Speak Out for BCTV:
Wednesday, 10/21 at 7 PM at VIT (BUHS)
Attend or write for PSB public hearing about Comcast CPG Renewal
Speak out for BCTV and your cable needs at Comcast CPG hearing - next week!

BCTV is seeking participants, either in person or by written comment, to demonstrate citizen support for public, education, and governmental (PEG) access here in Windham County and throughout the state. 

As part of Comcast's Certificate of Public Good (CPG) renewal, which happens every 11 years, t he Vermont Public Service Board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 21 at 7 PM at Vermont Interactive Television, located in Room 125 at Brattleboro Union High School. The public is invited to comment on how well Comcast is meeting the region's telecommunications needs as a cable provider.  This is a rare opportunity to provide feedback directly to the State as an individual resident or as a representative of an organization or constituency.

While you may comment on any aspect of Comcast's service, we encourage you to comment on ways that BCTV's (and those of other PEG stations such as FACTV in Bellows Falls) channels could provide more value to local residents if supported by Comcast's technical infrastructure, such as:
  • List local shows individually on the Interactive Program Guide. This is the menu for all services on cable, so they can be "DVR'd" -- searched and recorded using the remote-- like every other channel.
  • Provide local PEG stations with High Definition channels. HD is the new standard for video quality; unlike other channels, ours are only offered in Standard Definition, even though all of our programming is created in HD.
If you are willing to speak at the hearing, please email cor@brattleborotv.org and let me know, so we can go over talking points. BCTV staff and board members won't be able to speak on behalf of the organization, so we hope you'll step up and share your perspective as a viewer, producer, resident, or on-screen personality!

Written comments will also make a positive impact, and will be accepted until November 1, 2015. Send your comments, referencing Docket #8301, via mail or email to all three addresses below:
 
Susan Hudson, Clerk of the Board
Vermont Public Service Board
112 State Street
Montpelier, VT  05620-2701
psb.clerk@vermont.gov

Christine L. Peterson
Coordinator of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Affairs and Public Information Division
Vermont Department of Public Service
112 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
christine.peterson@vermont.gov

Vermont Access Network
c/o Cor Trowbridge
Brattleboro Community TV
230 Main Street, Suite 201
Brattleboro, VT 05301
cor@brattleborotv.org

Annual Meeting rocked the house!
Thank you to all of the members, producers, volunteers, board and staff who worked hard to make the annual meeting on October 8th such a special night. If you weren't able to be there in person, the good news is that you can watch it on BCTV this week or online (including the new montage!), and check out our photo album. Highlights of the evening:
  • Board elections: Martin Langeveld and Chris Lenois were re-elected to the board.
  • Producer Awards were given to:
    • Community Partner of the Year: BUHS-TV (Allison Cram, TV Production faculty)
    • Nonprofit Member of the Year: Dummerston Conservation Commission (Mary Ellen Copeland, Chair)
    • Municipal Partner of the Year: Brattleboro Town School Board (Mark Truhan, Vice-Chair, David Schoales)
    • Volunteer of the Year: James Banslaben
    • New Producer of the Year: Calvary Chapel West River Valley (Pete Millette, Scott Daneau, Mark Rouleau)
    • Series of the Year: SAFSTOR Matters (Marty Cohn, Sarah Burnap, Karen Wilson, Deniz Cordell)
    • Producer of the Year: Kip Tewksbury
    • Sponsor of the Year: Shoshana Rihn for Democracy Now!
    • Lifetime Achievement Award: Jerry Carbone, retiring Brooks Memorial Library Director
    • Staff Acknowledgement: Jeff Mastroianni, Master Scheduler
 
BCTV Annual Members Meeting 2015
BCTV Annual Members Meeting 2015

And if you only have seven minutes...here is just the montage:)
BCTV Year in Review 2015 - this year's montage by Roland Boyden
BCTV Year in Review 2015 - this year's montage by Roland Boyden

Upcoming Board Meeting
The next BCTV Board meeting will be Wednesday, November 18 at 6 PM in Room 305 of the Brattleboro Municipal Center. Meetings are regularly held on the third Wednesday of the month at 6 PM, and are open to the public. Please call 257-0888 to confirm. 
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