[Southsider2k12]

One quick bit of bragging/fact pointing... This site got 21,000+ hits on Thursday. The point, nothing happened on TH and that many clicks still took place here. 17k in one day isn't that impressive. Our busiest day is over 25k hits.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=48389.91

ALCo transition under way

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Since the Michigan City Board of Public Works and Safety agreed to turn over management of public-access Channel 99 to Access La Porte County two weeks ago, transition details are still being worked out.

Bart Lombard, ALCo-TV Channel 97 director of operations, asked the city to combine station operations to expand capacity for live coverage of city and county government meetings.

One sticking point is with producers of weekly public-access programs, who are concerned their programs will be dropped. Among those who opposed the merger at the Sept. 2 Board of Works meeting were Al Austin of "City News and Views"; Dennis Metheny, producer of "Time to Blow the Whistle"; William Landing of "Interesting Individuals"; and Glen Wilson, producer of "What's Going On."

Program scheduling now is up to ALCo, and Lombard said he will meet with local producers "to see how something might work." Mayor Chuck Oberlie cited the need for a consistent program schedule as one reason the ALCo agreement was approved.

"We signed a contract with ALCo to have management responsibility," Oberlie said. "We tried to stay out of programming because we didn't want the liability."

Controversy has plagued Channel 99 in the past. Michigan City Public Library managed the station, formerly known as Channel 27, for 20 years starting in 1983. The station was located at the present ALCo studio, 301 E. Eighth St., and operating funds came from AT&T, the city's cable provider. Anyone in the community with a library card could use the public access studio and equipment to tape a program for Channel 27.

Competing interests and uncontrolled, provocative programming created problems for the library, according to Lombard, who served on the library board.

The library board decided to pull out of its management role in January 2003 because of potential damage to its reputation, as well as rising operating costs and mounting legal fees. The library board had been considering handing over the reins when Al Austin, "News and Views" producer, sued the library board for an alleged violation of the Open Door meeting law. The defense of that lawsuit cost the library $47,300.

Library Assistant Director Andy Smith remembers it as "a dark time."

"It was becoming almost a day-to-day argument with producers over content," Smith said. "When you're in the business of running a studio, you're using a lot of resources. It was beyond the scope of what we should be doing."

AT&T took over Channel 99 management after the library pulled out. Meanwhile, Lombard created a non-profit organization called Access La Porte County in 2003 to provide what he calls "gavel-to-gavel" coverage of local meetings on www.alco.org. Lombard said he always thought it was important for the community to see government bodies at work without media interpretation.

"It's the difference that makes a difference," he said. "People can actually see what's going on and decide for themselves."

According to Lombard, a government-access cable channel had been available to the community, along with the public-access channel, but no one took advantage of it. He forged a partnership between Michigan City and La Porte County to create the government access Channel 97, on the air since August 2005.

"After two years of planning and negotiation, we found out one day before we were going on the air," Lombard said.

Additional partnerships have been forged with the City of La Porte and other towns and townships in the county.

Channel 97 covers more than 65 county-wide government board meetings, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Programs also include community interest programs, entertainment and events, including high school sports. Channel 97 is the only media outlet offering gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Indiana General Assembly.

Closer to home, Lombard said, the live coverage of county-wide primary election results drew 17,000 hits on the Web site.

"If that isn't a strong show of public interest in getting information ... It's quite exciting," Lombard said.

For the latest information on Channel 97 programming, visit the new AlCo Web site www.alco.org.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Roger Kaputnik]

If it is a fact, it is not bragging. Congrats, SSider.

[Southsider2k12]

I could almost bet how this is going to play out...

MC/ALCO will come up with a plan that gives the governmental meetings all of the time slots that are now occupied by the loudest voices against the City. The City will then offer the producers odd time slots, which they will refuse citing other conflicts such as work schedule. The City will claim they did everything they could to accommodate the shows, the producers will continue the conspiracy claims elsewhere.

[Southsider2k12]

Also wanted to throw this on here. I sent this to the ND weeks ago, and I don't know if it was ever printed or not because they seem to have quit publishing the Anvil Chorus letters on-line.

As a member of the alternative media in Michigan City, I would like to speak out against the loss of Channel 99 in Michigan City. Thomas Jefferson himself said that the press and freedom of speech were the two most effective checks on the powers of government. By using the faulty logic that having one fewer channel would enable ALCO to somehow cover more government meetings, we, the people, would be losing vital voices in the community which provide great information to the masses. I may not always agree with all of their opinions, but I would be negligent if I didn't defend their right to say them. I feel we, as a community, need those voices to offer up their views of Michigan City and the larger world around us. Those alternative views make us think about how we see the things around us and why we hold the opinions that we do. I hope the Board of Public Works would hear the cries of protest around town and reconsider their decision in this matter. I would also encourage the general public to contact their elected officials, including the Mayor and their councilmen, to protest this idea and ask for it to not be enacted.

Thank You,

Michael J Gresham, Founder www.citybythelake.org

[Roger Kaputnik]

RIGHT ON!!!

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=47011.48

Host barred from ALCo

Dave Hawk
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - David Werdine, one of the first city residents to have a regular public access show in Michigan City, has been prohibited from using Access La Porte County studios by ALCo Director Bart Lombard.

Werdine had proposed a new series of programs interviewing candidates for Michigan City Area Schools Board as a follow-up to his interview with Superintendent Michael Harding, which was broadcast recently on Channel 99.

But after Werdine confronted Lombard at an ALCo meeting Sept. 9, Lombard sent Werdine a letter dated Sept. 10 that told him "you are hereby forbidden to be on the premises or property of Access La Porte County."

Lombard went on to allege that Werdine made "repeated threats of physical violence" against him. Lombard is director of operations for Access La Porte County.

Werdine, asked this week about that statement, denied making threats or slurs, but admitted he raised his voice when he went to the ALCo studio, 301 E. Eighth St., to pursue his intention to continue public access programming.

Werdine said it amounted to him saying things like "What do you think you are doing here?" and "What do you think you are pulling," or "something to that effect."

But Lombard, ALCo director, said he felt a threat by Werdine to "kick his (expletive) ass" was serious enough to file a police report, as well as ban Werdine from using the ALCo studios to tape public access programs.

"This incident has been reported to the Michigan City Police Department and any further contact and or coming onto our property will be officially treated as harassment and/or criminal trespass," Lombard's letter to Werdine says.

One ALCo board member present, John Vail, said that after the board meeting Werdine approached Lombard. "He [Werdine] comes in Bart's face, he just got kind of wild. Bart said we'll talk about it in the hall and they did go out in the hall. Bart came back and said it's all settled.

Asked about Werdine making threats, Vail said, "I don't remember that he did. He might have in the hall, I didn't hear that."

On Friday, Lombard said he didn't want to comment on the incident, but said, "He's not been taken off the air." Like non-city residents who aren't allowed use of the facilities to tape, he can drop off a tape to be played on Channel 99, Lombard said.

Public access television has been a hot potato in the community for years. ALCo was given authority over Channel 99 by the city of Michigan City this month, and it appears to be near an end. In his interview Friday, Lombard made an assessment that in the future "there will not be public access."

Lombard requested and was granted the authority over the channel by the Michigan City Board of Works, saying ALCo needed more time slots than it has on Channel 97, the government channel, to carry broadcasts of meetings of government boards as it expands to include the city of La Porte as well as Michigan City and county government. It broadcasts some meetings live and plays them again several times a week, including, for example, meetings of the Michigan City Common Council and La Porte County Commissioners. Those two meet on Tuesday evenings, often overlapping, which created a need for two channels, Lombard said. Seven government entities meet on Tuesday nights, he said.

The city's transfer of Channel 99 to ALCo was opposed by other public access producers, including Al Austin, who has "News and Views," and Dennis Metheny, who has "Time to Blow the Whistle" on Channel 99. While their programs continue for the time being, they have been waiting for Lombard to inform them of what becomes of their programs. Lombard said he plans to meet with the four or five public access producers remaining to inform them of what his board's plans are for public access, but it hasn't been a priority. That will be in two or three weeks, he said.

"This is not about trying to get anyone off the air. Some have said I want certain individuals off the air," Lombard said, but he said he doesn't.

"I came from public access myself so I understand," Lombard said, saying he has been an advocate of public access.

But because of ALCo's need to have a regular schedule of government meetings, which would occupy the hours of 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, public access would have to move to the after-midnight hours, Lombard explained. He said he didn't want to mix public access commentary in during the hours of government meetings. Time between meetings is filled with a community calendar.

The authority he acquired from the city was not to manage local access, but to give priority to government meetings on Channel 99, he said.

Moreover, a concern of the ALCo board is the potential liability for what is said on public access programs, which in the past have created lawsuits or threats of lawsuits, and ALCo doesn't have the resources or desire to be in litigation.

To continue, public access producers might be required to have insurance to protect against libel lawsuits, he said.

Over the years local access programs have raised the ire of some local officials because of the pointed statements and allegations that have arisen from time to time, and were a concern to the Michigan City Library Board, which formerly administered Channel 99, before relinquishing it to cable company Comcast, which in turn handed its management over to the city.

The concern was over whether the library or the city would have legal liability for the content of the programs, something that may be a factor for ALCo as well.

But Werdine said his programs don't pose that problem.

"My programs were never that way. I'm not saying I was not tough, but I played it down the middle and made my best effort to be fair," he said. "No one ever threatened suit with me."

He said interview shows are important to inform the public because the viewers get to see the nuance the facial expressions and the pauses that reveal so much.

Werdine said he has hosted interview programs on the public access channel since 1987. "I believe I was the one who got people to watch public access," he said.

"People enjoyed it and were glad I explained how the city and the county ran, and the interesting people I have interviewed," said Werdine, who was a member of the Michigan City Library Board for 12 years before he started taping his public access shows. He said he has interviewed a number of public figures over the years, including congressmen, U.S. Sens. Richard Lugar, Evan Bayh and Dan Coats, ABC news anchor Charles Gibson and city mayoral candidates.

But local access television is changing everywhere because of advances in technology, specifically the Internet, Lombard said.

For example, in Porter County, a controversial host of a public access show no longer has a local cable program, but instead broadcasts on the Internet "and now has a worldwide audience," Lombard said. "He's more content now than ever."

Of Michigan City's local access, "That's what it would evolve to," he said.

Only four cities in the state have public access anymore, he said, and that doesn't include the state's largest city, Indianapolis.

Contact Managing Editor Dave Hawk at dhawk@thenewsdispatch.com.

[edgeywood]

I could almost bet how this is going to play out...

MC/ALCO will come up with a plan that gives the governmental meetings all of the time slots that are now occupied by the loudest voices against the City. The City will then offer the producers odd time slots, which they will refuse citing other conflicts such as work schedule. The City will claim they did everything they could to accommodate the shows, the producers will continue the conspiracy claims elsewhere.

But because of ALCo's need to have a regular schedule of government meetings, which would occupy the hours of 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, public access would have to move to the after-midnight hours, Lombard explained. He said he didn't want to mix public access commentary in during the hours of government meetings.

Good prediction SS!

[Dave]

From above:

Channel 97 is the only media outlet offering gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Indiana General Assembly.

I mean really, what could be better programming for the midnight to 6 a.m. slot? That would have to be better than Sominex.

[Southsider2k12]

Good prediction SS!

To be fair, you could see it coming a while away!

[Roger Kaputnik]

I actually alerted WIMS to this but got no on-air reaction. I hope that the relationship with ALCo did not squelch the story.

[Yokas]

Good prediction SS!

I agree SS. You hit it right on! I have a personal question to ask you since you are so good at predictions: Will I be rich and famous in my next life? Seriously, I am making my protest phone calls tomorrow.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Don't forget to call WIMS: 861-1632.

[edgeywood]

I actually alerted WIMS to this but got no on-air reaction. I hope that the relationship with ALCo did not squelch the story.

I think that kind of stuff goes on a lot around here, at the N-D and WEFM, too. It seems that Talk of the Town catches a lot of heat for "personal attacks". I'd like to see a definition of that. I don't consider telling the public to vote against someone a personal attack.

That's why I'm in favor of public access.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Yeah, Ric, how about it? Johnny, let's hear from WIMS management. You are getting a little cred problem here.

[Southsider2k12]

I think that kind of stuff goes on a lot around here, at the N-D and WEFM, too. It seems that Talk of the Town catches a lot of heat for "personal attacks". I'd like to see a definition of that. I don't consider telling the public to vote against someone a personal attack.

That's why I'm in favor of public access.

For me the line is when the person goes into name calling instead of calling out positions.

For example..

Don't vote for edgey because he supports xyz is fine with me.

Don't vote for edgey because he is an idiot and a drunk is not ok.

And for the first sentence, there has not been a single post (minus spammers) that has never been deleted or altered by the people who run this spot. Citybythelake.org is against censorship except in cases of name calling. If you can make an intelligent argument pro or con anything, I will let it stand, even if I don't agree with it.

[Michelle]

Citybythelake.org is against censorship except in cases of name calling. If you can make an intelligent argument pro or con anything, I will let it stand, even if I don't agree with it.

In that case, thanks for overlooking all my inane arguments.

So what was the reason given for combining the stations? I must have missed that.

[Johnny Rush]

Yeah, Ric, how about it? Johnny, let's hear from WIMS management. You are getting a little cred problem here.

Hey Roger,

I'm sorry, I don't follow exactly what you told us in advance...was it about the guy getting locked out of the station? As stated at the top of the thread, we talked about the consolidation the day it came out...and we were universally against it. We have also had Dennis on too many times to count. Ric gets deluged with "inside information" every day, so if he didn't run with it, maybe he went with something else, or there were guests or maybe he didn't think it was that big a deal, since it was obvious that Michigan City was getting the short end of the stick when it was announced? I really don't know. We truly do have an open phone line mentality to all of our live shows, so you could have felt free to call in and talk...just like EVERYONE did the day the news broke.

As far as a relationshiop with ALCO, there really isn't one to speak of at all. They air our 8:30 news segment on their channel for 15 minutes, just like they do with WEFM and the LaPorte stations. Ric and I just come from a broadcasting background where you promote what's happening at the station, so that even small things sound important. It sounds bigger when Ric mentions Bart and the crew and the (awkwardly named) "Triple Trifecta".

The thing I don't understand, is why we have to get less Michigan City coverage so that ALCO can broadcast the Crown Point City Council meetings? How is the hub of Lake County giving us some Access Laporte? Otherwise, I LOVE the archived meetings they have on their website and all the things that they do cover and broadcast. I STILL mantain that the more media outlets and information that there is out there, the more educated and engaged the community will become which will continue to drive people to find MORE local sources and more local information. That's the life blood for a local talk radio station, we need an informed listener base that is active and engaging if we are going to succeed.


http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1184382,cpworks.article

The board voted to accept a $3,000-a-quarter contract with Michigan City-based ALCo to broadcast city government meetings via the Internet and Comcast cable.

"We will have a dedicated channel," media relations and IT director Adam Graper said, so city meetings can be streamed live with only a 30-second delay.

[Southsider2k12]

In that case, thanks for overlooking all my inane arguments.

So what was the reason given for combining the stations? I must have missed that.

Come on, if I edited other people's inane posts, how could I not edit my own

[Roger Kaputnik]

SSider, you have done a great job with this forum. You and others have mentioned it when I have überstepped a bound or two regarding namecalling, handled it, but never censored anything. I trust that this is everyone's experience. And just as a public service, I will continue to volunteer to correct grammar, spelling, and diction.

Johnnny, WIMS does indeed have the open mike/phone thing going, and I appreciate that and enjoy it. In fact, once time my son said to me, when he thought I was calling in too much, that I needed to be mindful of the difference being being a call-in guest and another host.

Regarding the consolidation of the cable access, Mr. Werdine was locked out, see the paper from Saturday (Was is 2 Saturdays?), and he and Mr. Lombard got some quotes into the paper. I guess that is as much as we will ever hear about this. Unless...Mr. W. calls your show...

[Tom Burns]

WEFM does a credible job of covering local issues, but hey...Ron Miller can't be everywhere.
[/quote]


Thanks for observation. We do put a lot of effort and resources into news gathering as we do at the other stations we own. Having been a former assistant news director of a major Chicago station and in small market radio, we think this is important. Long ago I taught the radio news course at Valparaiso University although my principal assignment there was to teach management and marketing.

Keep your comments coming and let us know where we can add to our coverage of news. Tom Burns, President, Michigan City FM Broadcasters