Persistence of Vision

Aloha,

Since our last email, some of you have asked for more information about
the upcoming DCCA Public Comment Meeting regarding PEG Access services
and a possible RFP process.  We welcome all perspectives on these issues
and we encourage you to attend the Public Comment Meeting this
Wednesday, February 22 to testify in person or to submit your written
testimony by this Friday, February 24 to cabletv@dcca.hawaii.gov. 

We are providing the following information to help explain and clarify
some of the issues created by the proposed RFP suggestion. 

An Exemption to the Procurement Process
'Olelo does not believe that PEG (i.e. community) access is a
commodity that should be bought, sold or put up for bid. It involves
community building, partnering with governmental and educational
entities, statewide collaboration to leverage limited resources with
other community access organizations, and nurturing local programming
and a long-term commitment to the community. 'Olelo encourages the
DCCA to request an Exemption from the procurement process for all of
Hawai'i's access organizations.  

Risk to Current Services
To 'win' an RFP, a new operator will essentially have to provide a
plan that is substantially different from existing providers. All
current 'Olelo services, such as Satellite Community Media Centers,
that are enjoyed and appreciated by the community and our clients will
be at risk. In addition, training, production services and
airtime/playback may be more limited and restricted or, at minimum,
different than the services currently provided.

Lack of Qualified Pool of Operators
Hawaii currently enjoys a relatively stable environment of community
access providers.  DCCA's regular performance evaluation of these
operators has ensured a consistent progression of services delivered on
all islands. An RFP process will invite participation from a pool of
untested and unqualified providers. Respondents can include individuals
with narrow-focused objectives, business entities with limited community
focus, providers from the mainland without local roots, or
newly-established providers with little community access experience.
'Olelo is the only provider that has any consistent length of
experience and track record of delivering the range of services and
managing significant resources currently available to the communities of
O'ahu.

Stability and Sustainability
Serving the community requires the flexibility to address short-, mid-
and long-term objectives. If community access is subject to frequent
contract bidding, it will be likely that long-term objectives will be
sacrificed in place of short-term victories to maintain the contract.
This is inconsistent with the long-term sustainability focus in the
DCCA's 2004 PEG Access Plan for Hawaii.  This also impacts the ability
of the community access provider to develop long-term relationships and
commitments to communities.

Accountability
'Olelo's request for an exemption to the RFP process must not be
misconstrued as a lack of accountability. On the contrary, there is
already adequate oversight from government and community stakeholders on
the performance of any community access system in Hawaii. The current
system works and does not need to be unnecessarily tampered with. An RFP
process does not add more accountability but, in fact, will disrupt
continuous and reliable service.

'Olelo Community Television Has a Proven 16-Year Track Record
Over the past 16 years, 'Olelo has enjoyed stable management that is
better than the average non-profit organization and has expanded
services and programming to reflect the increasing diversity of voices
in our island community.  No other community access provider in the
country has the kind of experience 'Olelo has in managing a
significant number of satellite Community Media Centers.  Additionally,
'Olelo is one of very few community access providers that have had the
stewardship responsibility for the sizable equipment inventory and
financial resources available on O'ahu.   Our committed, highly
trained staff has a combined total of more than 250 years of community
access experience and has worked hard to earn your trust.

The addition of our sixth channel is the latest evidence of
'Olelo's ability to assess community needs and deliver the
capacity to meet those needs. In the last five years alone, 'Olelo has
developed ground-breaking programs to promote media literacy and social
issues among our youth (e.g.,Youth Xchange video competition) and
address voter apathy (e.g., Vote! 2002 & 2004) in our state while
providing consistent service to our independent producers and
volunteers.

'Olelo's success has been built on the understanding of community
needs and how community access can make a difference. These
relationships with a variety of community groups, youth groups, schools,
non-profits and government institutions were established over the years
and all this inherent social and community equity will be lost with a
new provider.

The DCCA has stated that even if the RFP process were to bring about a
change in management, that community access would continue to be
provided to all communities (public, educational and governmental). 
However there is NO guarantee what services would be offered, if current
services would be maintained, and to what level of quality and
commitment.  

How You Can Help
'Olelo Community Television has always supported the voice of the
people through community access.  Now we need you to voice your support
for 'Olelo.  We urge you to speak out now.  If you have benefited from
the types and quality of services you have received and want them to
continue, please testify in person at the Public Comment Meeting this
Wednesday, February 22, or provide written testimony by this Friday,
February 24, to: cabletv@dcca.hawaii.gov.  Your support is greatly
appreciated.

If you would like to know the airdates and times for the Public Comment
Meetings held on Maui, Molokai and shortly on O'ahu, and for
additional information about the DCCA Public Comment Meeting, sample
testimony for Akaku Molokai, and a map and parking information to the
DCCA building, please visit our website:
http://www.olelo.org/news/dcca06/dcca06mtg.html 

Again, we sincerely appreciate your interest in community access,

Gerry Silva
COO, 'Olelo Community Television


                                    

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sparky Rodrigues" <srodrigues@olelo.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 1:19 AM
Subject: Urgent need to protect and defend PEG TV. I need your help.

                                    

On all islands Community Access TV is serving grass-root communities.   Building communities by providing opportunities to be creative, to share diverse stories and opinions.  Our voices not provided by network television or print media.  A venue for locally created television programs by regular people like you and me.   All this could change drastically.  This process could unintentionally destroying Access as we know it today.

As a result of Cable franchise agreements over 15 years ago, not for profit Community Access organizations were formed to provide facilities and serve their local communities on each island.   This was a national movement born of the FCC ruling that public rights of way franchised to profit organizations would provide benefit to the general public.  PEG access was born.  P=Public, E=Education and G= Government.  However, across the U.S. Access organizations are under attack, separating PEG and stripping away the voice of “P”.  In some areas of the country reducing community voices to a whisper in other areas, eliminating community voices entirely.

DCCA is seeking written testimony to determine…  excerpts from DCCA document.

The purpose:

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Cable Television Division (CATV) is seeking to obtain the public’s general input and comments on issues relating to public access television services, whether the department should seek an exemption from the requirement that those services be procured through a competitive bid process and, If not, what requirements the department should include in any request for proposal.

1. Please comment on the services that are provided by the Public, Education, & Government (PEG) organizations in your respective county: AKAKU (MAUI), HO’IKE (KAUAI), NA LEO (HAWAII) and ‘OLELO (OAHU).

2. Ifa Request for Proposal (RFP), which is a competitive bid process, for PEG services was issued by the DCCA, what requirements do you think should be included? 

Check DCCA web sit for full document or please send a written testimony via email to: cabletv@dcca.hawaii.gov by February 24^th.  Title the subject on your email: “Testimony Regarding RFP for PEG Providers.”

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Dissecting the Goose that Layed the Golden egg only produced a common Goose.  The sum of the parts may not equal the same result. 

We have used access TV to share our stories of Sovereignty, oral history, values, water stories, the anti-annexation petitions, evictions, homelessness, marches, the importance of ‘Aina, the stories by & of our hero’s.  We may not always agree but Community Access Television on all island has given us a voice.   It has take community access television 15 plus years to get this far.  So much more work needs to be done and an exemption allows continued growth.  If the RFP is decided by the DCCA as the path to take, will our communities and our voice fall victim to further government or corporate control by limiting our access.

Ps:       My story begins in Makua, No Eviction Coalition, 60 families mostly Hawaiian living on the beach.  The might of the State government targeting those least able to defend themselves.   I kept hoping for the Knight in Shining armor to save us.    What appeared was   Independent producers from ‘Olelo Community Television with their camera and microphone, they gave us a voice and a face to the struggle.  I was deathly afraid of speaking in public, the camera and microphone but was so angry at the Governor and DLNR the anger pushed me past my fear.  They let us tell our story and with no editing other than a title and graphics we were able to tell our story, it all aired on ‘Olelo TV.   The general public soon changed there opinion of our struggle.   Opposition went quiet, those neutral turned vocal.  After several years of struggle, we were still evicted, I was still arrested.   We lost the battle.  What I gained was a understanding and power of television.  My weapon of choice is now a camera, microphone, editing and airing programs on Community Television.  Sharing these tools with underserved communities is my passion.  I believe this is the tool to use to win the war.

Ten years ago I started my Access TV experience, it took two years to get into ‘Olelo’s training program back then.   Although the services were, first come first serve, it didn’t serve communities like ours or people like me.   Once certified I had to drive from Waianae to town to get equipment, go back to Waianae to video tape a community meeting, returning the equipment the next day.  The editing process also required me to travel to town and spend countless hours learning and editing my community programs to air on ‘Olelo.  At times we had to choose between food, gas or video tape.  Fundraising for gas or tape became the norm but all our time was voluntary.   Investing in our community, our nation.   ‘Olelo as an organization has evolved and continues to adapt to the changing need of our community.  We strive to help other organizations, departments, agencies and communities in any way we can to build a stronger community

I now work for ‘Olelo community Television as a Community Developer.   Six years ago helped develop the Waianae ‘Olelo Community Media Center and partnerships.   Working to introduce media into communities around the island and beyond.  Today,   partnering with Waipahu Elementary with 20 languages representing a large number of Pacific Islanders.  Waipahu HS & Middle schools developing media program and partnerships with community organizations.  Mayor Wright Homes, Papakolea Community Association, Queen Liliuokalani Children Center, Alu Like partnering with  ‘Olelo Community Television all thru media.  Partnering to continue a youth Summer Media Program now in its 4^th year.  Communities have diverse needs and are at varied levels of readiness before they will embrace media as a tool to build community.

 I share this bit of my history, because the flexibility of ‘Olelo has allowed, a RFP may not.  Services to our underserved and underrepresented communities are at risk.