Behind every phrase of service is a powerful story.
“How can I be of help?” she asked,
“I have a good idea,” he said,
You have a story to share. “Yes, we can.”
“We’ll do it together,” they offered.
“We’ll be right here until it’s done.”
“Let’s do it this way, it is more fun!”
“It’s what we’re here for it’s no fuss.”
“You have an idea, let’s flesh it out.”
“Call us back if you should need us.”
“You need our help, no problem.”
“Oh, I’m just glad to do my part.”
“Come this way, We’ll show you the tools.”
“Goodness no, I don’t want pay.”
“You can do it, I’ll show you how.”
“You need it when? I’ll do it now.”
“If you need anything I’m right here.”
“Who am I? A Volunteer.”
“Who are you? “You can be a Contributor.”
We are here so you can Contribute to your Community’s Media.
Producer Georgian Lussier captured my story and the story of WPAA-TV in studioW which is available to view here. Yes, I am a full-time volunteer and I am not independently wealthy, just passionate about my role as a thorn.
Good Enough To Share is probably one of the most valuable local programs because our viewership, your neighbors ask us to share content they think is important to know or experience. This weekend we will be blessed by the efforts of Brattleboro Community TV who had captured the 13th Annual Collegiate A Capella Concert held Feb 6 featuring the Yale Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, Tufts Amalgamates, Dartmouth Aires, Skidmore Dynamics, Castleton Vocal Unrest and Tufts Beelzebubs.
13th Annual Collegiate A Capella Concert held Feb 6 featuring the Yale Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, Tufts Amalgamates, Dartmouth Aires, Skidmore Dynamics, Castleton Vocal Unrest and Tufts Beelzebubs .
This program 13th Annual Collegiate A Capella Concert is scheduled as TV for Friday, Feb 19th beginning at 8:30 PM and the 20th at 9 PM. The duration is 2 hours 15 minutes. Enjoy.
Three neighbors got the following Thanks from WPAA-TV. Irma Zola, David Burghardt, Lisa Catherine.
Thanks for your interest in the Guarantor Program Good Enough to Share at WPAA-TV.
Guarantor affiliation is handled via electronic correspondence. A reply to this email with your name replacing the text shown below in red is the process by which this content becomes Good Enough to Share. This guarantor language identifies the program, its source, any Web presence if known, and acknowledges your willingness to be publicly affiliated as the local representative of the content on WPAA-TV.
As Guarantor of “13th Annual Collegiate A Capella Concert ” I, “insert Guarantor Name here” accept responsibility to be the local representative of media created by Brattleboro Community TV for re-distribution by Wallingford Public Access Association Inc. (WPAATV). I agree to have my name publicly affiliated with the appearance of this program on WPAATV. I understand this program is noncommercial. I understand the content is in compliance with the policy because it was produced at the Community Access Station serving Brattleboro VT which maintains comparable creation & distribution policies.
I understand that WPAA-TV is relying upon this Agreement and its representations for the legal distribution of the named media under its Guarantor Program.
More About the Good Enough To Share Program: A Guarantor is someone 1) eligible as a registered WPAA-TV User, 2) passionate about the subject matter, or free speech, who by publicly being affiliated with the content will 3) take responsibility, for any local interest and feedback; sharing the schedule with the community via social media or word-of-mouth methods. The Guarantor’s name is added to WPAA-TV website as the individual(s) helping to bring content to Wallingford. This individual will also be identified in program promotion-related Social Media.
There are two ways to participate: 1) WPAA-TV can suggest video programs that are already in compliance with local non-commercial policy and have copyright clearance for redistribution as local TV to individuals interested in supporting the local play of informing content. All programs are of good technical quality and can be acquired at no cost to individual or WPAA-TV or 2) residents can identify content developed elsewhere and secure permissions to re-Distribute. In this instance, the User takes responsibility for compliance with all content issues including copyright.
The corporate purpose of those forced to organize as a separate ‘public’ access channel in 1993 which became the nonprofit Wallingford Public Access Association, Inc. was clearly not in accordance with the intent of enabling free speech of citizens to speak to their community with resources established via the Cable Act and other statutes and regulations.
1993
To provide the opportunity and equipment to permit residents of the Town of Wallingford to produce and broadcast television programs of educational value over a separate television channel.
2016
All manner of support for the creation and distribution of noncommercial community media and fulfillment of responsibilities within related designations associated with managing sufficient resources inclusive of cable access channel(s) to facilitate meaningful community access within the community of Wallingford, CT.
WHEREAS, Public, Education and Government (PEG) access is excluded from broadcast regulations as an alternative to broadcast known as narrowcast but is designated for distribution by the Cable Act as within the basic cable service tier as the transmission of broadcast signals; and
WHEREAS, the criteria of value and editorial control is the purview of the local individual or entity, i.e., Access User, producing non-commercial content as further established in CT Public Act 95-150 regarding reasonable needs of the community; and
WHEREAS pursuant to a separation agreement initiated out of the Office of Mayor, Town of Wallingford refers to “separate from town operated cable access channels” among the three town specific channels designated to Wallingford by franchise area agreements established in accordance with provisions of the 1984 Cable Act; and
WHEREAS, although within the past decade multiple proposals to re-integrate PEG services and channels to improve overall resource management to positively impact tax-payer contributions in fulfillment of the community’s reasonable needs for PEG have been put forth by WPAA after two decades channel management remains disbursed between Office of Mayor, Board of Education and WPAA; and
WHEREAS, in Docket #08-04-09 the franchising authority re-affirmed WPAA as the entity responsible for providing Community Access in Wallingford with designation as “Cable Access Provider” (CAP) [Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 16-331a-1 to -13. Community Access Support – Definitions]; and
WHEREAS, as the CAP the scope of WPAA includes provisions of TV production resources, a studio, technical assistance, training and outreach in a fair and equitable manner for prospective PEG Access Users.
In a consumption-based economy with a “look at me” shallows of communications: How do some youth breakthrough to discover, produce, share and learn from stories that mean more for our humanity and our earth?
ROAR1stis our experiential journey with select youth in our community which may help us answer this question. More details to come.
On Dec 15th I mused: Does taking an occasional nice photograph or lots and lots of photos make you a photographer? If you have no understanding of color, color with light, framing or shutter-speed is it audacity or just ignorance to think yourself a photographer. Then yesterday I saw this post. Shoot something. Put your name on it. Now you are a Director. I am all for experiential learning but fail to open a manual, spend time with experts, or read is certainly not a sign of wisdom.
My heart sores every-time I see a young person take the time to research a tool before jumping in with both feet.
Trying something new with a new team, new technology and the same old lack of community engagement (not for lack of trying) can be a bumpy road. All the newness and bumps can also provide insight:
Your supporters may someday grow in number but these few early adopters will be forever gold. Hugs to Ed McCarver,Lisa Catherine, Russ Martin, Jayson Romano and those that watched the stream including Tom Dacey
Weeks that start with a Monday Holiday throws off many internal clocks.
Adding lights alone does not make you see better; adjustments are needed.
What others are failing to observe but you hoped they knew by now confirms we all see the world with different lenses.
Leaving room for creativity always has two results, yours and theirs. While you may wish you were more corporate and had “specified” the result you wanted; the decision not to makes the team feel empowered.
Mistakes can yield generosity as exemplified by the pizza supplier. Thanks Wallingford Pizza House
Lots of laughter can make a challenging experience seem sorta okay after all !
The Inaugural Destination Station show was O U T S T A N D I N G. To quote a new member of #TeamHerculesthe evening was the best pizza party ever!
A HUGE thanks for the talent brought to downtown Wallingford Jan 19, 2016, by WPAA.TV Event Produce Gina F. Lombardo and guest host and funny-man Brian Beaudoin. The comedy of Alan Moreau, Jay Mayo, Eric Barakat,Ryan Brauth, the black “Ben Smith” and Rui Montilla was sometimes full of shit, mom love, man-bromance, and sports innuendo. These laughter making men were inducted as members of#PowerfulWildFree4Arts#TeamHercules.
The plan is for more Destination Station: One Tuesday a month (usually the last) of free to the public entertainment to capture the spirit of performance speech ~ the richest kind. Hope to see you in February, March, April and…
Expand youth program to all year with community service, interns, media clubs and more. Expand use of facility for non-television uses including arts programs: Support up to four organizations or events Expand part-time employment opportunities to individuals between age 16 and 35 Improve quality of content produced locally with producer engagement in media as well as technology training
Outcomes Goal 1
Received CFGNHLisa Karen Street Grant to support expansion of Youth Program: Summer employment for five special youth through collaboration with Youth Services and WorkFare. Continued part-time employment for two participants in the Fall.
Summer Project for youth affiliated with neighborhood school: PSA On Internet Dangers Produced Hired
Supervised two college interns: UNH and Middlesex Community College Outcomes Goal 2
Community Room: Enhance to be Gallery; Features ongoing exhibits
Initiative: #PowerfulWildFree4ArtsCan art be functional?
Public Art activities: The last phase of our building renovation was to clean, repair and cover a full side of building with photorealistic mural by local graffiti artist: ARCY. Added exterior lights.
Complimented Mural with ongoing exhibit of recycled metal sculptures: by recently deceased local artist Ryk Wilkinson.
Held #PowerfulWildFree4Arts Event concurrent with annual town-wide Celebrate Wallingford Celebration. During event a second mural was done as a live performance by #ARCY, local artists displayed Seven Deadly Sins pieces and Nelson Ford’s Awakening Series an interpretation of Evolution was displayed. Outcomes Goal 3
Hired three individuals part-time to support citizen production.
Developed project-based hiring plan for 2016. Outcomes Goal 4
Awarded PEGPETIA $226,000 Grant for technology upgrades
Hosted media training on “Being a Host”, ‘PSA Development’ and ‘Storytelling’.
Congress attempted to review what stays, goes or may be modified in the Telecom Act of 1996. In an Internet connected world, can or should Community Access Television as we know it, be sustained? As with so many things before Congress there was inaction.
Yes and No.
Everything this experiment in democracy has at its core: building community through the production of ideas, opinions, stories, news, information and/or performance as local television while valuing free speech, individual expression and diversity remains a vital part of sustaining democratic communities. There is no comparable network of organizations dedicated to being of, by and for the voice of the people.
As an experiment, it has a range of successes and models of implementation that represents the diversity of America. As a network, it has shared principles, values and support that keep it from being rudderless among the many opportunities for voices to be enabled by worldwide connectivity.
If the Internet is ubiquitous and free to all in the near future, will the following personal aspects of local television still be desirable?
Comfortable watching of content from a living room recliner;
Same viewing experience shared by neighbors;
Community projects bringing folks together to tell community stories;
Commercial‐free viewing;
Local media that is not controlled by media corporations, self‐appointed power brokers or self‐interested corporations
Community Access is the delivery system for hyperlocal content: content important to the shut‐in who cannot attend church, commuter who cannot attend a public meeting, a child proud of their report shared with everyone in town, immigrants learning a new language, new homeowner learning about his/her community. It is people agreeing and disagreeing about what makes a difference to them locally where they still have the potential to influence outcomes.
Yes, the Internet should change Community Access TV by being another tool for delivery. What it cannot be or replace is the potential to gather, teach, discuss and share what is local based on the reasonable needs and qualities of a community. Hundreds of volunteers and organizations are connected through a viable Community Media System. Youth can discover, learn and experiment; and elders can stay connected in what would hopefully be a community hub that is more vital today because what can be created as TV can be shared as Social Media and distributed additionally via the Internet. Locally WPAA-TV and Community Media Center is prepared to be that hub.
WPAA-TV does not produced TV; rather we provided resources,training and technical support to citizen producers. The show Community Conversations has a new twist on the concept of production support. Each show is a collaborative production facilitated by wpaa.tv. Similar to productions historically done by trained citizen producers it is designed to represent the participants views and interests in a noncommercial and informing manner. Unlike citizen productions for this collaborative programming WPAA staff and production volunteers take an active role in soliciting Contributors from within the community. WPAA provide extensive technical production support in a manner that still leaves content decisions with the Contributors. Collaborative production helps you make TV ! How much you participate like what you say is up to you.
Click image to watch Episode 1: Planning for AgingConversations in the public interest. Make TV.
At a recent Alliance For Community Media Conference many future of Community TV discussions center around purpose, sustainability, embodying the mission, being hyper-local and a valued go-to resource. Several stations shared that they had begun weekly or monthly news magazines shows using staff as both the talent and production team. With this in mind and the goal of creating a sustainable model for hyper-local programs that can better enable and expand community engagement the concept of CommUnity Conversations was given the development nod. Staff remains behind the scenes but takes on a larger supportive role in managing the program evolution. The initiative is seen as a collaboration; connecting local stakeholders and their constituencies within the community through ‘informing’ conversation.
Topics: child care, literacy, reading, social needs and services, epidemics & wellness, transparency, networking & service; essentially, any topic with two or more people committed to exploring available local resources, concern or opportunities can be an episode. Do you have a topic? Let us know at wpaa at gmail dot com
