Volcanoes, Brews, Bigfoot, and Community Media! – My Takeaway from the ACM 2019 Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon
by Cynthia Marie Czubryt, Media Specialist at South Portland Community Television
What do snow-covered volcanoes, towering waterfalls, a smorgasbord of great food and eateries, locally-crafted brews, Bigfoot, and progressive media professionals all have in common? Well, they all could be found at, or near, this year’s ACM Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. The theme this year was New Paths and it took me down some unexplored roads to gorgeous scenery (as in Columbia River Gorge), culinary delights, and new friendships (excluding Bigfoot) which left me with some innovative ideas for our PEG stations and a renewed sense of the importance for public media. And having been fortunate to have been awarded the ACM-NE Paul Berg Scholarship, it gave me the opportunity to travel out west from the other Portland, in Maine, and attend the conference July 10th thru the 12th which is something I could not normally afford to do.
My biggest problem attending the conference was deciding which sessions to go to. There were usually four really good ones to choose from happening simultaneously in the morning and afternoon and, since I hadn’t figured out how to replicate myself, I had to pick and choose. My first day I decided to go to the First Time Conference Attendee Welcome, not because this was my first conference but, because I had only been to one other ACM national conference several years ago in Boston. Compared to other attendees who have been doing this for decades, I felt like a newbie and I’m okay with that. It proved fruitful as I heard from lots of very knowledgeable people from all over the U.S. doing some very important work in their communities. I was particularly envious of the members from a Hawaiian public access station and if any of you are reading this and want to swap places for a few weeks come January at a small but important community access station in a frozen, coastal Maine town, let me know.
Next, I checked into the good, the bad, and the ugly State Policy Developments session. There was much talk about Maine’s LD1371 which has been referred to as the “Anti-Slamming Bill.” My former boss at South Portland Community Television (SPC-TV), Tony Vigue, was the driving force behind this piece of legislation and it would not have happened without his persistence, tenacity, and good, old-fashioned hard work. I remember Tony sitting at his desk for hours listening in on conference calls regarding governmental policy updates that affected the public and stations such as ours. Even after he retired in 2016, he continued the good fight with the Community Television Association of Maine (CTAM) and this piece of legislation until it was passed. I really miss having Tony around but am fortunate to still see him as he continues to help out CTAM and other municipalities behind the scenes. In all fairness, Tony got a lot of help and support in getting LD1371 passed from the members of CTAM and our legislators such as Senator David Woodsome (R) and our new Governor Janet Mills (D). In short, Maine’s LD1371: 1) prohibits channel slamming and restores public access channels to their former number if they have been moved. 2) Requires cable operators to broadcast public access stations in the same format and signal that is sent to them and in HD if HD is provided. Cable operators must also provide a toll-free number to handle complaints. 3) Extends cable service to rural areas. We will have to wait until November to see if they will comply or challenge LD 1371 in court.
Vermont was another sort of winner in state policy. The Vermont Study Bill appointed a committee to look into alternative revenue streams for PEG management organizations. The Vermont Access Network (VAN), which is similar to CTAM, also hired white-hat lobbyists and helped legislators understand the importance of public access stations and funding issues. In court, Vermont’s Public Utilities Commission told Comcast to include PEG channels in its Interactive Program Guide (IPG) and required a 550-mile line extension to rural communities which the cable company challenged. A conference attendee from California noted that several public access stations in their state already are included in IPGs. In relation to this, ACM President and CEO Mike Wassenaar said that it was important to talk with people in the right departments at the cable companies who are working to make things happen as opposed to those who are trying to keep things from happening (i.e. lawyers, etc.) and persistently talk to different people in different departments (marketing, engineering, etc.) at these companies until you get the answers to your questions or needs met.
On the bad and ugly side of state policy developments, Texas and Wisconsin didn’t fare as well. Texas’ SB 1152 forced municipalities to choose between cable franchise and telecommunication fees thereby losing millions of dollars in support. Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee Motion 50 reduced franchise fees by 2%, transferred state aid from the general revenue, eliminated caps on cable bills, and forced taxpayers to subsidize community media. Their governor partially vetoed the bill.
To wrap things up, Mr. Wassenaar stressed building a strong relationship with your local and state government officials and cable franchise. Let them know that it’s an essential public service. Antoine Hayward, who had worked for PhillyCAM, reiterated that it was also important to get buy-in from your local Rotary, businesses, charities, and community. Cablecast Sales Rep Randy Visser and I both agreed with Mike that it’s important to have a dedicated individual or organization to address public access issues and legislation in each state.
After sitting in on an exhibitor presentation for Datavideo, I attended the ACM-NE Regional Meeting where I heard more legislative updates from the Northeast states. A representative from Mass Access talked up a a new bill they were introducing to their legislature and taking a portion of the streaming user fees and giving them directly to PEG centers. Ten other states have done this. They also had a Senator sponsor one of their bills on the House side. New York got an increase for their PEG access channel in their state capital of Albany. ACM-NE Chair Erica Jones filled us in on Maine’s LD 1371 -Thank you, Erica! – and Connecticut said that funding for community access was swept into the state’s general fund but they were trying to make headway on that. Erica also noted that things were looking more positive for New Hampshire with better marketing and accounting. ACM-NE Treasurer Barbara Chisholm reported on the organization’s finances, special awards, and scholarships. ACM-NE Board Member Matt Sullivan would like to hear about other station’s success stories, projects, and programs and you can also send items and links of similar nature to Erica before the first Tuesday of the month to be included in the newsletter.
There are too many interesting tidbits, and notes on various state legislation, to mention but a full report can be found at the following link: http://acm-ne.org/2019/07/09/2019-annual-meeting-documents-meeting-location-at-acm-portland-or/ .
At the Regional Meeting, I also learned about another great organization that deserves our support – The Alliance for Communications Democracy (ACD) – which, according to their website, was incorporated to “participate in significant court cases, FCC proceedings, and to advocate for constitutional rights, franchise enforcement, media ownership, and other concerns of PEG access.” They have recently helped with Supreme Court cases, provided financial support to VAN, and were involved in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed rule making where in-kind contributions count against franchise fees.
After a long, hard day of franchise talk at the Regional Meets, we were all treated to some tasty appetizers consisting of skewered chicken, shrimp, veggies and dip, stuffed dates with goat? cheese, and our choice of beverage. And on the way to the ACM Fundraising Mixer, I found some delicious chicken pad thai which I enjoyed overlooking the city on a hot summer’s evening. By that time I arrived at the mixer, I was too pooped to party as some would say but I did get to have a quick beverage and share some of my trip pics with a nice man by the name of Roy O’Farrell of Truckee Tahoe Community Television (TTCTV). The ACM sure knows how to keep everyone busy, well fed, and entertained. So, I called it a night and took the bus back to my hotel. On a side note, Portland, Oregon has a most excellent public transportation system consisting of buses, trains, bicycles, electric scooters, and more!
After breakfast on Thursday, there were several very informative sessions two of which are listed here: What Can We Learn from Engagement Journalism? ( https://acm.open.media/sessions/110266/plenary-discussion-what-can-we-learn-from-engagement-journalism ), and the IEE Caucus Annual Meeting (https://acm.open.media/sessions/110267/iee-caucus-annual-meeting ). I won’t elaborate on them as you can click on the links to view them in their entirety but I am particularly glad that the IEE Caucus Meeting was recorded so I can watch the recap. At the time, I wasn’t exactly sure what the IEE was all about but now understand that they are an important side group of the AMC. Having faced discrimination issues myself, I was happy to learn that the ACM has a dedicated branch to address such issues as inclusiveness and equality.
At noon, the ACM had their Annual Awards Luncheon to honor those who have made special contributions to public media. There were 5 different awards given out to some very deserving individuals: The Dirk Koning – George Stoney Award for Humanistic Communication, The Jewell Ryan-White Award for Cultural Diversity, The Buske Leadership Award, and The Emerging Leader Award ( https://acm.open.media/sessions/110268/acm-awards-luncheon ).
Following the awards celebration and delicious lunch, I made a point to join the Strategic Leadership and Change in Community Media workshop because the station I work at is growing and we are attempting to expand our community access channel services. I will briefly touch on some of the points I thought were important.
According to the presenters Matt Schuster (Executive Director, Public Media Network), Chad Johnston (Executive Director, CreaTV San Jose), and Shelley Wolfe (Executive Director, PSTV, Philadelphia School District), you must have a succinct mission statement and be able to tell it to someone if they quickly ask. “Why do you do what you do?,” is the most important point. The why shouldn’t be because we make media but because we are trying to increase social dialogue between individuals. You also must be focused and solve unmet public needs. In addition, leverage distinctive skills from your workers and volunteers and let go of your own personal, perfectionist expectations of what an access center, employee, and volunteer should be. Inspire and be inspired and give it time to work. To get your access station from good to great, ask yourself and others: What are you passionate about? What can you be best in the world at? What drives your economic engine? Talk to your workers and volunteers and see what they want. After you have listened to other people, envision what you want, make a plan, then execute and evaluate.
In regards to finances, build funding while you still have it and demonstrate the results you’ve had in the community to your donors when asking for more money. A simple way to do this is to have your students fill out surveys asking them what they’ve gained from their experience, share this with your contributors, and send out newsletters. Also, quickly thank your donors and remember that small contributions can turn into big ones later once they see that you have a proven track record. Also, work on branding, attract believers, and accept that there will be good times and bad. It can take 5-7 years to build up your paid memberships so be patient. Setting your donor/membership level at the average and charging 50% of market rate for video services is another good idea. Volunteering at other organizations may also help your bottom line.
From strategic leadership I moved on to the Designing and Building Community Media Spaces workshop led by Debra Rogers (Executive Director/CEO, Falmouth Community Television (FCTV)) and Bonnie Schumacher (Associate Director, St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN)). Aside from the usual things to consider like having a budget, site plan considerations, and facility needs, I was more concerned about how does one come up with the money? One answer was to rent out your studio and extra office spaces to other organizations. Also, try and get grant dollars to make your facility environmentally friendly, apply for rebates, and get low-cost loans. It helps to be patient as it can take years to raise the necessary funds to build out. Debra Rogers was actually a business woman before she went into community television so that helped in the planning and fundraising of the new Falmouth facility.
After a long day of workshops, it was time to head up to the top of the Hilton in downtown Portland for the Hometown Media Awards Reception. Being a little afraid of heights, I walked the twenty-something stories to the top of the building (Don’t ask me how I got on the plane, but I didn’t annoy anyone too much.). It was probably for the best as I needed to start working off some calories before indulging in the heavy appetizers which included mini cheeseburgers topped with egg and a gourmet tater tot bar. After some congenial conversations with my peers, taking a few photos of the surrounding cityscape, and few libations to help with the elevator ride down, it was time to meet up with a friend from back east who was in need of consoling. Due to this, I missed some of the Hometown Media Awards Ceremony but got to relive what I didn’t see through the magic of television, uh, I mean interwebs! – ( https://acm.open.media/sessions/110269/hometown-media-awards-ceremony ). Nevertheless, congrats to all the winners and I am already looking forward to next year’s Hometown Media and ACM-NE Awards as our station has produced some excellent video in 2019.
Friday was the last day of the conference and there was time to squeeze in another session on Alternative Revenue Sources presented by Martin Ludden (Executive Director, St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN)) and John Lugton (Head of Production, MetroEast Community Media). Some ways to achieve additional revenue
consisted of designing systems and spaces, installing equipment, and providing recording and streaming services for other municipalities, businesses, non-profits, etc.. Also, renting out your space and gear to other entities can provide your center with additional income.
Finally, I had no regrets attending the conference but, because I was so busy running between different presentations, I didn’t get to talk to as many women in media as I would have liked to and it certainly wasn’t because there were a lack of them there. However, a friend and I did get to meet two very nice, outgoing ladies from Queens Public Television (QPTV) by the names of Roslyn Nieves (Community Development Outreach Manager) and Madeline Johnson (Community Relations Coordinator) who presented us with some very cool swag bags that came in handy on the plane ride home. They were also at the conference recording live interviews with conference attendees. According to their brochure and website, they have produced videos on human trafficking, women’s empowerment, and mental health issues which are of great interest to me. So, I call that a win!
Lastly, at my own expense, I was fortunate enough to spend a few extra days before the conference in the Portland, Oregon area exploring my surroundings. On the recommendation of Mr. Wassenaar, I saw, not one, but three volcanoes – Mt. St. Helens, Rainier, and Hood – because what better way to celebrate July than with a mountain that has the potential to explode? The summer alpine flowers on the mountain tops were spectacular and in bloom everywhere. My big bang journeys also took me an hour down trucking Route 84 which runs along the Columbia River Gorge where the scenery dramatically changes from tree-covered mountains to colored mountains of volcanic basalt. Do you know those paintings of the old West from the 1800’s with expansive vistas and you think to yourself that it’s overly dramatized? Well, turns out it really does look like that! Everything is bigger out there. The mountains are bigger. The trees are bigger. The waterfalls are bigger. On the way back I stopped at Multnomah Falls which is approximately 627’ high and a popular tourist spot. And, there were at least three or more other beautiful, but smaller, waterfalls along the route. Also, I had not realized this until I arrived in Oregon, but Bigfoot is very popular out there and in the neighboring state of Washington.
Apparently, it has been a hotbed of Bigfoot activity for centuries according to some new friends I met at North Fork Survivors in Toutle, WA (https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Fork-Survivors/162199367137621). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Bigfoot in my travels but that’s okay because Bigfoot didn’t really want to see me either. I did see him on lots of signage though. However, my friend and cohort from Saco River Community Television (SRC-TV) did want to see me and explore the Washington Park Rose Garden and maybe some other sights near downtown Portland. He then treated me to a libation or two at Deschutes. Now, I’m not much of a beer drinker but their Wonderland Lager was mighty tasty and guess who was on the label? You guessed it – Bigfoot! So, kudos to whoever decided to have this year’s conference in such a great city and scenic wonderland.
All silliness aside, the sessions, workshops, and information mentioned above were just a small sampling of what I did and what the conference had to offer. It would be impossible to write about all of it and since I’m several thousand words over my limit you will just have to experience it for yourself by attending next year’s conference in Chicago,Illinois. They may not have volcanoes and Bigfoot, but I heard they have art museums galore, the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), deep-dish pizza – My favorite! (My apologies to flat pizza lovers everywhere), awesome breweries, polka music, and da’ Bears! And, if you can’t wait until next year, travel up to the other Portland, as in Portland, Maine, for the ACM-NE Conference and Trade Show October 31- November 1 ( http://acm-ne.org/2019conference/ ). We even have Bigfoot! ( www.cryptozoologymuseum.com ). I look forward to helping out and seeing you all there.