403,301 @ 4:49 AM*
*Note to Matt Haberstroh - that's what you call a "tireless supporter of access tv"
Actions, not lip service, Matt.
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please note: the past tense is used in this article for a reason.
Wait till the end of the week, post Thursday, for more info.
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Access TV - Election 2015
By Joe Viglione
The election is 102 days from Thursday, July 23, 2015 http://tinyurl.com/medfordelection2015
and
the Mayor has reneged on his promise to have access TV up and running.
This is intentional failed leadership as the dying McGlynn
Administration is attempting to stack the deck and hold onto the last
vestiges of power in this city.
This
writer's petition to the City Council, #15-595, dated July 21, 2015,
discussed a vote on lending monies from our non-profits to the library
is step one in creating infrastructure for our new TV station. The
Mayor wants the new station at the high school, where he can control
it. His 3 person panel suggested a central location. The library and/or
the Chevalier Theater are the logical places to have a new public
television station in Medford.
On
July 1, 2015 Michael J. McGlynn signed an Agreement with Comcast
spanning to June 30, 2025. Who made McGlynn "Issuing Authority? Yes,
he has his "Plan A" government, but there are certain responsibilities
the city council has. Being the Issuing Authority on access TV should
be one of them.
In
November of 2014 an article was published in Columbus, Ohio on the
shutting down of access television in that city. Columbus appears to
have a government channel that is "one size fits all" - see for
yourself:
Watch CTV
CTV Columbus Government Television provides citizens
information about the Columbus City government and increases citizens'
accessibility to City officials and staff through quality programming
that includes unedited gavel to gavel coverage of government meetings,
events, documentaries, talk shows and call-in programs.
An
online magazine, Free Press, has the story of what is going on in
Columbus and it is chillingly similar to what is transpiring in Medford,
Massachusetts.
This
veteran of access television, my first show cablecasting in Somerville
in 1979, wants to give the people their voice. Candidates are asking
about it, and with so many new faces running for office, many, many
seniors are now asking where is the cable TV that they are paying for.
The
Mayor asked for proposals, he received one. So why is McGlynn stalling
again? Because he never intended to have access TV before election
2015. Because Mayor McGlynn is censoring the public he is supposed to
serve.
On or about November 16, 2008 the City Solicitor made this comment to Judge Jackson-Thompson at City Hall:
“The
one sentiment that I have heard that I take great exception to is that
the city is trying to limit speech,” said Rumley. “The notion the city
would censor or squelch free speech is baseless and as city solicitor I
would find any such effort repugnant.”
Almost
seven years have gone by and Mr. Rumley, like Mayor McGlynn, has done
zero to make good on his promise. They have squelched our free speech.
In the July 24, 2014 edition of the Medford Transcript Solicitor Rumley
made demands on the previous access TV station and the many questions
about the finances. Why hasn't the Medford Transcript followed up on
that story a year later?
