on the horizon. However, as I mentioned in Chapter II, all existing

facilities were turned over for the exclusive use of public access

35

volunteers, and two full-time employees would be retained to coordinate
the center. I was one of the coordinators.

One of the first things I worked on was to convince the cable
company management to allow free studio time to be expanded to ninety
minutes. This, along with the far superior color equipment available,
stimulated much more interest. A determined effort was also made to
better publicize the access center, through newspaper feature articles,
more personal appearances to community groups and Michigan State Univer-
sity classes, and posters tacked up around town. This definitely
succeeded in bring many new faces to the studio. Once there, they would
be made to feel more than welcome under our roof. This would later
develop into what many access users have termed to be a sense of "family."
I really can't stress the importance of developing this feeling of
community at the access center enough. One thing we did to heighten the
sense that this was their access channel was to hold a "contest" among
users to come up with call letters ("WELM-TV") for it. Within a year's
time after the big changeover, we would have a list of over 200 active
volunteers, and this number has remained stable since then, with new
people always turning up to replace those who leave this highly-trans-

ient city.

Program Production Increases Dramatically

 

With this changed emphasis, public access program production
skyrocketed (see the graph on page 36). The twenty-programs-per-
month average immediately tripled, and would eventually climb to over

100. In the two years prior to this changeover, only thirteen series-

Original Productions

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

 

36

 

‘

 

July- Jan.- July- Jan.- July- Jan.- July- Jan.- July- Jan.-
Dec. June Dec. June Dec. June Dec. June Dec. June
1974 1975 1975 1976 1976 1977 1977 1978 1978 1979

Figure l. Public Access Program Production

(a) Sept. 1974 -- National Cable opens its present office/
studio building. Separate studios established
for public access and local origination.

(b) Feb. 1976 -- National Cable discontinues local origination
channel; all video gear turned over to public access use.

(c) Nov. 1976 -- Organized TV production classes begin.

(d) Feb. 1977 -- More than 200 people attend an organizational
forum designed to stimulate more access programming.

(e) Jan. 1979 -— Public access channel gains additional
potential audience of 30,000 homes through system
interconnection with Lansing.

37

type programs had begun production. During the two years afterward,
34 new series began (see the Appendix for a list of all series programs
produced at the public access center through June, 1979).

A good variety of programming types has also been established.
Here's how the 74 series programs produced to date break down in the
following 11 categories:

News/Public Affairs 23
Religious

I-J
0

Performing Arts

Sports

Video Art/Experimental
Comedy

Minority Affairs
Variety

Educational

Women's

Children's

NN-D-b-b-Dmmko

Special programs too numerous to specify have also been made.
Notable ones include the seven-hour live marathon cablecast of a
legislative forum that I described in Chapter II, a number of tapings
of outdoor dramatic presentations of the MSU Summer Circle Theatre
Department, roCkand jazz bands in concert at local nightclubs, and
dozens of political speeches and forums, often featuring nationally

known dignitaries visiting the East Lansing area.

38

Production Quality: Should Only
the Slick Survive?

 

 

Another area which has seen a lot of variety is the level of
production sophistication and quality from program to program on the
access channel schedule. An acceptable rule of thumb is this: the
longer a program series has been in production, the better the product-
tion quality. This also is true for most individual volunteers.
Obviously, practice makes perfect. Therefore, it's a very good idea
to encourage the development of long-term series programs, while trying
as much as possible to keep the producers coming back for more. If a
show has strong production characteristics, it's probably more likely
to retain viewers than if not. Our survey results tend to support this
conclusion. "MSU Hockey," the most sophisticated series attempted by
local access volunteers (5 cameras, 2 video replay angles, a 14-person
crew), is the most-watched program among the regulars, with an average
weekly audience of 10% of all cable subscribers. The more well-produced
shows are also more likely to win your access center some awards, which
help in the publicity department. Two awards have been given to East
Lansing's access center by the National Cable Television Association.
One was for a documentary about the local handicappers' rights move-
ment, the other for the taping of the 1976 annual football skirmish to
benefit ALSAC, "The Bull Bowl," featuring the Pigs vs. the Freaks.

In no way should this discussion imply that less slick productions
should be kept off the channel. All access programs are likely to be
amateurish initially, but it's an exciting thing for a producer to see
his or her work on the cable for the first time. What may look awfully

dull to the more experienced could be a big thrill to that producer.

39

And he or she is likely to soon be asking for suggestions from the
more able coordinators and veteran volunteers on how to improve the

show's looks.

Reactions from Original Ordinance Authors

One thing I was interested in finding out was how the evolution
of access programming compares to what the early framers of the East
Lansing cable ordinance thought would develop. To find out, I asked
two of the most involved people in those early days, Dr. Truman Morrison
and Robert Muhlbach, for their evaluations. Dr. Morrison said that he
didn't expect the volume of programming that came about, and was
especially happy about the variety. He certainly was pleased about this,
but did express a wish that more people in the middle age group and
older could be convinced to become involved. Muhlbach, who was also a
member of the East Lansing Cable Communications Commission from its
inception until mid-1979, said he was surprised to see so many long-
tenm series—type shows occur. He expected many more single-issue mini-
documentaries to be made. The concern among some access users, as
they expressed to the Commission regularly, that the production hardware
be more sophisticated was also not anticipated. In general, though,

both men were pleased at how public access had grown in their community.

ITEM: "Past and Present Tense" was a very thoughtful public
affairs discussion series produced at East Lansing
access during the first six months of 1978. Co-hosts
Truman Morrison and Erik Lunde guided their audiences

through a number of topics with local authorities on the

ITEM:

40

subjects. The interesting thing about this series
is that later that year, Truman and Erik were
approached by the program director at WKAR-TV,

the local public television station, and asked

to do their show there. The series, re-titled
"Conversation," has been broadcast by WKAR-TV

ever since.

"Black Notes" is a weekly series which showcases
many Black artists in the Lansing area. Segments

in the shows also deal with public affairs issues
(interviews with top government officials like
Michigan Secretary of State Richard Austin, mini-
documentaries on misuse of funds intended to help
minorities, etc.). The crew has even developed a
"soap opera." "Black Notes" is the longest-running
series on East Lansing's public access channel, having
been around now for over five-and-a-half years. The
group which produces it, the Black Notes Media
Collective, was also the first group in town formed

specifically to produce an access program.

CHAPTER V

Audience Development and Measurement:
"Is Anyone Watching Out There?"

 

 

Developing and measuring significant viewership levels of

access programs is an important and too often overlooked aspect of

a community video center's operation. Many who are involved in cable
access are now seeing the need fbr hard data to prove the worth and
community acceptance of access programming. There's a widely-held
notion in the cable industry that "nobody watches access shows," and
this makes it very difficult to gain the support of many communities'
cable operators, particularly since there are so many new satellite

services now available to fill up blank or under-used cable channels.

Promoting the Access Channel Programming.

 

In the most recently-conducted viewership survey of East Lansing
cable subscribers by the Michigan State University Department of Tele-
communication, it was discovered that 75% of this group is now aware of
the public access channel, and 71% of those aware watch its programming.
This achievement didn't just happen miraculously, though. Many differ—
ent kinds of promotional techniques have been used through the years,
and almost all have been at no cost. Personal appearances at commun-
ity group meetings, of course, happened first. These were followed up

by coaxing local newspapers to assign reporters to write feature.

41

42

articles about this new concept for television. This is an area in
which we have been extremely fortunate to have had dozens of major
articles written about East Lansing access. Advertisements have also
been placed in TV listings sections of the local newspapers.

There's always been an easy way for us to post the channel's
program schedule. During non-programming hours, a IO-page character
generator is shown on the channel which lists times, titles, and des-
criptions of all programs coming up for the next few days. But another
important method of getting this information out is through the TV
listings published in the local newspapers. This was a most difficult
accomplishment for us to achieve. For over a year I tried to convince

the two major area newspapers, The State Journal and The State News, to

 

 

run our listings, but had no luck. When the Journal people at one point
told me that they doubted our "fledgling" TV station could regularly
send in program schedules by their deadline, I asked if they would let
us send such logs to them, not to be published, but merely to prove that
we could do it. This continued for eight mgntns! Finally, the Journal
agreed to add the WELM-TV listings in August, 1976. They would also
be willing to give us some copy space to describe a little more about
upcoming programs in their "On Local Screens" column in the weekend TV
pull-out section.

These moves by the Journal definitely broke the ice. The State
News added us to their TV listings section about a month later. A third

area paper, The Lansing Star, decided to create a special TV section

 

devoted only to our channel's schedule. All of these newspapers have
continued to carry the schedules once they got started, and we are very

grateful for this.

43

There are many other ways of promoting the channel line-up. How
about sandwich-board signs at the entrances to major apartment centers?
Or small posters tacked up on high-traffic area bulletin boards, tele-
phone polls, etc? Try making up a banner for your access channel and
display it at a remote taping where many will be in attendance (sports
events, debates, concerts, etc.). You might find people willing to
put in a few words for you in their community group newsletter. Word
of mouth promotion should always be encouraged. We even had some
T-shirts made up with a "WELM-TV" emblem and sold them at cost to scores
of access volunteers.

Some of the access users really let their imaginations (and chutz--
pah) soar. In Fall 1978, two volunteers, Julie Johnson and Sue Timma,
who lugged a portapac to the MSU football stadium to tape highlights of
all home football games for "WELM News," had a friend who was one of
the people who decided what words and designs would be flashed up before
and during the games by the card section. Would you believe that Julie
and Sue convinced her to have the card block spell out "WELM-TV" before
a crowd of over 75,000 people? It's true -- and they have it on tape
for proof! Julie told me that one of the cameramen standing near her
in the pressbox on that occasion remarked, "Somebody's publicity depart-

ment sure must be working overtime."

The Importance of Series-Type Programming

 

The existence of many series-type programs made by access users
has also been a boon to audience development. Many subscribers now
know that at 7:00 every Thursday night, the antics of Sloucho Barx's

"Tee Vee Trivia" will be on cable channel 11. "WELM News'I appears

44

every week night at 5:30. The home games of the Michigan State Univ-
ersity hockey team show up on the same weekend they are played. Uncle
Ernie's "TNT True Adventure Trails" follows the news Monday through
Thursday. Since these series are cablecast regularly, people are more
likely to be able to identify them. This regularity, in turn, can
increase awareness of the public access channel. The "station I.D.'s"
which appear between programs always point out that the viewer is

watching the public access channel, further reinforcing awareness.

Early Audience Measurement Techniques

 

Ever since the early days of access cablecasting in East Lansing,
a common question has been "Is anyone watching out there?" Individual
producers wanted to know if more people than only those in the control
room were viewing their work. Many people saw the access channel as a
potentially excellent vehicle for community expression and information
exchange, so they, too, were concerned with this question. Cable
company officials were interested in whether their expensive facilities
were being used as an electronic "playground," with little subscriber
interest, or as a service which generated more significant viewer
support.

During the first couple of years, the methods of audience detec-
tion were highly informal. Someone who appeared on a regular show would
tell others of how he was recognized in a grocery store line by a total
stranger who saw his performance on the tube. A phone with a very long
extension cord could be dragged into the studio set during live programs,
with the host encouraging people to join in the questioning of a well-

known guest. Viewers could be asked to call the access center after

45

(or during) a taped cablecast to "let us know you're watching." We
often got dozens of calls during local sports programs, which prompted
the coverage of a myriad of events including hockey, women's basketball,
football, tennis, and even lacrosse! This might offend some purists who
feel that access programming should be geared almost entirely to contro-
versial public affairs and cultural offerings, but it cannot be denied
that local sports coverage will do wonders for your efforts to develop
community awareness of the access channel. Furthermore, after watching
the local college's soccer match, a viewer just might stay tuned to see
that documentary coming up next on area housing problems or a play taped

a few days ago.

The Introduction of Audience Surveys

 

A more scientific approach to measurement of the public access
channel audience began in 1977. The Michigan State University Depart-
ment of Telecommunication obtained a grant from the East Lansing Cable
Communications Commission to conduct a study of the local cable subscrib-
ers and access users. An important part of the telephone and personal
interview surveys concerned viewership of public access programs. Many
series and a few specials were included in the questionnaires. Respon-
dents were asked if they had ever watched a particular program, and
if so, how often (if it was a series). Other important questions were
also asked, concerning things like ratings of the access channel's pic-
ture quality and programming variety, what methods were used to decide
when to watch the channel, awareness of the center's free TV production
worksh0ps, etc. Demographic information was gathered, too, allowing

cross tabulation for more detailed analysis of the audience. Clearly,

46

this was a vast improvement over being recognized in a grocery line.

Audience studies have also been conducted during the two years
since the initial one. These have been administered by the Department
of Telecommunication's "Audience Studies" class every January. Students
in the course conduct phone interviews with about 300 subscribers, using
a questionnaire devel0ped by the instructors and the access center
coordinators. Results can either be hand tabulated or coded for compil-
ation by a University computer.

The outcomes of these studies has been most encouraging to us.
They have revealed that people will watch access productions, and often
at very surprising levels. For example, the average weekly viewership
of the "MSU Hockey" series in the 1979 study was nearly 10% of the cable
_ subscribers. "Tee Vee Trivia" has seen its reported audience grow to
nearly 7% during an average week. Mike Doyle's "Tempo" series, in which
he shares his collection of old movie trailers, posters, and other mem-
orabilia with the audience, has ballooned from a meager average weekly
figure of 0.5% in 1977 to about 4% of all cable subscribers in 1979.
The following table contains the results of the overall viewership
levels for the public access series programs included in the 1979 study.
(NOTE: the "in an average week" figure was computed by taking the
number of respondents who said they watched a program weekly and adding
the monthly viewership figure divided by 4.35, the number of weeks in

an average month.)

47

TABLE 1

PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL SERIES PROGRAMS
VIEWERSHIP LEVELS (IN PERCENT)

 

 

Cable Subscribers Viewing . . .

 

 

In An At Least
Series Title Average Week Monthly Ever
MSU Hockey 9.8 15.7 23.6
Tee Vee Trivia 6.9 13.8 22.0
WELM News 7.2 13.1 19.0
Impressions 4.3 11.5 .19.0
Tempo 3.6 8.2 14.0
Ed Weiss-Cracks 3.3 6.9 14.8
TNT Trails 3.0 5.2 8.9
Black Notes 3.0 3.9 7.9
Woman Wise 1.3 3.6 7.9
Electric Way 1.6 3.6 6.9
Shintowa 1.3 4.6 4.9
We All Live Here 0.7 2.6 6.2

 

48

The 1979 study also included questions about two non-series
programs. The first referred to WELM's telecasts of the public hearings
about the very controversial proposed Dayton-Hudson shopping mall
complex for East Lansing. Nineteen percent of the respondents said
that they did view these programs on the public access channel. Access
volunteers also produced a number of political candidates debates during
the 1978 election year. The audience study revealed that 21% of those
polled said they watched these debates.

The results of this survey clearly show that if given enough time
to develop, local access programming will attract a very respectable
following. The figures on viewership levels for the Dayton-Hudson mall
hearings and the political candidates debates are particularly encourag-
ing, since they convincingly dispel the commonly held notion (believed
by many in broadcasting circles) that no one cares about local community

affairs programming.

VI. CONCLUSIONS

Impact On and Importance
to the Community

 

 

The public access center in the East Lansing cable system has
provided an enormous variety of local programming which would otherwise
have never been produced. Dedicated efforts of the community's
government officials, citizens groups, and cable company personnel
have led to the development of an access center which is now probably
the busiest place of its kind in the country. It is now a source of
great community pride, with requests for information about its operation
coming in from around the country. East Lansing has also been selected
as the site of the 1980 convention of the National Federation of Local
Cable Programmers.

With this thesis, I have tried to show how this result came about
through extensive planning before the cable system was built, effective
use of existing TV production technologies, the evolution of coordinat-
ing techniques by the access center personnel which brought in hundreds
of area residents and kept them coming back for more, and many types of
promotional efforts to develop impressive viewership levels for public
access channel programs.

A properly organized access center can become an oasis of positive
community interaction in a world which many writers have labeled as

becoming increasingly depersonalized. The access channel is an outlet

.49.

50

for personal expression about whatever concerns an individual, be

it the lack of religion in society, the need for more changes in the
world as called for by the feminist movement, an argument to not take
things so seriously, or the achievements of handicapped people. The
ease in which television can be used for these and many other purposes
is richly ironic, since the medium is so often decried as a one-way
communications device with precious few opportunities for input from
the public.

Located in a large university town, the East Lansing public access ‘
center has also been a place where students interested in entering the
communications fields have had opportunities for hands-on experience.
About half of the users of the facilities are students, and they get
a chance to see how important and rewarding local programming can be.
Not surprisingly, many of the telecommunication students who have re-
ceived their initial experience at WELM and later went on to work in
broadcasting are now ardent advocates of expanding community program-

ming at their stations.

Benefits to the Cable Industry

 

Although the public access service is not regarded as a revenue
producer, one can point to evidence that it indirectly is. East .
Lansing's National Cable Company has pointed to its committment to
operating a successful public access service as a factor when making
its case to justify a proposed cable rate increase to City Council.
Public access channel offerings are also part of the alternative program-
ming package which may attract new subscribers. One cannot overlook

the importance of a cable operator's track record concerning a desire

51

to develop new local programming, particularly in these current days

of the industry's frenzied expansion into the remaining markets yet to
receive cable television service. Dozens of competing firms are trying
to convince the franchising authorities in these communities that their
particular company is the one to go with. While all can offer similar
packages of broadcast channels, satellite services, burglar and fire
detection systems, etc., some can score very strong points by pointing
to a solid past record of comunity programming, as opposed to the
majority which simply promise to provide for it in the future.

Although the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Midwest
Video II case removed the FCC's requirements to provide access channels,
it would be unwise for the industry to pull out of this area altogether.
As Federal Communications Commission chairman Charles Ferris, speaking
before the annual convention of the National Cable Television Association
(NCTA) in May 1979, pointed out:

"I hope that you are not viewing the end of your federal
requirement of local programming access as the occasion to

abandon the opportunity to market cable as an important low-

cost vehicle for increased local programming. "Localism"

should not be a catch word that separates broadcasting and

cable. You have found that there are unsatisfied national

specialized audiences. But you may also discover that your

local community is also an unsatisfied specialized audience."

As the cable industry continues its rapid growth in political
clout, it must also be cognizant of the pitfalls that may lie ahead.

An important lesson can be learned from the experience of those in
broadcasting. For years that industry was free to do as it pleased,

and as its profits soared, it became less and less concerned with

meeting individual community needs with local programming. They soon

52

found themselves in big trouble, though, and had to spend many
thousands of dollars in not-always-successful attempts to rebuke
license renewal challenges from consumer action groups. These legal
actions came about for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which was
a station's lack of committment to meeting community needs through local
programming.

The cable industry would be ill-advised to follow in its predeces-
sor's footsteps. A successful operation of a public access center can be
pointed to with pride as proof of a cable system's dedication to the

needs of the community it serves.

Recommendations to Decision-Makers

 

As mentioned previously, the U.S. Supreme Court's Midwest Video II

 

decision effectively wiped out the access rules of the Federal Communica-
tions Commission. I firmly believe, however, that there still can be an
important role to be played by the FCC in the development of cable access.
Unlike a number of my colleagues in this field, I do not believe new
federal requirements need to be specifically delineated in another national
comnunications law. As it happened with the old regulations concerning
access, these requirements can become too inflexible, with set minimum
guidelines treated by the bureaucracy as maximum standards (this problem
arose in East Lansing, as described in Chapter II).

I would argue that the FCC could work far better as an information
source about access operations from around the country. Through its
network of field offices, profiles could be drawn up by the Commission

staff which describe a number of working access centers, compiled into

53

booklets which also contain other information about existing cable
services, and sent to communities in the process of developing new
franchise agreements with cable companies. Staff members could also be
made to appear at public hearings on cable television, helping to further
explain the access concept with slide presentations, videotapes, etc.

The FCC already has the power to undertake such a project. One of the
functions of the Commission, as described in Section 303 (g) of the Comm-
unications Act of 1934, is to "study new uses..., provide for experimental
uses..., and generally encourage the larger and more effective use Of
[telecommunication] in the public interest." The final decisions mgst

be left up to the local community. If franchises are agreed to with

cable operators which include detailed access requirements provisions, then
so be it. If, on the other hand, a franchising authority is not convinced
of the worth of such an arrangement and includes no such provision,
another body should not step in and force them to.

To successfully carry out this proposed venture, much more research
about the country's experiences with public access to cable television
must be conducted. Detailed analyses similar to this study of East
Lansing could be done in places like New York City; Reading, Pennsylvania;
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Hayward, California; and Columbus, Indiana. These
are just a few of the other places I have heard about or visited which
also demonstrate that access channels can become important sources of
community programming. As FCC Chairman Ferris said in his NCTA speech.

"Your industry's experience with the local access
channels has shown that there are in many communities local
video producers willing to provide exciting and innovative

program ideas, and that there is local interest in cable
programs on community issues and events. Midwest Video only

 

54

removes legal obligations, not the continued potential for
local educational programming and local coverage of city
government, local sports and even a local parade or
demonstration. It does not remove the potential for local
merchants to become underwriters of local program services.
While you look to the sky for new programming ideas, I
hope you are not ignoring them in your own backyard."

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barron, Jerome. "Access to the Press -- A New First Amendment Right."
80 Harvard Law Review, 1967.

Code of Federal Regulations. "Title 47 Telecommunication." Washington,
D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977.

East Lansing, Michigan. Franchise Agreement (May 29, 1973).

 

East Lansing, Michigan. Ordinance for Regulation of Cable Communica-
tions (September 5, 1972).

 

FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order. National Cable Company (East Lansing,
Michigan). Mimeo No. 52439, 14 July 1975.

 

FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order. National Cable Company (East Lansing,
Michigan). Mimeo No. 72313, 21 September 1976.

 

Federal Register. "Federal Communications Commission - Cable Tele-
vision Service; Cable Television Relay Service." Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Government Printing Office, Vol. 37, No. 30, Pt. II,
l2 February 1972.

 

Ferris, Charles 0. Remarks of Chairman of the FCC before the Annual
Convention of the National Cable Television Association, Las Vegas,
Nevada, 23 May 1979.

Reagan, Joey. "The Development of the East Lansing Cable Television
Ordinance: 1968-1972." Unpublished report, Michigan State
University, March 1978.

Rivers, William L. and Nyhan, Michael J., eds. Aspen Notebook on
Government and Media. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1973.

 

 

Towne Courier (East Lansing, Michigan). 18 February 1976.

 

"Two Cable TV Services Here Win 20-Year City Franchises." New York
Times, 29 July 1970, p. 61.

General References

 

Anderson, Chuck. Video Power: Grass Roots Television. New York:
Praeger Publishers, 1975.

 

55

56

Cable Sourcebook. Washington, D.C. Broadcasting Publications, Inc.,
1971-1979.

 

Gillespie, Gilbert. Public Access Cable Television in the United States
and Canada. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1975.

 

Kletter, Richard C. Cable Television: Making Public Access Effective.
Santa Monica, California: Rand Corporation, 1973.

 

National Federation of Local Cable Programmers. "Regional Local
Programming Information." New York City, 1978. (Mimeographed.)

Shamberg, Michael. Guerilla Television. New York: Holt, Rinehart
and Winston, 1971.

 

Smith, Ralph Lee. The Wired Nation. New York: Harper & Row, 1972.

 

Tate, Charles, ed. Cable Television in the Cities. Washington, D.C.:
Urban Institute, 1971.

 

APPENDICES

May 1968

May 1972

September 1972

September 1972

February 1973

April 1973

May 1973

July 1973

May 1974

APPENDIX A

Red-Letter Dates

 

National Cable Company signs a contract with
Michigan State University to provide cable
television services to the Married Housing
Apartments.

National Cable Company provides one portapac to
Married Housing residents for public access
program production.

East Lansing City Council adopts a cable tele-
vision ordinance.

The Michigan State University "Video Workshop"
is established as a recognized student organization.

National Cable Company installs a modulator and
other hardware at the Married Housing Office, thus
enabling programs to be cablecast from there.

The Video Workshop begins weekly programming from
the Married Housing Office (this continues until
February 1975).

East Lansing City Council grants cable television
franchise to National Cable Company.

First access weekly series begins. "Women's Center
Presents ..." (later "By, For, and About Women")

is produced at Married Housing Office facilities.
Would later be produced at National Cable Company
facilities until February 1976.

Public access and local origination programming
begins from National Cable Company's temporary
origination point/studio in the University Inn
basement.

57

September 1974

March 1975

July 1975

February 1976

March 1976

August 1976

August 1976

September 1976

November 1976

November 1976
February 1977

February 1977

February 1977

March 1977

58

National Cable Company opens present office/
studio building with separate studios for
public access and local origination.

The National Cable Television Association gives
award to National Cable Company for local
origination documentary special, "The Handicappers,
An Equal Rights Movement."

Federal Comnunications Conlnission issues a Memorandum
Opinion and Order, "voiding" many local programming
provisions of the East Lansing cable television
ordinance and franchise agreement.

 

National Cable Company discontinues local origination
channel. All equipment is turned over to public
access use solely. Two full-time staff people are
retained as public access coordinators.

"Cable 11 News" begins as a combination newscast
and television production workshop.

Public access volunteers choose call letters "WELM"
for channel 11.

Program listings for public access channel begin
appearing in three local newspapers.

FCC rescinds many of its previous "voids" of
programming-related portions of the East Lansing
cable television ordinance and franchise agreement.

Former black-and-white studio gear is converted into
a portable multi-camera production system.

Organized television production "classes" begin.

National Cable Company buys time base corrector
for channel 11.

More than 200 people attend an organizational meeting
to stimulate more access programming.

Former FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson visits public
access center and tapes interview program.

National Cable Television Association gives award to
National Cable Company for public access sports
special, "The Bull Bowl 1977: The Pigs vs. the
Freaks."

April 1977

May 1977

June 1977

July 1977

August 1978

January 1979

April 1979

June 1979

September 1979

59-

First live telecast using the cable system's two-way
return capacity is held. Program is a 7-hour
marathon legislative conference from the Hannah
Middle School.

East Lansing public access center is profiled in
the first newsletter of the National Federation of
Local Cable Programmers (NFLCP).

First live telecast from a subscriber's home on
the public access channel is held.

Meridian Township Cable Advisory Board recommends
that the township award its cable franchise to
National Cable Company, citing the East Lansing
public access service as a factor in their decision.

Access program "Past and Present Tense" is picked
up for production by local public television
station WKAR-TV.

Lansing/East Lansing cable interconnection allows
transmission of channel 11 to Lansing (adding a
new potential audience of 30,000 homes).

East Lansing hosts Central States regional confer-
ence of the NFLCP.

First six-months total for program production in
1979 greatly outdistances all previous years'
comparable figures. 1200 productions for 1979

are anticipated (a 26% increase over highest earlier
annual total).

East Lansing chosen as site of the 1980 national
convention of the NFLCP.

\1

ll.

l2.
l3.
14.

0301-50)“)

APPENDIX B

East Lansing Public Access Series Programs1

 

TITLE

"Women's Center Presents ..."/"By,
For, and About Women"

"Black Notes"

"Observations"

"Children's Video Workshop"
"Intermediary"/"The Electric Way“
"Moo You Two"

"MSU Hockey"

"Parent Reports"

"Gator's Gab"

"Fade to Black"

"MSU Sports Spectacular"/"Capitol
City Sports"/"Talkin' Sports"

"Wizards' Workshop"

"Bread and Circuses"

"Cable 11 News"/"Cabletronic
11 News"/"WELM News"

 

1

DURATION

7/73 2/76
1/74 Present
2/74 5/74
2/74 5/74
3/74 Present
lO/74 4/75
lO/74 Present
l/75 5/76
7/75 3/77
7/75 9/75
ll/75 6/78

ll/75
l/76

3/76

Series programs are defined as having had five or more shows

produced under the same name, regularly scheduled.

60

3/76
6/76

Present

15.
l6.
l7.
l8.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.'
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.

37.
38.

39.

61

I'VTN Presents"/"Videowaves”

"The Richard Connaughton Show"
"Emphasis"

"Spectra"

"Iranian Students Association Presents"
"Woman Wise"

"Talking Back"

"Ride On"

"Labor Viewpoints"/"The Real News"
"Pattern of the Universe"

"Tee Vee Trivia"

"Tempo"

"MSU Panorama”
Interlude"/"Nightspot"

"Pass It On"

"Impressions"

"Ed-Itorial Weiss-Cracks”
"TFP-3"

"After Hours with Tom Hocking"
"The Bible's View"
"Shintowa"/"Variety"/"Artpourri"

"Christ's Teachings in Our
Violent World"

"Tuesday Night"

"Voc Rehab Presents..."/
"Handicappers Unlimited"

"Sound-Off"

3/76
4/76
5/76
5/76
6/76
7/76
7/76
9/76
ll/76
ll/76
2/77
2/77
2/77
3/77
4/77
4/77
4/77
5/77
6/77
7/77
8/77

lO/77
lO/77

lO/77
lO/77

Present
6/76
8/76
7/76
lO/76
Present
4/77
ll/76
6/77
3177
Present
Present
Present
6/77
9/77
Present
Present
9/77
12/77
6/78

Present

5/78

Present

7/78
5/78

4o.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
50.
61.
52.
53.
54.
~- 55.
55.

62

"Won Chuen"

"Baha'i: New World TV Series"
"Past and Present Tense"
"Canadian Travel Film"

"Sights and Sounds"

"Fifteen With Spira"

"TNT True Adventure Trails"
"Wednesday Night Fever"/"Synergy"
I"The Closing Circle"

"Ultimate Intelligence"
"Unification Church"

"Cable 11 Film Classics"

"The Best of Sloucho"

"We All Live Here"

"Pazzo"

“Arts Lansing"

"On T.A.P."

"New American Theatre”

"Mormon World Conference"

"MSU Women's Basketball"
"Black Notes Studio A"
"Speaking of Sports"/"From the Pressbox"
"Pan African News"

"The United Way Today"
"Talking Heads"

"Community Calendar"'

"Show My People"

ll/77
ll/77
ll/77
11/77
11/77
l/78
12/77
2/78
4/78
4/78
4/78
5/78
7/78
8/78
lO/78
ll/78
ll/78
l/79
1/79
l/79
l/79
1/79
l/79
2/79
3/79
3/79
4/79

8/78
l/78
6/78
2/78
l/78
5/78
Present
6/78
6/78
12/78
7/78
9/78
lO/78
Present
6/79
2/79
6/79
2/79
Present
Present
Present
6/79
7/79
7/79
Present
Present

Present

67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.

63

"MSU Lacrosse"

"Cable Talk"

"MSU Women's Tennis"
"Lansing Today"

"Christ Temple Bible Study"
"Urban Scene"

"Health Input"

I'Bob Carr Washington Report"

4/79
4/79
4/79
4/79
5/79
5/79
5/79
5/79

5/79
5/79
5/79
9/79
9/79
9/79
9/79

Present

APPENDIX C

1979 Audience Survey Questionnaire

 

TC 335

 

 

111m 1979
r.1.. ACCESS mm mm oocs.
more men
ID 1411118211: 1-3
mum: 1 2 3 l. s 6 sum or IMERVIEU:
cows (1)
urnsrr (2)

nrsoomcrto (3)

MRIVAN DALSEN: 353-3288

1311000611031: hello. I‘m telling fro. the Telecomnicstion
Deperteent st Hichigsn Stste University. We're doing s study of television use
in Esst lensing end I hsve s few questions I'd like to ssh you. ‘lhis will only
teke e few linutes.
l. Pirst, do you subscribe to the Esst Leasing Ceble television Systen?

(1) YES (2) no (minute INTERVIEW: Thenlt you very urch.)

2. Ion long hsve you subscribed?

 

( ) (noon ACTUAL ARSHER) ‘_5
3. Are you were of programing on Csble Chennel ll, the Public Access
flannel? 6
(1) YES (2) no (G0 1'0 Q. 12) (3) DP. (co 10 Q. 8)
lo. Do you ever vstch progrees on the Public Access flannel? 7

(1) res (2) no (coroq. 12)
s
5. Do you recell the cell letters of the Public Access (kernel? 8

(1) m1 (2) own usmnsz

6. llov do you decide whet to vstch on the Public Access camel? 9
(l) m 01' 1mm! _ (4) PLIPPIEG (3mm. SELECTOR
(2) man (-) omen:

 

(3)WCUIDEMW11

7. 0n s scele of one to tea, with ten being excellent, how would you rste the
picture quelity of the Public Access flannel? (CIRCLE mu.) lO-ll

P00112345678910W

64

65

Page 2 ' . cats.-

8. 1 en now going to reed you s short list of regulsr pr‘ogrses shown on the
Public Access Chennel. I'd like you to tell ne if you hsve ever wstched
the progren...snd. if so. do you wstch it weekly or nonthly? (PROBE 1F
NECESSARY: would you ssy you wstch it weekly or nonthly?)

luv: HATCHED HATOIED 10mm ‘ 92111.11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PSI! hockey 1| 1 2 * 3 12
f
RED! news ’ l 2 3 13
"0.311 Vise ' 1 2 3 1:,
llsck Notes 1 2 3 15
The Electric Hey I. 2 3 16
Be All Live here 1 2 .- 3 17
TV Trivis l 2 3 18
lnpressions _ l 2 3 19
m True Adventure Trsils r l 2 3 20
Ed-ltorisl Weiss-Creeks 1 2 3 21
Shintowe: lesrts in Esrnony 1 z . 3 22
.’
renpo 1 2 3 23

 

 

 

 

 

9. Did you wetch the nsyton-Eudson 11.11 debetes on the Public Access ansnnel
lest yesr? 2!.

(1) us (2) so

10. Did you wetch sny of the politicel cendidetes' debetes on the Public Access
Glennel lest yeer? 25

(1) res (2) no

11. (h s scsle of one to ten, with ten being excellent, how would you rste the
verieg of progrs-ing on the Public Access ansnnel? (CIRCLE men) 26—27

roos1234567s910rrcrum

12. Are you were thst eny Esst Lensing resident csn lesrn to produce progress
for Public Access free of chsrge? 28

(1) YES (2) ID (NTOQ. 1‘)

l3. lsveyoueverproduced orhelped produceenythingtobeshownonthePublic
Access (hennel? 29

(1) YES (1) NO (3) or

Pege 3 ' 2 Eng.
14. Are you swsre of progressing on Csble Channel 22. the Eest Lsnsing City
Govern-ent (flannel? 30
(1) YES (2) NO (00 T0 Q. 18) (3) IX (00 TO 0. 17)
15. Do you ever wstch progre-ning on the City Government Chennel? 31
(1) Yrs (2) no (no r0 0. 18) -
16. Do you reed the printed nesssges on the City Govern-ent Chennel? 32
(-) YES (1) no (oo '10 0.. 17)
16s. 1! YES: now often?
(2) DAILY (6) ONLY P'Ok EPIERGENCY INFO
(3) (ICE-NICE WEEKLY (5) ID!
(A) OCCASIONAILY
17. Eeve you wstched any of the following progrsns on the City Coveruent
flannel... '
l7e. City Council listings? 33
(1) YES (2) no (co ‘10 Q. 17c)
17b. how often do you wstch the City Council neetings? , 34
(1) 31-92313 (4) OCCASION”! 9
(2) m1! (5) non": mow '
(3) mr 01mm mm
17c. City Eell Insights? 35
(1) as g (2) no ..
17d. A Closer book: The Cedsrs Shopping. Center? 36
(1) YES (2) no
18. Would you find video-tsped st-eries of the City Council neetings
worthwhile? 37
(1) .ns ' (2) no
19. Are you ewsre of progre-ing on Csble Chennal 23. the Public Iibrsry (flannel? 38
(11’ W WINS "HEAR." "16!!" 0k 'vtnuc TV." ETC., kEPEAY _CA_D}._E_
(3mm. 23)
(1) YES (2) IO (co ro Q. 25) (3) or (co to Q. 22)
20. Do you ever wstch progrs-ing on the Public Librsry flannel? 39
(1) YES (2) ll) (00 ro Q. 25)
21. Do you reed the printed nssseges on the Public Librsry flannel? ‘0

66

(-) YES (1) no (a) to o. 22)
21s. 1! us: how often?
(2) new: (4) oocasronmr

(3) ace-nuts umr (5) now-rm

Page «’1. 67

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

have you watched any of the following programs on the Public Library
W...

22s. Visiting Librarian Program? .
(1) YES (2) no

22b. Ceneology?
'(1) Yrs (2) no

22c. look Talks?
(1) YES (2) no

What would be the best ties for children's programing to appear on the
Public Library Channel?

(1) 9M - noon (b) 61’)! - 9P)!
(2) m0)! - 3P)! (5) 0011"!“ INC-l
(3) 31')! - 6PM (-) OTHER“

 

What would be the best ties for adult gonna-ning to appear on the Public
Library flannel? '

(1) 9A)! - DON (6) 6m - 9P3
(2) noon - 3P)? (5) non": now
(3) 3?)! - 6PM (-) W123.

 

Are you aware of programing on Cable Channel 24, the Public Schools
flannel?

'(1) YES (2) no (co in Q. 29) (3) 11: (CO TQQ. 29)
Do you ever watch progra-ing on the Public Schools Channel?

(1) res (2) no (00 to Q. 29)
Do you read the printed nessages on the Public Schools flannel?

(-) YES (1) "0 (m 1’0 Q- 23)
27a. 1! YES: how often?

(2) DAILY (4) OCCASIONAILY

(3) MCI-MC! runs (5) nor": m

(that program have you watched on the Public Schools my (CIRCLE
All. mourn. no In PM)

(1) neuron: 111m swnmnmm roan-r nocrnc
(2) test 1.111311": noun or mica-1'10! muses

(3) 801001. mm rm

('1) swam. mm rvms

(5) man was nouns
om: (srrcrrr an. W):

 

 

 

 

 

41

62

63

‘14

‘5

‘6

47

‘3

49

. 68

Page 5

Now just a few nore questions...

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.
39.

Do you have a working color television?
(1) YES (2) no
About how nany hours of television did you watch yesterday? (CIRCLE 11112131211)
. 0 1 2 3 lo 5 6 7 3 9+
How long haze you lived in East Lansing?
<~° ) (RDUJD r0 HEAm-ZSI YEAR)
Bow nay people live in your household? (CIRCLE 11011212?!)
1 2 3 lo 5 6 7 3 9+
Are there children under 13 in the household?
(1) YES (0) no (com 0. 35)
llould you tell as their ages? (noon) ACTUAL AGES' 201'? I!) ilEAREST YEAR)
l2345678910111213"14151617

Bow mch education have you conpleted?

(1) turn era (5) course: Brent:
(2) 91a - 1218 (o) GRADOAIE‘HORI. ‘
(3) 3.5. occur: (7) GEADUAIE occurs
(4) son: camera: (a) :zrusno

Would you please tell no your age?
( ) (mm TO NEAREST YEAR)

would you tell no if your household incone is acre or less than $10,000?
(1) 1388 “EA?! 310,000 (co to Q. 33)
(-) 101:1: 111A}? $10,000-l

—‘

f

37a. Is it sure than $25,000?
(2) no (so 1o 0. 38)

(r) YES]

37b. And finally, is it note than $60,000?
(3) IO (‘3 1'0 (1. 33)
(6) YES (co TO Q. 38)
(5) m
(6) mm
Thank you very mch for your help.
sworn sex:
(1) “All (2) mm

9.012-

5r.

51

52- 53

56-58

59

60-61

62

63

APPENDIX D

Public Access Rules
and

Equipment Check-Out Forms

NATIONAL CABLE COMPANY PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL RULES

I. PREAMBLE

1.1 The purpose of these Public Access Rules is to
clearly define the rights and responsibilities of the
National Cable Company (NATIONAL CABLE) and the app-
licant in the use of Public Access facilities provided
by National Cable. The primary purpose of these facil-
ities is to encourage East Lansing residents to take
the opportunity provided by Public Access in the pro-
duction of localized television programming.

1.2 To encourage local participation, National Cable
offers channel time, an editing station, the loan of
"Porta-Pak" type equipment, and videotape free of charge
for public access applicants. Also, use of studio
production facilities will be available to public access
'applicants for a fee described in Appendix C of the rules.

1.3 The following rules are guidelines for access channel
operation, based upon Federal Communications Commission's
regulations and local commitments, and are meant to insure
maximum utilization by all persons desiring access to

the facilities. .

II. APPLICATIONS

2.1 A user will be defined as any East Lansing resident
applying for use of the Public Access production facilities.

2.2 Any individual or group may use the access channel
according to FCC Rules and Regulations (see Appendix D).
Access to this channel will be first-come, first-serve,
and non-discriminatory. .

2.3 If the applicant is under 18 years of age, he must
have an adult co-sign his application form and agreement.
The co-signer is then responsible, along with the appli-
cant, for all cost which may be incurred as.a result of
the use of these facilities as outlined in Appendix C,

or for any financial responsibility connected with the
use of the Company's facilities other than normal wear
and.tear.

2.4 Any user charged with one period of studio use during
one week shall not be prevented from.assisting in other
studio productions during the same week.

69

70 Public Access Rules

III. USER RESPONSIBILITY

3.1 The applicant assumes full responsibility for use of
National Cable production facilities, other than normal
wear and tear. ~

3.2 Persons utilizing the Public Access production facil-
ities will, at all times, be under the supervision and
authority of National Cable's Public Access Coordinator.
All handling of the facilities or granting of authority

to do so will be done by the Public Access Coordinator in
charge at the time of the production. Users of the channel
may not present any material designed to promote the sale
of commercial products or services. This includes any
advertising by, or on the behalf of, candidates for public
office. Finally, the FCC stipulates that users of the
channel may not present obscene or indecent matter. (See
Appendix D, FCC Regulation Governing the Use of Public
Access Channels.)

3.3 The applicant must be sure that, if the use of music
and non-music copyrighted material is involved, the'
appropriate copyright clearances have been obtained. Be-
fore presenting a program, he or she must have signed the
"Agreement for Use of Facilities for Public Access Pur-
poses" (Appendix B).

3.4 The user of portable access equipment must take all
initiative to identify himself to persons being videotaped,
particularly when that person may not know of the taping
or may not desire to be taped. In making his identity
known, the user must not identify himself as an employee
or representative of National Cable, and should make every
effort to clearly disclose the pertinent aspects of the
taping..

3.5 Regarding the use of studio facilities the following
stipulations will be observed:

a1 Users are requested at arrive at least
15 minutes before their scheduled times
of appearance.

b. Users and other-participants are asked to
keep the control room clear of non-essential
personnel during the prodiction.

c. Technical help and users shall not smoke,
snack, or bring drinks into the control
room.

3.6 National Cable reserves the right to temporarily
refuse the use of the Access Channel and facilities to any
person under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or otherwise
not under full control of his senses.

Public Access Rules
71

IV. NATIONAL CABLE COMPANY RESPONSIBILITY

4.1 Basically, there are two ways to provide programming
in order to utilize public access time.‘ A program may be
produced by using National Cable's portable facilities, or
studios; or, a prerecorded tape (or film) may be supplied
to National Cable. In either case, the tape (or film)

is then scheduled for showing on the designated public
access channel as outlined in the "Public Access

Schedule Procedure."

4.2 National Cable will provide a qualified person to
offer technical and programming assistance to channel users
in order to assure optimum technical quality.

4.3 Applications to use the Public Access Channel for the
showing of a prerecorded program is outlined in the section
designated "Public Access Schedule Procedure"; however,

the Company assumes no responsibility for damages to tape,
film, or equipment furnished by the user. Furthermore, the
Company will not edit, or alter in any way, the content

of Public Access material without permission of the user.
The necessity of duplication or any other type of alter-
ation will be discussed with the Public Access Coordinator
when application is made. '

4.4 National Cable will keep for public inspection all
applications for use of the Public Access Channel and a
complete record of the names and addresses of all persons
or groups who request access time. The Company will re-
tain all records for a period of two years.

4.5. National Cable will provide basic television equip-
ment and facilities necessary for production. ‘This
equipment will undergo periodic maintenance to help insure
good quality of operation and will produce a picture com-
parable in technical quality with other 10cal programming.

V. FACILITIES MADE AVAILABLE BY NATIONAL CABLE

5.1 All facilities will be offered on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Public Access facilities are to be used
only in the production of Public Access programming.

5.2 For remote productions, "Porta-Pak" type equipment
and the necessary supplemental production gear will be
supplied free of charge to any applicant qualifying under
the terms of these Public Access Rules on 24 hours notice
for a period not to exceed 24 hours. Facilities will

also be made available for electronic editing of the taped
footage prodflced with the Porta-Pak.

72 Public Access Rules

5.3 In cases where studio production facilities are

required, application should be made at least one week
in advance, for the convenience of the user. This time
limitation may be excepted in cases of public interest.

5.4 Studio Equipment will include:

a. Two color television cameras

b. Two 3/4" cassette-type color videotape
recorders

c. Two 1/2" black-and-white videotape
recorders

d. One color film/slide chain to include:

One 16 mm sound film projector
One Super-8 sound film projector
One 35mm slide projector/sequencer
Switching and monitoring facilities
. One color studio with lighting facilities
Four microphones with cables
Intercom system
Audio facilities to include:
One master sound mixer .
One reel-to-reel audio tape recorder-
. player
One record turntable
One audio cartridge recorder-player
One audio cassette player

H-D‘OQ HUD

5.5 National Cable's Public Access Production Studio may
be reserved one week in advance, by applicants.for one
continuous 90—minute period of time on any given work day
free of charge. One half-hour of this period may be used
in one of the following ways: ,

a. To rehearse and practice material before
the cameras _

b. To videotape bonafide Public Access presen-
tations

The remainder of the time period may be used in the fol-
lowing ways: ‘

a. To prepare and set up lighting and staging
presentations

b. To discuss production problems with the
Public Access Coordinator prior to taping

c. To view the finished program after the

taping is completed

These time limitations may be excepted in cases of public
interest.

73 Public Access Rules

VI. FEES FOR USE OF PRODUCTION FACILITIES

6.1 Charges for the use of production facilities are set
out in a rate schedule at the end of this section, Appen-
dix C. Where production costs are foreseen, the estimated
production fees are due by cash, check or money order

with completed applications for use. The Company will
bill users for any additional production costs within 30
days after the program is produced or refund any excess

of the deposit. Dubbing (i.e. tape to tape, film to tape
transfers, etc.) will be billed as a production charge.

6.2 The Company reserves the right to withhold cable-
casting of programs which do not meet adequate technical
standards, such as audio or video loss and/or distortion,
until such problems are rectified. In the event that the
applicant produces a program not in conformance with any
of the technical or legal specifications as stated in
these Public Access Rules, applicant understands that no
prepaid fees for use of National Cable studio and produc-
tion facilities will be refunded. This will be done when
the problem is judged not to be the fault of National.
Cable personnel or its equipment.

VII. PUBLIC ACCESS SCHEDULE PROCEDURE

7.1 First, all users must sign the Public Access Chan-
nel Agreement, included as Appendix A of these rules.
Additionally, all potential users of this Public Access
Channel must fill out an application form at the end of
this section, Appendix B. '

7.2 Access programming will normally be videotaped;
except in order to achieve the timeliness of a program,
National Cable may permit live presentations. '

7.3 If any program contains obscene or indecent material,
National Cable reserves the right to withhold cablecast-
ing the videotape until receiving a legal opinion of its
likely liability. National Cable will not show tapes
prepared outside of its studio facilities without full
disclosure of the contents and pre-screening. Tapes must
be submitted to National Cable at least one day prior to
the scheduled showing. The Company realizes that a long
delay in airing any tapezmay not be in the public interest,
therefore National Cable agrees to work in an expedient
manner to avoid such delays.

7.4 When the timeliness of a tape is essential, National
‘Cable may waive the preceeding requirements. Application
for waiver of these or any other requirements should be
made at least one week in advance when possible.

74 Public Access Rules

7.5 There are no theoretical limitations inposed on the
running time of any Public Access program. There are,
however, several practical and logistical factors which
may dictate the limitations on program length. These
limitations may include:

a. Public Access production facility availabil-
ity
b. Channel time availability

7.6 National Cable will deviate from the established
telecast schedule only upon its approval of written
request, by a group or an individual having an unusual
application, after consultation with the group or individ—
ual affected by the deviation. It is not the intent of

the Company to herein inhibit or restrict the use of the
Access Channel, but to insure in as fair a manner as
possible, that all persons and groups wishing to use the
Public Access facilities have an equal and fair opportunity
to take advantage of communications potentials in Public
Access. The utilization in a monopolistic manner by one or
a few select groups or individuals is not deemed to be

in the public interest. Channel use limitations will be
applied only in cases where the public interest is not
being maintained. ‘

7.7 National Cable assumes responsibility for reschedul-
ing programming which is delayed or interrupted for a
duration of 10% of its total time, if such delays or
interruptions are beyond control of the user.

VIII. REGULATION OF OPERATION

8.1 National Cable reserves the right to waive any self-
imposed regulation when such waiver is judged by the Company
to be in the public interest.

8.2 Any violation of these rules may, at the Company's
discretion, cause National Cable to withhold the use of
its facilities from the violator.

8.3 All applicants for use of National Cable facilities
should be aware that they may be held accountable for
their actions by the same laws that govern any public
Iactivity.

IX. MISCELLANEOUS

9.1 As experience shows a need, these rules shall be
subject to periodic revision.

9.2 The Company will have available, information regarding

75 Public Access Rules

services offered to public access users by the East Lansing
Cable Communications Commission. This information will
be prepared and supplied by the Commission.

 

APPENDIX A

E 3:32,

APPLICATION FOR PRIEHV'I‘ATIOI‘ USE
PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAME: HiONE:
ADDRES:

ORGANIZATION:

PRISM OR SPONSOR: PHONE:
PRCXERAH TITLE: 1M:
COMM:

 

 

Ram-3m) DATE OF PLAYBACK:

 

 

 

 

mm: was our firm
our TIME mm: mm
was TIME out was

 

 

HAY WE SCI-IEIDIIIE YOUR PRCXERAM AT ADDITIONAI TIMES? YES NO

FORMAT ~
TAPE: )2"_ X" Cassette—1"—
FILM: sun—Super emu—15m—
OHIER (Specify):

 

 

WHICH
- Color Sound _Fil1|1: Optical__ Cassette: Track 1—
B 8: W Silent Magnetic Track 2

Both
MAKEANDIDDEOFREORDIIBMACHINE:

 

ANISPEDIALHIOBIEIORFORHATOI'HIRTHANLISTED?

 

NAMES OF OTHER PERSOIB INVOLVED IN PRODIKZI‘ION

 

 

W)

eeprss ave

 

1155f
National Cable Company

 

APP
77 ENDIX B

Cm;

National Cable Company

AGRJEEJNT EUR USE OF FACILITIES

FOR PUBLIC ACCJSS PURPOSES

V"Applicant" herewith applies to National Cable Company (National Cable)

for use of the designated public access channel on the following terms and

yconditions:

1.

_2.

No charge shall be made for the use of National Cable’s
public access channel. In the event that a public access
presentation involve; the Company's designated public access
production facility, and in the event that such production
exceeds the time limits heroin mentioned, a charge to cover
production costs shall be levied and paid in advance in .
accordance with the schedule outlined in Appendix C of

'National Cable's Public ACCESS Manual.

Applicant is aware of and recognizes the restrictions
imposed on such use by Section 76.251 of the Rules and
negulations of the Federal Communication Commission and
agrees to abide by them. In particular,

a. Applicant will not cablecast any rdvcrtising
material designed to promote the sale of commercial
products or TGPVICBS, including ndvertisinr by and
on behalf of candidrtes for public office.

lb. Applicant will not cablecast a lottery or any adver-

tisement of or information concerning a lottery.

c. Applicant will not cwblec at any obscene or
indecent material.

78 APPENDIX B (conr'o)

3. Applicant agrees to make all appropriate arrangements with, and
to obtain all clearances from broadcast stations, networks, spon-
sors, music licensing organizations, performers' representatives,
and, without limitation from the foregoing, any and all other
persons (natural and otherwise) as may be necessary to transmit
its program material over the Company's cable television system.

h. In recognition of the fact that the Company has no control over
the content of the Applicant' 5 public access cablecast, Applicant
agrees to indemnify and hold the Uompany harmless from any and all
liability or other injury (including reasonable costs of the
defending claims or litigations) arising from or in connection
with claims for failure to comply with any applicable laws, rules,
regulations, or other requirements of local, state or federal
authorities; for claims of liable, slander, invasion of privacy,
or infringement of common law or statuatory cepyright; for
unauthorized use of trademark, trade name, or service mark; for
breach of contractual or other obligations owing to third parties
by company; and for an; other injury or :.amage in law or equity
which claims result from the Applicant' 6 use of the National Cable
designated public access channel.

'5. Applicant recognizes that the Federal Communications Commission

-- . requires Company to maintain available for public inspection a
record of all persons applying for use of designated public ,
-access channel, and agrees that this application may be used for
.such record.

6. Applicant states that he has read Company's "Public Access Manual"
governing use of cable public access channel and agrees to abide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by the terms and conditions contained therein. .
(Applicantf. Tfiate)
(Address) (Tape Control Nunborf.
(Phone)
(Signature) (National Cable Representative)

(note: If executed by a minor, under 18 years of age, the contract must be
signed by a responsible adult.)

79

Appendix C

PUBLIC ACCESS
PRODUCTION CHARGE SUMMARY

The first one-half hour of studio time and the use of a
Porta-Pak and tape for a continuous 24-hour period will be offered
by National Cable Company free of charge within the guidelines of

these Public Access Rules.

STUDIO CHARGES

 

PER/MINUTE CHARGES _
FOR USE OF PRODUCTION

 

 

DURATION OF USE FACILITIES
First 90 minutes None
After 90 minutes $ .50

 

Studio charges do not include personnel, other than the Public
Access Coordinator acting in a supervisory capacity. Any delay or
interruption in production will be deducted from the total time when

the delay is not within the control of the user.

80 Appendix D

FCC REGULATIONS GOVERNING USE OF PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNESL

76.251(a)(4)

76.25l(a)(9)

76.25l(a)(lO)

76.25l(a)(ll)
(i)

76.251(a)(ll)
(iv)

Public access channel. Each such system shall maintain

at least one specially designated, non-commercial public
access channel available on a first-come, nondiscriminatory
basis. The system shall maintain and have available for
public use at least the minimal equipment and facilities
necessary for the production of programming for such a
channel.

Program content control. Each such system shall exercise
no control over program content on any of the channels
described in paragraphs (a) (4) through (a)(7) of this
section; however, this limitation shall not prevent it
from taking appropriate steps to insure compliance with
the operating rules described in paragraph (a) (ll).

Assessment of costs. (i) From the commencement of cable
television service in the community of such system

until five (5) years after completion of the system's
basic trunk line, the channels described in paragraphs
(a)(5) and (a)(6) of this section shall be made available
without charge. (ii) One of the public access channels
described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section shall always
be made available without charge, except that production
costs may be assessed for live studio presentations
exceeding five minutes. Such production costs and any
fees for use of other public access channels shall be
considered with the goal of affording the public a low—
cost means of television access.

Operating rules. (ii) For the public access channel(s),
such systems shall establish rules requiring first-come
nondiscriminatory access; prohibiting the presentation of;
any advertising material designed to promote the sale of
commercial products or services (including advertising by
or on behalf of candidates for public office); lottery
information; and obscene or indecent matter (modeled after
the prohibitions of 76.213 and 76.215, respectiveiy); and
permitting public inspection of a complete record of

the names and addresses of all persons or groups requesting
access time. Such a record shall be retained for a period
of two years.

The operating rules governing public access, educational,
and leased channels shall be filed with the Commission
within 90 days after a system first activates any such
channels, and shall be available for public inspection at
the system's offices. Except on specific authorization, or
with respect to the operation of the local government
access channel, no local entity shall prescribe any

76.213(a)

76.213(b)

76.215

81 Appendix D

specifications concerning the number of such channels
for systems in operation prior to March 31, l972,
shall continue in effect.

Lotteries. No cable television system when engaged in
origination cablecasting shall transmit or permit to be
transmitted on the origination cablecasting channel or
channels any advertisement of or information concerning
any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme, offering
prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance,
or any list of the prizes drawn or awarded by means of
any such lottery, gift enterprise or scheme, whether
said list contains any part or all of such prizes.

The determination whether a particular program comes within
the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section depends

on the facts of each case. However, the Commission will in
any event consider that a program comes within the
provisions of paragraph (a) of this section if in connection
with such programs a prize consisting of money or thing

of value is awarded to any person whose selection is
dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, if as a
condition of winning or competing for such prize, suCh
winner or winners are required to furnish any money or
thing of value or are required to have in their possession
any product sold, manufactured, furnished or distributed

by a sponsor of a program cablecast on the system in
question.

Obscenity. No cable television system when engaged in

origination cablecasting shall transmit or permit to be
transmitted on the origination cablecasting channel or

channels material that is obscene or indecent.

82

National Cable Company

 

REQUEST FOR
Penna: VIDEO EQUIPMENT

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APPENDIX E

TV Production Workshop-Related Forms

TV PRODUCTION
WORKSHOPS

     
 

 
 

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. CAMERA OPERATION . OPERATING AN AUDIO MIXER
. TV STUDIO LIGHTING * USE OF FILM PROJECTORS

’ PUTTING A PRODUCTION TOGETHER * MUCH, MUCH, MORE

I WORKSHOPS ARE OPEN TO ANYONE (16 YEARS AND OVER) WHO
WOULD LIKE TO HELP PRODUCE PROGRAMS ON EAST LANSING’S
CABLE TV PUBLIC ACCESS STATION, CHANNEL 11, WELM-TV.
WORKSHOPS MEET TWO HOURS PER WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: TELEPHONE 351-t314

Jerry Younglove or

Randy VanDalaen

Public Access Coordinator:
WELM-TV

National Cable Company
1070 Trovbridge Road

East Lansing

84

TV PRODUCTION WORKSHOP OUTLINE

lST WEEK: (All lecture and demonstration - no hands-on yet)

I.

II.

III.

Welcome the participants, introduce coordinators. Informal
talk with participants about philosophy and history of public
access television. Find out why workshop participants are
there.

Tour of studio, control room, film/slide room and Channel ll
master control room.

Divide group into two sections of about ten people each, one
section will be shown studio facilities, the other gets
instruction in control room operation.

GROUP A: STUDIO

A. Stress importance of keeping studio in order (clean up after
yourself, strike your set, etc.) '

B. Studio Equipment.

l. Point out lighting grid with key and fill lights; explain
difference. Lighting control panel.

2. Studio hods -- their purpose (holding graphics).

Studio monitor.

D0»)

Identify cyclorama and show other background possibilities.
5. Audio equipment.
a. Show each kind of microphone we use.
b. Mic cables & how to wind them.
c. How to plug/unplug mic cables from connector box.
d. Point out mic stands and boom.
6. Cameras.
a. Point out all parts and functions.

b. Demonstrate camera movements (e.g., tilt, dolly,
pan, etc.)

c. How to use intercom.

-85

7. Setnmterialsand props -- show where they're kept.
C. Studio Crew Positions. I
1. Camera operators.
2. Floor director.
a. What he's there for.
b. Demonstrate the verbal and non-verbal cues to talent.

D. Simple set construction. (Two chairs on riser covered by carpet,
bare background).

E. Complex set construction (Living room set with carpeting, chairs,
table, plants, fireplace-bookshelf in background.

F. Lighting demonstration.
l. How key and fill lights can be adjusted, moved, aimed.
2. Demonstrate triangular lighting (key, fill, back).

G. Camera composition.
l. Explain importance of 3 x 4 aspect ratio for TV.
2. Positioning cameras to create illusion of depth.
3. Demonstrate l—, 2-, 3-shots, over/shoulder shots, etc.
4. Demonstrate head and nose room in framing.

5. Show examples of poorly-framed shots and what a director
would say to correct them.

GROUP B: CONTROL ROOM
A. Control Room Equipment.
l. Audio facilities.
a. Audio control board.
(l) Demonstrate toggle switches and potentiometers.
(2) Explain function of the V-U meter.
b. Demonstrate other audio components.
(l) Turntable

(2) Reel-to-reel tape player

86

(3) Cart machine
(4) Audio cassette
(5) VTR'S

2. Video facilities.

a. Demonstrate how the switcher/SEG is used (what a
T.D. would do on the director's cue).

b. Demonstrate cutting and special effects (fade,
key and wipe).

c. Point out function of all control room monitors.
B. Character generator demonstration.
C. Demo of film/slide chain.
1. Show how slides are loaded in carousel.
2. Show how to thread the film projector.
3. Show how to use film/slide remote controls in control room.

QUESTIONS ARE ENCOURAGED THROUGHOUT. ALSO INJECT PLENTY OF PROPAGANDA
FOR PUBLIC ACCESS VS. COMMERCIAL TV.

Wrap-up -- distribute the lO-page handout.

2ND WEEK: (All lecture and demonstration)
GROUP A and GROUP B switch places (those who were shown

studio equipment operation in lst week go into control room,
and vice versa).

3RD & 4TH WEEK: (All hands-on by participants)

 

1. Studio Productions.

A. Entire session spent doing 5-minute productions, rotating
participants as crew members and observers. Instructor
does the directing. (Program begins on title slide with
music, dissolve to studio for interview, at end dissolve
back to title slide and music and fade to black.)

87

5TH WEEK: (Demonstrations and hands-on experience)
I. Operation of Portapacs.
A. Instruction hiuse of video portapacs with emphasis on
mechanics of operation. Ways in which gear can be harmed
are pointed out, as well as proper packing methods.

B. Two-angle recording of an improvised interview is
conducted.

II. Videotape Editing Methods.

A. Editing technique using the automatic editing system is
demonstrated, using footage obtained from previous
improvised interview.

6TH WEEK: (All hands-on by participants)
I. Studio Productions.

A. Continue rotations as occurred during 3rd and 4th weeks,
devising things to make productions more difficult (e.g.,
16 mm film and videotape inserts, use of graphics in
studio, close-ups of objects shown by talent, etc.).

B. Instructor directs unless a participant would like to give
it a try.

C. Instructor feedbatk.

7TH WEEK: (All hands-on by participants)
1. Final Studio Production.

A. Participants produce a variety show (in segments allowing
group to fill various roles) worked out ahead of time with
coordinators which will be cablecast on public access channel.

B. VTR replay of production.

C. Instructor feedback.

D. Pass out "diplomas" certifying completion Of workshop course.

**********

88

GLOSSARY

ACADEMY LEADER - A piece of film marked with numbers ranging from
8 to 3, each one second apart. It's attached to the head of
a film for the purposes of cuing up and aligning the film.

AD LIB - Speech or action that has not been scripted or specially
rehearsed.

APERTURE - Diaphragm opening of a lens; usually measured in f-stops.

ASPECT RATIO - The proportions of a television screen, and therefore
of all television pictures: three units high and four units wide.

AUDIO - The sound portion of television and its production. Technically,
the electronic reproduction of audible sound.

BACKGROUND LIGHT - (Also called "set light") Illumination of the set
and set pieces such as backdrops.

BACK LIGHT - Illumination from behind the subject and opposite the camera.

BARN DOORS - Metal flaps in front of the lighting instruments that
control the spread of the light beam.

BROAD - A floodlight which emits a very diffused (broad) beam of light.

BURN-IN - Image retention by the camera pick-up tube. If the camera
is focused too long on an object with strong contrast, the
picture tube may retain a negative image of the contrasting scene,
although another object is being photographed.

BUSS - A row of buttons on the video switcher. Also called a bank.

CAMERA - The general name for the camera head, which consists of the
lens, the main camera with the pick—up tube and the internal
optical system, electronic accessories, and the viewfinder.

CARTRIDGE - (Also called "CART" for short) An audio recording/play-
back device containing an endless tape loop that rewinds as it
is played back, and cues itself automatically.

CASSETTE - A video- or audiotape recording/playback device.
.CHARACTER GENERATOR - A special effects generator/keyboard device that

electronically produces a series of letters or numbers directly
on the television sceen,, or keyed into a background picture.

89-

CLOSEUP - Object or any part of it seen at close range and framed
tightly.

CONTROL ROOM - A room adjacent to the studio in which the directOr,
the technical director (T.D.), and the audio operator perform
their various production functions.

COPY - All material to be read on the air.

COVER SHOT - Wide-angle shot giving basic orientation of place and
action; covers a great area.

CUE - Signal to stop, pace or stop any type of production activity
or talent action.

CUE CARD - A hand-lettered card that contains copy, usually held
next to the camera lens by the floor personnel.

CUT - l. The instantaneous change from one shot (image) to another.
2. Director's signal to interrupt action (used during rehearsal).

DISSOLVE - l. Camera support that enables the camera to move in all
directions when wheeled about by the camera operator.
2. To move the camera toward (dolly in) or away from ("dolly
out or back") the object.

DUB - The duplication of an electronic recording.

EDITING - The selection and assembly of shots forming a finished
program.

EFFECTS BUSS - Rows of buttons that can generate a number of electronic
effects, such as keys, wipes and dissolves.

ESTABLISHING SHOT - Orientation shot, usually a long shot.

FADE - l. Video: the gradual appearance of a picture from black
(fade- in) or disappearance to black (fade out).
2. Audio: the gradual decrease of sound volume.

FADER BARS - Two levers on the video switcher that can produce
dissolves, fades, and wipes of different speeds, and super-
impositions.

FILL LIGHT - Additional light, usually opposite the key light, to
illuminate shadow areas. Accomplished by floodlights.

FILM CHAIN - Device consisting of one or two film projectors, a slide
production, a multiplexer, and a television camera.

FOCUS - A picture is in focus when it appears sharp and clear on the
screen.

9O

F-STOP - The calibration on the lens indicating the aperature opening
(and therefore the amount of light transmitted through the
lens). The larger the f-stop number, the lower the amount of
light transmitted.

GHOST - Undesirable double image on the screen.

GRAPHICS - All two-dimensional visuals prepared for the television
screen, such as title cards, charts, and graphs.

HEADROOM - The space between the top of the talent's head and the
upper screen edge.

HUE - The color itself, such as red, green, or blue.

INTERCOM - Abbreviation for intercommunications system. The system
uses telephone headsets to facilitate voice communication among
all production personnel in a show.

JUMP CUT - Cutting between shots that are identical in subject yet
slightly different in screen location. Through the cut, the
subject seems to jump from one screen location to another for
no apparent reason.

KEY - 1. An electronic effect. Keying means the cutting in of an
image (usually lettering) into a background image.
2. Key light: the principal source of illumination.

LAVALIERE - An extremely small microphone that can be clipped onto
a jacket, tie, blouse, or other piece of clothing.

LEVEL - 1. Audio: sound volume.
2. Video: signal strength measured in volts.

LIVE — Direct transmission of show at the time of origin.
LONG SHOT - Object seen from far away or very loosely.

MICROPHONE - Also called a mike. A small portable assembly for the
pick-up and conversion of sound into electrical energy.

MONITOR - A high quality television receiver used in the television
studio and control rooms.

MULTIPLEXER - A system of mirrors or prisms that directs images from
several projection sources (film, slides) into one stationary
television camera.

NOSE ROOM - The space left in front of a person looking toward the
edge of the screen.

9l

OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT - Camera looks over the shoulder of a person
in the foreground at a person in the background of a shot.

PAN - Horizontal turning of the camera.

PORTAPAC - Portable camera and videotape unit which can be carried
and operated by one person.

POSTPRODUCTION - Any production activity that occurs after (post)
the production. Usually refers either to editing of film or
videotape or mixing sound for later addition to the picture
portion.

POT - Abbreviation for potentiometer, a sound-volume control.

PRODUCER - The creator and organizer of a television show.

PROPS - Properties: furniture and other objects used for set decora-
tions and by actors or performers.

REMOTE - A television production done outside the studio.
ROLL - A director's command to roll tape or film.

SET - Arrangement of scenery or properites to indicate the locale and/or
mood of a show.

SHOT SHEET - Lists every shot a particular camera has to get. Is
attached to the camera as an aid to the camera operator for
remembering a shot sequence.

STAND-BY - A warning cue for any kind of action in a television production.

STRIKE - To remove certain objects; to remove scenery and equipment
from the studio floor after the show.

SUPER - Short for superimposition, the simultaneous showing of two
full pictures on the same screen.

SWITCHER - A panel with rows of buttons that permits the selection of
a specific video input and the change from one video source to
another through a variety of transition devices.

TAKE - Director's signal for a cut from one video source to another.

TALENT - Collective name for all performers and actors who appear on
the show.

TALLY LIGHT - Red light on the camera and/or inside the camera viewfinder,
indicating when the camera is on the air.

92
TAPE - Plastic ribbon which is specially treated and is used to
record magnetic impulses from video or audio sources.

T.D. - The technical director. Usually does the switching during a
show.

TILT - To point the camera up and down.

TITLE - Any graphic material shown on camera; more specifically,
studio title card or slide.

TRIPOD - A three-legged camera mount, usually connected with a dolly
for easy maneuverability.

TRUCK — To move the camera laterally ("truck left" or "truck right").

TWO-SHOT - Framing of two people.

VIDEO - Picture portion of a telecast.

VIDEOTAPE RECORDER - Also called VTR. An electronic recording device
that records and stores on videotape video and audio signals.

for later playback or postproduction editing.'

VIEWFINDER - A small television set mounted in the back of a camera.
that displays the picture as generated by the camera.

VOLUME - The relative intensity of the sound, its relative loudness.

VU METER - A volume-unit meter; measures volume units, the relative
loudness of amplified sound.

WIPE - Electronic effect where one picture seems to push the other
off the screen. The split-screen effect is an example of a wipe.

ZOOM LENS - A variable focal-length lens that you can adjust to go from
a wide shot to a closeup ("zoom”in"), or the reverse ("zoom
out"), in one continuous move.

93

PRODUCTION CREW POSITIONS

Television production is team work. The major task of television
production is working with people, the ones in front of the camera
(talent) and those behind (production staff). The following is a list
of basic crew positions.

Producer: In charge of individual production. Responsible for
coordinating technical and nontechnical production elements. Often
serves as writer and sometimes as director.

Director: In charge of directing talent and technical facilities.
Is responsible for transforming a script into video and audio images.

Talent: Performers and actors who appear on television.
Writer: Writes television scripts.

T.D.: Technical director; usually acts as crew chief and does
the video switching.

Camera Operator: Operates the camera and often takes care of the
lighting.

Floor Director: In charge of all studio activities. Directs
talent in studio and relays all director's cues to all studio peronnel.

Graphic Artist: Prepares studio cards, slides and other materials
needed for visual presentation.

C.G. and Film: Prepares and operates character generator and
film chain.

Audio Engineer: In charge of all audio operation. Works the
audio control board during the production.

94

THE CAMERA

The camera is the single most important part of television
production equipment. It is important that you understand the basic
function and Operation of the Television camera. All other TV pro-
duction equipment and production techniques are directly determined
by what the camera cmido and the capability and versatility of the
camera operator.

PARTS OF THE CAMERA

The standard television camera consists of three main parts:

(l) The lens, which selects a certain field of view and pro-
duces a small optical image on the viewfinder.

(2) The camera itself with its pickup tubes and internal
optical system, which converts the lens image into
electrical signals.

(3) The viewfinder, which converts the cameras electronic
signals back into a visible image.

All TV cameras, whether big studio models or small portable models work
on the same basic principle: the conversion of an optical image into
electrical signals that are reconverted by your TV set into visible
screen images.

WORKING THE STUDIO CAMERA

When operating a camera, you should go through some basic steps
before, during and after each production.

BEFORE

Put on your headset and check intercom.

Unlock the pan and tilt mechanism on your camera tri-pod.
If camera is on, uncap the camera lens.

Adjust your viewfinder.

Check and rack through your focus.

If you leave your camera, lOCk the pan and tilt.

NEVER LEAVE A CAMERA UNLOCKED.

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.95-

DURING THE PRODUCTION

) Put on headset and establish contact with director and
unlock camera and set tilt and pan drag.
) Preset zoom at each new camera position, zoom all the
way in and focus.
3) Know the approximate reach of your camera cable before you
start a dolly or truck.
) At all times be aware of all other activities in the studio.
Where is the other camera, floor director, and floor monitor?
) Listen carefully to what the director tells all crew members,
this way you will be able to coordinate your shots with the
shots of the other camera.

AFTER THE PRODUCTION

(1) After the "all clear" signal, lock your camera and cap the
lens.

(2) Push the camera to its storage position and coil the camera
cable as neatly as possible.

(3) Help other crew members strike set.

Camera Handling

 

The movement and positioning of a video camera is an art in itself.
It is essential to a good video production that all camera movement
be done as smoothly and artistically as possible. To accomplish this,
a video cameraman must first be completely familiar with the four basic
camera movements, consisting of panning, tilting, trucking, and dollying.

Panning can be defined as movement of the camera in a horizontal
plane. In other words, the camera swings left or right while the base
or tripod of the camera remains stationary. A pan is used to illustrate
to the viewer the relative size of an area, to follow action from one
location to another, and also to indicate the amount of distance between
two subjects in a scene.

Tilting is a camera movement which is executed in a vertical plane.
When tilting, the camera tripod again remains stationary while the camera
is moved vertically either upward or downward. A tilt is used to obtain
a lower or higher angle within a scene, to show the relative height of an
object such as a tall building, or to focus attention on a very low level
such as a shot looking down into a canyon.

A third type of camera movement known as trucking, requires that the
cameraman physically move the camera to the left or right. This, of course,
can only be accomplished if the camera is mounted on a movable pedestal.

A truck shot is much more difficult to execute smoothly than a panshot
because of the difficulties in moving on an uneven studio floor or under
adverse conditions. Also the cameraman must be aware of the problems of
running over camera and power cables which tend to get in the way of a
truck shot. A trucking movement is usually used to indicate the motion

96

of a subject in a scene. In this case, the camera moves along with the
subject from left to right.

Physically moving the camera and tripod closer to (forward), or
further away (backward), from a subject is known as dollying. The dolly-
in is extremely effective in giving the viewer the impression that he or
she is entering the scene as the camera moves in for a closer shot. This
is very appropriate at the beginning of a production following a wide
establishing shot of the scene. Of course, the opposite is also true
concerning a dolly-back which can be used to signify the end of a
production. These techniques are all very effective but can easily be
overdone. They should never be used without a definite purpose.

Taken from the Mobile Newsroom Newsletter October l974

97

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