2006 Volunteer Awards!

Today at the WCTV Annual Meeting we announced the 2006 Volunteer Awards winners.


Channel 11 Producer of the Year: Stephanie Hays-Mussoni, for “Environmentally Speaking”

Channel 20 Producer of the Year: Tim Scales, for “In Your Business”

Channel 21 Producer of the Year: Jim and Cathy Hill, for “Midwest Jamboree”

Volunteers of the Year: Jonathan Crawford and Christina Vaughn

Program of the Year: Kicks 96/WHON Video News


We gave out 45 more volunteer recognitions, to people who both appeared in front of and behind the camera for WCTV in 2006.

Thanks to all of our great producers, and to a great year.

Phantoscope!

Thanks to everyone who turned out for the Phantoscope Film Festival for high school students Saturday night. We had more than fifty people for the panel that I was on, and more than 100 for the screenings. It was a great experience to be a part of. Look for the winners in the weeks to come on WCTV.

WCTV at Phantoscope!

WCTV is proud to be part of the upcoming Phantoscope Film Festival here in Richmond, a film fest for high school students in eastern Indiana and western Ohio. I helped judge the Fest, and saw some really good entries. I will also be speaking on a panel the evening of the Fest. Look for us there!

January 2007 Board Minutes

Call to Order - 11:05 a.m. by President Kim Poinsett.

Present: Willard Brown, Dave Burns, Ed Hoffman, Jerome Mahaffey, Eric Marsh, Barb Mayberry, Sharon Palmer, Kim Poinsett, Phil Quinn and Stephanie Strait. Staff: John Dalton, John Schuerman, and Diane Lucas.


Approval of Minutes
Phil Quinn moved, with Dave Burns giving the second, that the Board unanimously accepts the minutes of the December 12, 2006. Minutes approved.


Treasurer’s Report
John Dalton reviewed the Treasurer’s Report. Ed Hoffman moved, with Sharon Palmer giving the second, and the Treasurer’s Report was approved.


Director’s Report
John Dalton reported that he interviewed six applicants for the open position. John expects to make an offer by the end of this week.
Charlie Nelms, former chancellor of IU East, will head up a committee to review budgetary and enrollment issues at IU East. John views this as a positive for WCTV as Charlie Nelms is a former WCTV board member.
John recently met with Karen Chasteen to discuss the possibility of meeting anew with the Telecommunications Council.
WCTV was unable to televise the Wayne County Basketball Tournament due to a “black-out” policy by the schools’ athletic directors.
WCTV aired approximately twenty hours of holiday programming on Channel 21.
Our live programs have been experiencing poor video quality. John stated that we will not televise any live feeds until Insight fixes the backhaul problem. This comes with the knowledge that Insight is particularly stretched at this time.
A tech meeting will be coming up and interested board members are invited to participate. Those interested are to contact John Dalton.


Old Business
A policy passed at the January 2005 board meeting was presented to clear up some programming questions. Information from this policy will be included with the next lottery information.


New Business
Ken Paust resigned his board position, pending a letter of resignation. He has recently been elected County Commissioner and has a conflict of meeting times. He will continue to support WCTV. We now have an open board position to fill.
Dave Burns expressed concern that Channel 21 was of poor quality over the Christmas break. John Dalton indicated that the problem has been fixed and that he is available by phone at any time to address technical problems during off hours.


Adjournment - 11:55 p.m.

WCTV Bootcamp 2!

All,

After the success of our fall Bootcamp, we are offering the program again, once more partnering with the Indiana University East Continuing Education Center. Below is some information on upcoming classes:


Scriptwriting
This course will be covering all aspects of
scriptwriting from the ground up, including
writing corporate and instructional videos all
the way to developing feature films.
Fee: $40
Richmond 2 Tue., March 6 & 13, 6-9 p.m.
Registration deadline: Feb. 27


Videography
This course begins with the fundamentals
of videography, and builds on knowledge to
include basic studio camera as well as
more advanced ideas of field videography,
with lighting and audio schemes presented.
Fee: $40
Richmond 2 Wed., March 28 & April 4, 6-9 pm
Registration deadline: March 21


Editing with iMovie
Even if you don’t use iMovie, this course will
introduce you to the basic ideas of nonlinear
editing on computer platforms.
Students can use camera tape shot during
the Videography course; otherwise stock
footage will be provided for practice by WCTV.
Fee: $90
Richmond 3 Mon., April 9-23, 6-9 pm
Registration deadline: April 2


Finalizing Projects with Final Cut Pro
Computer editing training on Final Cut suite
will be offered to those who complete Editing
with iMovie as a prerequisite. Students in this
course will be working towards completing
content to be used on WCTV, including PSAs,
station IDs, and other production elements.
Fee: $90
Richmond 3 Mon., April 30-May 4, 6-9 p.m.
Registration deadline: April 23


Enroll in the series for only $220! Participants who successful complete all four classes will receive a one year membership to WCTV and be certified to use the WCTV facility.

You can get additional information on how to register for classes by calling the IU East Continuing Education Center at 973-8203.

WCTV Annual Meeting!

WCTV’s Annual Meeting will be Tuesday, March 27 at 4 p.m. in the WCTV Studio. We will have a brief business meeting as well as present volunteer recognition and producer awards.

This year we will again be awarding a “People’s Choice” for Program of the Year. To vote for the 2006 Program of the Year, email wctv@indiana.edu.

WCTV February Board Meeting

Because of inclement weather, the February meeting of the WCTV Board of Directors was cancelled.

New Channel 21 Schedule!

Our most recent Channel 21 Programming Lottery was held Monday, and is listed below. The official schedule for WCTV Channel 21 begins March 4.

SUNDAY:
4 p.m. Fairview Baptist
5 p.m. Proclaim Liberty
6 p.m. First Presbyterian
7 p.m. St. John Lutheran
8 p.m. Joy in Our Town
8:30 p.m. Glory Bound
9 p.m. Faith Baptist
10 p.m. Chapel of Praise
11 p.m. Esta Escrito

MONDAY:
4 p.m. Access to Bluegrass
4: 30 p.m. The Ken and Mary Show
5 p.m. St. Paul Lutheran
6 p.m. Jesus Healing Ministries
7 p.m. Personal Empowerment
8 p.m. Rightly Dividing
9 p.m. Bab 9 Presents
10 p.m. Kicks 96 News
10:30 p.m. Amazing Facts
11:30 p.m. Message of Grace

TUESDAY:
4 p.m. Hope Worth Having
5 p.m. Community Pentecostal
5:30 p.m. Galilean Baptist
6:30 p.m. Harlen
10 p.m. Kicks 96 News
10:30 p.m. Midwest Jamboree Pt. 1
11:30 p.m. Something Different

WEDNESDAY:
5 p.m. Positive Outlook
6 p.m. First English Lutheran
7 p.m. Central Baptist
8 p.m. Worship with Reid Church
9 p.m. Alphabet Academy
10 p.m. Kicks 96 News
10:30 p.m. Midwest Jamboree Pt. 2

THURSDAY:
5 p.m. Where Love Shines
6 p.m. Kings Highway Holiness
7 p.m. Gene and Jim’s Fishing Show
8 p.m. Catholic Mass
10 p.m. Kicks 96 News

FRIDAY:
6 p.m. WCTV Reading Service
8 p.m. WCTV By Request
10 p.m. Kicks 96 News


We still have some time slots available for local series. If you missed the lottery and want to be included, please email me at jodalton@indiana.edu or phone 973-8488. We will take additional series on a first-come, first-served basis.

Welcome Nicholas Poling!

All,

Nicholas Poling has joined WCTV as our Assistant Operations Director, responsible for program playback as well as working on local productions. Nick graduated from Union City Community High School, where he worked at KISS-TV, and earned his BA in Telecommunications from Ball State University.

Nick was previously employed at Productive Concepts in Union City as the IT Coordinator and Video Specialist. Nick has also worked as a freelance videographer and editor with his own company, Midwestern Productions.

I look forward to working with Nick and I hope you all get a chance to talk with him soon.
Thanks again for your continued interest in WCTV.

December 2006 Board Minutes

Call to Order - 11:05 a.m. by President Kim Poinsett.

Present: Willard Brown, Dave Burns, Daryl Greene, Ed Hoffman, Mark Linderman, Jerome Mahaffey, Barb Mayberry, Jeff Plasterer, Kim Poinsett, Billy Porch, Phil Quinn and Stephanie Strait. Staff: John Dalton, John Schuerman, and Diane Lucas.


Approval of Minutes
Ed Hoffman moved, with Billy Porch giving the second, that the Board unanimously accepts the minutes of the October 10, 2006. Minutes unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report
Jeff Plasterer reviewed the Treasurer’s Report. We are at approximately 70% of total expenses, as expected at this point. Phil Quinn moved, with Mark Lindermann giving the second, and the Treasurer’s Report was approved with one person voting “nay”.
John Dalton submitted the 2007 budget after going back several years to compare line items. The raise and benefit increases were determined using the IU East guidelines for percentages. Daryl Green moved, Dave Burns gave the second, and the 2007 budget passed unanimously.

Director’s Report
John Dalton recently met with Chancellor Fulton to discuss the $10,000 that IU East gives WCTV every year for production services. John reported that he felt that this money is not being considered as a budgetary cut.
John spoke, along with four other representatives, to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on behalf of cable access centers across Indiana at the State House in Indianapolis. Capital equipment funds outside of the current franchise agreement were a concern. There was encouragement from the IURC to reactivate the Telecommunications Council.
The search is continuing for Stephanie Frame’s replacement. There were four initial candidates with only one being qualified. The search was re-opened and will continue to be open until December 22. John hopes to have someone start by February 5, 2007.
The corporate DVD sampler was sent out to the top local businesses and there have already been some responses. Several corporate projects are active. The Perfect Circle Credit Union and First Bank videos have just been completed.
The Salvation Army show was very successful and they reported that they made more money than they had in several years. WCTV received many appreciative comments on the show.
The WCTV auction made about $1,500 on 65 items. John reported that the event was successful overall.

Old Business
The Controversial Programming policy was slightly revised. The President of County Commissioners was added as a contact, and in line #4 and #5, the “will be” phrase was changed to “may be”. Phil Quinn moved with Mark Lindermann giving the second, and the revision passed with one “nay” vote.
The Channel 21 Program Lottery will continue to occur every six months. Jeff Plasterer moved, and Dave Burns gave the second – motion approved.
The issue of the use of reserved time slots for individual programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays was tabled for further thought and discussion.

New Business
Jerome Mahaffey reported that Dr. Adam Herbert, IU President, has appointed a task force to review the financial situation at IU East and give a report on May 1, 2007. Dr. Hebert indicated that he will be the one making decisions on fiscal issues at IU East.

Adjournment - 12:40 p.m.

Happy Holidays from WCTV

From this evening through January 1, enjoy more than 20 hours of local holiday programming provided by area churches, schools, and our Channel 21 producers. It is our way of saying thanks for a great year. We return to regular programming on January 2, and hope you will join us for all that’s to come in 2007.

Board Minutes November 2006

Call to Order - 11:05 a.m. by Vice-President Mark Linderman.

Present: Willard Brown, Dave Burns, Daryl Greene, Ed Hoffman, Mark Linderman, Jerome Mahaffey, Eric Marsh, Barb Mayberry, Sharon Palmer, Ken Paust, Jeff Plasterer and Stephanie Strait. Staff: John Dalton, John Schuerman, Stephanie Frame and Diane Lucas.

Approval of Minutes
Dave Burns moved, with Ken Paust giving the second, that the Board unanimously accepts the minutes of the October 10, 2006. Minutes unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report
Jeff Plasterer reviewed the Treasurer’s Report.
John Dalton submitted the first draft of the 2007 budget to the finance committee for review.
John Dalton answered questions about state and federal Telecom legislation as it stands today, as well as updated information on the station’s relationships with Insight, the City of Richmond, Wayne County, and IU East. Dalton reported that the Telecommunications Council has more or less disbanded. Dalton stated he was invited to go with the Chairman of the Indiana chapter of the Alliance for Community Media to speak with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, at the IURC’s request, about Telecom legislation after Thanksgiving.
Jeff Plasterer moved to accept, with Dave Burns giving the second, and the report was accepted.

Director’s Report
WCTV will produce a live broadcast the Salvation Army’s Christmas program on December 7th and has an underwriter for the event.
The Extended Learning classes have been successful and brought in approximately $600. We have been asked to offer them again next spring.
WCTV will have an intern from Ball State in the spring who will work 20 hours a week.
The Music Library license expired, and WCTV purchased a very nice close-out music library with no additional licensing fees.
Plans are continuing for the Auction, which takes place on December 8th. There are already 20 items donated for auction. The production design is being revamped, including using a phone bank in the studio.
Stephanie Frame is leaving WCTV to return to WIWU-TV in Marion, IN. Stephanie’s position is currently being advertised. Jim Russell has agreed to help out with the programming in the interim.
Dalton discussed developing a revenue stream through corporate production. There was discussion regarding the need for a task force to evaluate the corporate production situation.

Old Business
Mark Lindermann indicated that at the next meeting there will be a vote called on the controversial programming issue and the lottery issue.

New Business
Dave Burns discussed potential loopholes in the Tuesday-Thursday open time slots for specialty programming on Channel 21, which was sent to the executive committee for further discussion.


Good of the Order
John Dalton thanked Stephanie Frame for her work and wished her well.

Adjournment - 12:20 p.m.

WCTV: 365 Days Later

It is a busy time at WCTV. Tuesday night I was teaching kids at Wernle about videography, and working with them to produce a DVD project. On Wednesday I was in Indianapolis, with a few other access center leaders, meeting with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to discuss the new Telecom Bill that was passed this year impacting local franchises, including ours. Next Thursday we are broadcasting the Salvation Army Christmas program for the first time, which has always been a traditional favorite on the radio and hopefully in the future on television. And Friday night we are having our second live television auction, with lots of items from local merchants to bid on and win.

So I almost forgot that it was one year ago today that I joined WCTV.

A lot has happened in that year. I was told upon arrival that local news and sports were important to our viewers. So we partnered with Kicks-96/WHON to bring you a nightly newscast, and we provided the first professionally-produced high school sports broadcasts this fall, teaming up with high school A/V classes to provide students learning experiences alongside WCTV staff.

We are currently programming more than 16 hours a day across three channels, averaging between 75-85 programs a week, locally produced or of local interest. We have close to fifty local producers generating content for Channel 21. We expanded from six to seven nights of programming, offering a Friday night Reading Service for the elderly and the visually impaired as well as a “By Request” time slot where viewers can ask to see their favorite WCTV programs. We also expanded our election coverage and broadcast our first live parade.

Our local producers have access to more equipment than before; we have added new cameras, and will be adding more edit bays soon. For the first time we have offered noncredit training classes through the Continuing Education Center at IU East, and will repeat those courses in the spring. Our members asked for more events, and we provided them, including a premiere party, a holiday open house, and a summer cookout. We have offered longer hours, including some weekend hours, for those wanting more access to our facility. For producers who need help with their programs, we now offer “House Calls,” where trained volunteers and professional staff come to your location and give advice on how to produce the best program for your viewers.

Equipment upgrades in our headend have improved our signal quality, and we have institutionalized procedures for troubleshooting problems with playback of our programming.

Our Board of Directors is filled out to fifteen members, and worked on developing a new Lottery system that is fair to everyone, as well as looking at other ongoing policies and procedures.

For those who asked for more information on what’s going on at WCTV, we updated the website, added a blog, and developed comprehensive email and traditional mail mailing lists. If you have yet to receive a copy of our new brochure, or would be interested in seeing our corporate media sampler DVD, please let me know.

I have always believed in grassroots and independent media, so it has been very rewarding for me to do professionally the things that I have always believed in and supported personally. The great staff and Board of Directors here have made this a good year for me.

But there are some storm clouds on the horizon. Public access television is facing great challenges on a statewide and national level. Now, more than ever, we need our friends and supporters to be with us. The longstanding motto of WCTV has been “Bringing the Community to the Community,” and I think we show that every day. I hope you will come with us as we continue to take that message forward. We are just getting started on where we are going, and I am excited for what’s to come in 2007.

Rocket Man

Volunteer Barry Barker sends Stephanie Frame off in style by shooting off a rocket in the parking lot on Stephanie's last day.

To The Moon

A close-up of the WCTV rocket, courtesy of Barry Barker.

Live Shot

Of course, everything was documented on tape.

3...2...1...

Don't try this at home, kids! Barry is a trained professional.

Splashdown

Stephanie recovered her rocket, which in the world of model rocketry is considered good luck; a hopeful sign for Stephanie's new work at WIWU in Marion.

Happy Trails

The WCTV staff poses for one last picture before sending Stephanie on her way to WIWU in Marion. We wish Stephanie luck in her new position.

October 2006 Board of Directors Minutes

Call to Order - 11:08 a.m. by Vice-President Mark Linderman.

Present: Dave Burns, Daryl Greene, Ed Hoffman, Mark Linderman, Jerome Mahaffey, Eric Marsh, Barb Mayberry, Billy Porch and Stephanie Strait. Staff: John Dalton, John Schuerman, Stephanie Frame and Diane Lucas.


Approval of Minutes
Dave Burns moved, with Ed Hoffman giving the second, that the Board unanimously accepts the minutes of the September 12, 2006. Minutes unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report
John Dalton reviewed the Treasurer’s Report. John pointed out that the “Ask Alan” contract has expired and are working with them on a renewal. Dave Burns moved to accept, with Billy Porch giving the second, and the report was accepted.


Director’s Report
WCTV’s most recent project for the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Banquet has been successfully completed.

John Dalton has worked with Wernle Home to procure a $1300 grant from the Wayne County Foundation. This grant will be used for a new promotional video for Wernle Home.

The Richmond Symphony Orchestra has joined as a member to have an symphony event taped on October 28.

Our 2nd football game was very popular and we sold 7 or 8 copies of the game thus far. WCTV plans to tape the Wayne County basketball tournament in January 2007. There are plans to tape at least one basketball game from Earlham.

We have been working with Insight to clear up some snow problems on our stations and the results have been very good. Dave Burns suggested that we might consider tape delay for any live event experiencing serious back haul problems. Dave noted a couple of local producers still having trouble with their audio. John Dalton suggested that we might offer to do a “house call” for those needing help.

Our satellite dish, though working, needs some new parts and will be repaired soon.

Old Business
The guidelines for controversial programming were discussed. After some discussion, the issue will go back to the executive board for further review of points #4 and #5 of the guidelines.

Postcards were sent out to encourage membership.

John Dalton, Barb Mayberry, Dennis Andrews and Tim Scales recently met to discuss the auction. The Chamber of Commerce did a mailing to solicit items for auction. The last auction raised approximately $5,000. There will be local people helping and it was suggested to pair them with a professional. The auction will take place on Friday, December 8th from 6:00-10:00pm.

John Dalton asked everyone to think about the concept of having a commission sales person working with WCTV.

The dart tournament will be considered for next spring.

Dave Burns discussed the lottery, noting his preference for an annual lottery. The lottery will be discussed further at next month’s meeting.


New Business
The Board approved the purchase ($1,568.49) from Marker Tek for equipment.



Adjournment - 12:10 p.m.