Complaint to CRTC about $haw by ACCESS TV - Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society

Yo folks.

The following is a complaint to the Canadian Radio-televion and Telecommunications Commission, our broadcast regulator, on the problems we are having at FearlessTV and ACCESS TV. The CRTC has responded and it's post follows as well.

ACCESS is in deed a not-for-profit community television corporation, initiating and/or coordinating regularly scheduled programs EarthSeen, FearlessTV, Saltwater City Television and Esteban V5N. As well, it is a BC-registered anti-racism, environmental and human rights and social justice group perhaps better know for it's work in the Chinese head tax/exclusion redress campaign.

If you Facebook, there's a Friends of Community Television group. There's two ACCESS TV initiated videos at www.youtube.com/sidoober which shows the potential of community television and activism.

Thank you for caring about community television.

Take care. anon Sid

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Dear Secretary General.

1. By way of this post, I am making a complaint about the expectations of Shaw cable community channel in Vancouver in their offered training to ACCESS TV volunteers. As ACCESS TV believes all our volunteers should have access to Shaw training equally, the decision to chose among a dozen dedicated and worthy volunteers is not only difficult but unacceptable. We hope the Commission agrees.

2. Moreover, the decision may lead to dissension and division, possibly reducing the enthusiasm and commitment of recent volunteers who have each put in nearly a hundred hours since April 2007 producing and broadcasting nine hours of community programming named Fearless TV. This programming is about people, places and issues in the Downtown Eastside, a vibrant community in the poorest per capita income postal code in Canada.

3. It should be noted ACCESS TV initiated and coordinated this Fearless TV effort, offered workshops and trained as best it could the recent volunteers. All this while Shaw refused ACCESS TV the use of meeting space, phones in our primary edit bay (the others have phones). ACCESS TV also provided refreshments at our own expense during production days of eight hours or more, which Shaw also refused to do. As well, Shaw has a fleet of vehicles for production staff provided by the cable channel levy while volunteers are out of pocket for transportation expenses using their own vehicles or taxis during field production. There is no parking for volunteers, which can cost upwards of 2.00/hour.

4. Shaw has already downloaded many coordination and production expenses of community television production to volunteers. Now it wants to download the responsibility of training of new volunteers to recent volunteers who are fortunate enough to receive training. At least two volunteers who wants to take the advanced training have declined because of Shaw’s expectations, which they may not be able to fulfil.

5. In CRTC Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2002-61, the Role and Objectives clearly state the community channel should engender a high level of citizen participation and community involvement in community programming. As well, it should actively promote citizen access to the community channel and provide and promote the availability of related training programs.

6. ACCESS TV believes Shaw misunderstands and mismanages the community television given its expectations and policies. While ACCESS TV members actively assist each other to fulfil their potential in television production, it is on a volunteer basis. However, Shaw has the regulatory responsibility and funding from the cable levy to provide citizens with training and does not adequately do this.

7. ACCESS TV members did most of the training on a volunteer basis to enable the production of Fearless TV. To date, not only have recent volunteers produced and broadcast nine one-hour Fearless TV programs, it has been well received. Its viewing resulted in many disappointed potential volunteers because the numbers have exceeded ACCESS TV’s volunteer organizational and training capacity.

8. We would appreciate the Commission’s view of Shaw expectations at issue as current ACCESS TV volunteers variously lack the time and skills to provide advanced training in Final Cut Pro non-linear editing. The level of frustration among current ACCESS TV volunteers is directly related to our understanding Shaw has no staff dedicated towards a meaningful volunteer training program.

9. Following is post from Shaw stating its expectations. Please note the “…up to sixteen hours of orientation training for up to 20 ACCESS TV associates, in post (FCP) and EFP camera (DVcam).” This represents less than an hour of training per volunteer and it is only orientation.

10. This post is copied to email address , as Michael Herringer is the manager of programming for Shaw in Metro Vancouver

11. Thank you for your time and consideration.

*** End of Document ***

Yours sincerely,

Sid Chow Tan, President

ACCESS Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society (ACCESS TV)

-- start fowarded post...

from Karen Kilba

to Sid Chow Tan

date Sep 26, 2007 7:05 AM

subject post (FCP) training

Sid … this is in response to your request for additional post (FCP) training for ACCESS TV associates.

Over the preceding four months, we have provided 16 hours of orientation training for up to 20 ACCESS TV associates, in post (FCP) and EFP camera (DVcam). These most recent sessions are in addition to mobile training sessions which have been provided over the last few years.

We have provided this training assistance in conjunction with our access partnership with ACCESS TV. It has always been our expectation that access associates attending any of these sessions will subsequently train and assist other and/or newer associates over time. Hands-on practice and experience sharing are critical in skill development in any area of television production, and indeed, a number of ACCESS TV associates have been coordinating group ‘practice’ sessions.

Further to the initial post (FCP) sessions, we will be happy to provide a 1-day enhanced training session for two designated ACCESS TV associates. Again, our expectation would be that these ACCESS TV associates utilize this enhanced training to provide further assistance and/or training for other and/or newer ACCESS TV associates.

If you can provide us with the names of the two designated ACCESS TV associates, we will co-ordinate a session date/time … thanks … K.

SHAW )

Karen Kilba

Programming, Shaw TV

Shaw Cablesystems G.P.

Shaw Tower

900 – 1067 West Cordova Street

Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3T5 CANADA

email: karen.kilba@sjrb.ca

ph: 604.629.3110 FAX: 604.629.4231

www.shawtv.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CRTC DONOTRESPOND/NEPASREPONDRE < crtcdonotrespond@crtc.gc.ca>
Date: Oct 23, 2007 2:13 PM
Subject: Case ID: 365194, Sid Chow Tan
To: sidchowtan@gmail.com

- Hide quoted text -
Dear Mr. Chow Tan:

Thanks for contacting the CRTC with your concerns.

In order to follow this matter, I am asking Shaw, by copy of this message, to respond directly to you within three weeks and to send us a copy of its reply for review by Commission staff. You will hear from us again if any regulatory action is required.

Your complaint and all related correspondence will be placed on Shaw's public file at the end of three weeks. The Commission may review it at licence renewal time and interested parties may consult the file at any time. In accordance with your rights under the Privacy Act, you may refuse to have your correspondence placed on such a file. If that is the case, please contact us within three weeks of the date of this response by clicking on the link provided below, by mail, fax or telephone, quoting the reference number. Please note that the Commission may not be able to pursue your complaint if all correspondence cannot be made public.

I am also providing you with a link to the Fact Sheet entitled "How to file a Broadcasting Complaint" which explains the CRTC complaints process : http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/G8.htm

I trust this information will assist you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do not reply to this message using the email address indicated above as we cannot receive e-mail at this address. To reply or to add to your submission, please click here and follow the prompts: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/rapidsccm/landing.asp?lang=E&caseid=365194&key=39654.2750289352

Sincerely,

Cheryl Grossi
CRTC Client Services

1-877-249-2782 / télécopieur/facsimile (819) 994-0218
Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes / Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission / Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
Gouvernement du Canada / Government of Canada

c.c.: Shaw Cablesystems (SBC) Ltd.

NOTE TO LICENSEE - COPIES OF ELECTRONIC REPLIES/REPORTS TO COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE FOLLOWING CRTC ADDRESS: REPLIES@CRTC.GC.CA - PLEASE QUOTE OUR REFERENCE NUMBER ON YOUR ELECTRONIC RESPONSE.