United Stations

Take your pick: A baseball signed by Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia... a bundle of your choosing from Harmonix, developers of the smash hit games Guitar Hero and Rock Band... or an autographed photo of Celtics player Rajon Rondo!

There's only one place to win these items and many, many more: CCTV's Backyard BBQ on Thursday, Sept. 18th. The silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. and it will close at 7:30 that evening. Don't miss your opportunity to score some great items for a great cause. All proceeds benefit CCTV's youth and outreach programs.

Buy your tickets now for this special event, and get a sneak peak of the full list of silent auction items here.

FYI all:
ACLU Calls For Investigation Into Raids And Mass Arrests At RNC

Police Misconduct A Threat To Free Speech

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2008

CONTACT: Rachel Myers, (212) 549-2689 or 2666; media@aclu.org

MINNEAPOLIS - Amid charges of police misconduct during the Republican
National Convention in Minnesota, the American Civil Liberties Union called
for accountability for any unconstitutional actions there.

The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of
the ACLU:

"Conducting mass arrests and raiding meeting places of innocent Americans
exercising their constitutional right to express political dissent are
antithetical to the fundamental values of our democracy. Free speech has to
be safeguarded during the Republican National Convention, as the workings of
our democracy in the streets are as important as those in convention halls.
Allegations of police misconduct must be investigated thoroughly and free
speech must be safeguarded for the remainder of the convention."

Teams of civil and criminal defense attorneys recruited and coordinated by
the ACLU of Minnesota filed five lawsuits seeking to protect free speech and
due process in the lead-up to the convention. Attorneys assembled by the
ACLU are currently in the jails offering limited representation to hundreds
of people who were swept up in mass arrests in the Twin Cities.

The "Eckankar" program can now be seen on WCCA Wednesdays at 2:30pm.

• Eckankar

Adesso Day Spa, a contributor to WCCA's "Soapbox", has a gift for YOU just for watching WCCA TV 13.

Visit Adesso on 108 June Street in Worcester from now until Dec.15, 2008 and receive a 20% discount for mentioning you watch WCCA TV 13. You can also mention one of these hairstylists: Renata Piperi, Ashely McAuliffe, Armando Paldino, Sara La Rose, or Anthony DiGregorio.

Thank you to Sal Acuri and the staff of Adesso Day Spa for their in-kind contribution.  Tune into "Soapbox" in November when Adesso staff will discuss hair styles for the holidays. "Soapbox" can be seen on Wednesdays at 8:30pm and Saturdays at 10:30pm right here on WCCA TV 13, The People's Channel.

Casting for a new youth show called the Wacky Factory. If you can act, sing, dance, make music, or want to be a feature reporter, come to:

WCCA TV13 -- 415 Main Street, Worcester

Saturday, September 13, 1:30-4:00pm

Saturday, September 20, 1:30-4:00pm

Show us what you can do! Parent/guardian signature required on release forms to participate in casting call.

For more information: audition details or see the promo video.

Sponsored by WCCA TV13's Teen Central and Dimension TV.

• Teen Central

Here's the story:

The plan divides funding for three so-called “PEG” channels in much the same manner as previous allocations, said committee member Thomas Colletta, assistant director of resident services and employment coordinator for the Worcester Housing Authority.

“It’s way overdue, and now we’re waiting for the city manager to do something about it,” he said.

WCCA-TV, the local public access station, will receive 60 percent of the total allocation, while the education and city government channels will receive 20 percent each.

The money comes from Charter Communications, which has the city’s cable television franchise. Under terms of an agreement signed with the city in March, Charter will provide $500,000 for the three channels, as well as 5 percent of its gross revenue. The gross revenue percentage last year amounted to $1.3 million.

Thanks to everyone for supporting WCCA during this long process! We haven't seen the final paperwork yet, but based on the info in this article this is good news.

Above: Amy Goodman arrested in St. Paul.

Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC: Goodman Charged with Obstruction; Felony Riot Charges Pending Against Kouddous and Salazar:

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on Monday afternoon.

All three were violently manhandled by law enforcement officers. Abdel Kouddous was slammed against a wall and the ground, leaving his arms scraped and bloodied. He sustained other injuries to his chest and back. Salazar’s violent arrest by baton-wielding officers, during which she was slammed to the ground while yelling, “I’m Press! Press!,” resulted in her nose bleeding, as well as causing facial pain. Goodman’s arm was violently yanked by police as she was arrested.

WCCA cablecasts Democracy Now each weekday from 8-9am. This week, because of the Republican National Convention, they are on from 8-10am.

Good link roundup for this story at BoingBoing.

Update: AP photographer arrested at RNC

Update: Two University of Kentucky students photographing the protests, and the photo advisor for their school paper, arrested (via Romenesko)

• Democracy Now!

Here's the latest letter WCCA has received from the City Manager. In short: we're going to have to wait awhile longer for any news on the proposed new WCCA contract.

August 29, 2008
Mr. Mauro DePasquale
Executive Director
WCCA, Inc.
415 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608

Dear Mr. DePasquale:
As you know, the City’s cable contract with Charter Communications was renewed in March of 2008 and includes a capital facilities and equipment payment, as well as an annual franchise fee payment used to fund the City’s public, educational and government (PEG) access entities. Upon execution of the Renewal Cable Television License, I requested that the Cable TV Advisory Committee review the business operations and financial needs of the PEG entities and provide its findings and recommendations to me.

Yesterday I received the Committee’s report and recommendations. These recommendations are the result of a series of public meetings, public testimony, and research of best-practices conducted by the Committee. I am appreciative of the Committee’s work and the cooperation of the PEG entities during this review process.

My administration is in the process of reviewing the recommendations contained in the report. Please know that I intend to submit a draft contract to you for WCCA’s review in advance of the expiration of the September 30th deadline outlined in my report to City Council dated May 20, 2008. I have enclosed a copy of that report for your convenience.

Sincerely,
Michael V. O’Brien
City Manager
cc: William Wood, Chairman Cable Advisory Committee
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER, CITY HALL, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS 01608
TELEPHONE (508) 799-1175 FAX (508) 799-1208
EMAIL: citymanager@ci.worcester.ma.us

The program, "9/11 in New York City" is a montage of photos before and after 9/11 and will be cablecast on WCCA TV 13 on Wed., Sept. 10 at 4pm and 11:30pm.  "9/11: Facts and Stories" will be cablecast Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30pm and Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11:30am

WCCA TV 13 was at the Elm Park Concert Series this summer and we present "The Valves" on  Thursday, Sept., 11 at 9:00pm and "Beatles for Sale" on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 9:00pm.

"Strange Fruit", featuring Austrailia's Peforming Arts Company at City Hall this summer, will be shown on WCCA TV 13 Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7:30pm.

"Imagine Worcester: Creating a Culture of Peace" is a brand new show hosted by Virginia Swain of the Center for Global Community and World Law. The show will be cablecast Saturdays, Sept. 6 & 13 at 9:00am and 5:30pm and Sunday, Sept. 7 & 14 at 9:00am and 5:30pm.

September is Prostate Awareness Month and WCCA TV will cablecast "Prostate Cancer Survivor Roundtable Discussion" on Saturday, September 20th at 9:00am and 5:30pm. We will also cablecast "Conversations with Ken Griffey Senior, Prostate Cancer Survivor" on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 9:00am and 5:30pm.

If you would like a WCCA TV program, just email tracy@wccatv.org. The program guide can also be seen monthly on the back page of In City Times.

CCTV's Annual BBQ Fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 18th will once again feature live music by Zili Misik! With a sound that reconnects Haitian mizik rasin, jazz, roots reggae, samba, Cuban son, and neo soul, Zili honors its influences while creating a sound that is uniquely its own. Voted #1 in the "Best World Music" category in a recent Boston Phoenix poll, Zili retraces routes of forced exile and cultural resistance through diasporic rhythm and song with captivating sounds that evoke the African continent. Powerful Haitian, Brazilian and West African rhythms infuse Zili's original creations and traditional folksongs. Click "play" below to watch a clip from Zili Misik's performance last year. And don't forget to buy your ticket for this year's BBQ by clicking here!

If you're interested in amateur video production, and you don't already know about the Red videocamera, you should. Here's a nice Wired article.

On the one hand, it costs $17,500. On the other hand:

The Red One records motion in a whopping 4,096 lines of horizontal resolution—"4K" in filmmaker lingo—and 2,304 of vertical. For comparison, hi-def digital movies like Sin City and the Star Wars prequels top out at 1,920 by 1,080, just like your HDTV.

In my dreams, WCCA would have one of these for members to use.

via Daring Fireball

WCCA TV received a call today, unexpectedly, from a T&G reporter seeking follow up information pertaining to the status of the recent recommendations which the City Manager's Cable Advisory Committee voted upon on August 19th.

We referred the reporter to our on line journal. To this date we have no further information to report. We did re-request a copy of the recommendations as approved at the last meeting and we hope to receive the document soon so we can begin the work of moving forward. We look forward to some closure on this matter so WCCA can really get back to focusing on being the best public access center possible.

Our continued thanks goes out to the cable advisory committee members for all their time and effort. We also send continuous thanks to all of our volunteers, members, and friends of WCCA for your letters to the city and editorials, and support through this rather lengthly process.

MD

After giving a successful Journalism Master Class here at WCCA this summer, Doug Grindle is back on the job reporting as a freelance overseas war correspondent.

Here is the rest of the story

For the next couple weeks, Democracy Now will be on an extra hour each morning to provide coverage from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Tune into WCCA daily from 8-10AM August 25-Sept 5 for Democracy Now's decidedly non-mainstream coverage.

• Democracy Now!

You could be learning how to make media for all of Cambridge to see! This public information session will show you how to get involved at the number one public access center in the country and begin making your own media and television programming.

Check out the Culturefest press conference via streaming video by clicking here.

Telegram & Gazette photo

Worcester's Teresian Carmelite community, who produce the WCCA TV13 program Love, Truth & Miracles, are profiled in today's Telegram & Gazette:

On Aug. 14, Bishop Robert J. McManus officially dissolved the diocese’s recognition of the Carmelites, saying the community was too small to sustain itself and there was little possibility of growth.

[...]

At the request of the bishop, members said they will sever their “spiritual bond” with the Order of Discalced Carmelites but will continue to wear their brown robes because of their official enrollment in the Brown Scapular, which is affiliated with the International Carmelite Association of the Faithful.

• Love, Truth, & Miracles

CCTV is looking for a few organized, reliable, and friendly individuals to help oversee computerCENTRAL during public drop-in hours. A sincere interest in helping people use computers is required, as is sensitivity to the needs and concerns of those new to computers. Must feel comfortable working with a non-profit organization with a diverse constituency.

Knowledge of both MAC and PC computers is required. Interns receive free CCTV Access Membership, which includes media production training and equipment and facility use.

Time commitment is 3 hours per week. Must be available during one of the following lab shifts:

• Mondays, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
• Tuesdays, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
• Thursdays, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Please contact Colin at (617) 661-6900 or email colin (AT) cctvcambridge (DOT) org for more information. read more...

CCTV is currently accepting applications to our NeighborMedia program, where we provide the training and you provide the stories!

NeighborMedia is designed to help you learn how to make media around issues that are important to you and other residents of Cambridge.

All NeighborMedia participants receive a free Flip Mino video camera during their time in the program and a free one-year membership to CCTV.

Download a program Flyer (PDF) or an Application (PDF) and become a NeighborMedia journalist today! read more...

I have the wonderful honor and opportunity to volunteer as a CCTV Intern and will participate as a Citizen Journalist in the CCTV's NeighborMedia Program and in the spirit of service I will be reporting from the 2008 Democratic National Convention for CCTV...please follow my daily DNC video blogs:

"Your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century ... I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency." - Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, December 5, 2007

Serving others is the American way
Denver Post
By Michelle Obama and Jeannie Ritter
August 21, 2008 read more...