HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Selectmen Minutes March 18, 2010 PEG Workshop_201402061620232962BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2010. The meeting took place in the Conference Room, 2
Fairgrounds Road, Nantucket, MA 02554. Members of the Board present were Rick Atherton, Brian
Chadwick, Michael Kopko, and Allen Reinhard. Patricia Roggeveen was absent. Chairman Kopko
called the meeting to order at 2:03 PM.
DISCUSSION REGARDING PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND GOVERNMENTAL (PEG) ACCESS
CHANNEL. Town Manager C. Elizabeth Gibson introduced Nancy Richard, executive director of
PACTV which is the Plymouth, MA area PEG access provider. Ms. Gibson also introduced Bill
Grieder, who runs the Foxboro, MA PEG access provider. Ms. Richard gave a video presentation
on PACTV’s operation, noting PACTV received a 3.3% surcharge for the PEG access from
Comcast when it started. She added that PACTV has a staff of nine, with coverage for Plymouth
and Kingston, and an annual budget of $500,000 to $600,000. Ms. Richard said in the last
negotiations with Comcast, the surcharge was increased to 5%, the maximum amount allowed by
law. She said PACTV was formed by the town of Plymouth, and the selectmen appointed the
original PACTV board and set up the non-profit. Now board members are selected by the PACTV
board, which is made up of nine members with representatives from both towns. Ms. Richard
reviewed the public, educational, and governmental aspects of PACTV, including what types of
content are aired as well as the broadcasters liability insurance it has to protect itself, noting
PACTV has control over scheduling but not content, and that each aspect of PEG has its own
channel. Ms. Richard said PACTV meets with the local cable advisory committee twice a year, and
about one or twice a year with the board of selectmen. Mr. Grieder reviewed the PEG set up in
Foxboro, noting its bylaws require one member of the board of selectmen to sit on the board of
directors, and one member to be appointed by the board of selectmen. He added Foxboro also has
three channels for each aspect of PEG, with one full-time staff member and one to two part-time
staffers. A discussion on the logistics of getting the PEG set up on Nantucket followed. It was noted
that Nantucket Community Television (NCTV) is already set up as a 501(c) (3) non-profit and could
utilize the currently existing public cable access channel at any time. Chairman Kopko said he
would like to ask Nantucket’s Cable Television Advisory Committee (CTAC) to lay out the Town’s
options and choices with NCTV. A brief discussion followed on reviewing NCTV’s bylaws, and
using NCTV as the access provider.
The meeting was unanimously adjourned at 3:55 PM.
Approved the 7th day of July, 2010.
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