Posted on 10/15/2004 5:08:57 PM PDT by boycottliberalhollywood.com
I talked to Julie, in the GCI cable department, and she said Stolen Honor, Part 1, is scheduled to be shown Saturday, Oct 23 @ 9:30p, and Part 2, Saturday, October 30 at 9:3opm. We will see. When I asked about it, she went away to talk to someone. She came back on the line with the schedule.
SENTINEL....Julie at GCI said Stolen Honor would be shown this Saturday, the 23rd, and next Saturday, the 30th, at 9:30pm on Channel 9. We will see.
I spent today speaking with a few folks over at GCI, and I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt for now. I've presented my statement in writing, and am giving them opportunity to reply. I'm keeping things cordial, and am dealing with 'em in good faith.
I have asked the people at GCI to give me assurance the show will be aired, unedited, at the times you have stated. I haven't heard back from folks at GCI, so your statment is news to me! Perhaps they have decided to air it after all.
I'm supposed to receive word tomorrow on if they will air the show or not... Personally, I couldn't guess which way things are going to go. Might have some Stolen Honor this saturday, might not!
I tried several times during the day, but finally got through late in the day. I believe she went away to speak to someone, and she did give me her name when she came back on the line. I hope her information carries through to Saturday night, and that you get an answer.
By necessity the show is split to fit in a half-hour time slot. Part 2 will air the following Saturday at the same time.
Tapes at the ready for 2 VCRs and then sharing. Did they offer any explanation for the pulling last Saturday?
Not really. I wasn't too concerned about the why, just that the show goes on the air.
I will be in front of my TV. Thanks for your efforts to get it here. I've got a DVD coming, but I wanted it shown.
And now for the latest news! It is 5:13, Friday, October 22. I have been trying to get a clean copy of Kittycat episode 24 (i.e. Stolen Honor part 1) out of my editing system all afternoon.
Due to a lawsuit I heard about this morning, it is in my best interests to "blur box" 38 seconds of questioned video, so as to avoid a legal hassle.
Unfortunately, that's when my editing equipment has decided to spew on me.
The folks at GCI Cable have been quite helpful, and they are, I believe, not trying to hinder my progress to show "Stolen Honor" at all. In this instance, it's all my fault. argh.
So, I'm shooting to get a clean copy of Stolen Honor on the air next week, October 30th. To all the folks who have hung in there, I thank you.
I'm stressed out. I'm going to the hockey game tonight to see if UAA can beat the pants off of UAF!
Do you know how we can get Stolen Honor on the local cable channels?
Any advice?
It's bad enough I didn't get the show on the air this weekend, but on that same Saturday night, I witnessed firsthand as UAA played probably their worst game of hockey in my memory. Not a good Saturday night. Next weekend I plan on getting "Stolen Honor" part 1 on the air. Of course, I'll blow it for getting Part 2 on the air before November 2nd, but really, I don't expect to change any minds. Folks who bother watching "Stolen Honor" pretty much know who they are gonna vote for anyhow. I'm hoping the Anchorage Aces (for y'all not in Anchorage, that would be our only pro hockey club) have a better showing than UAA. But yeah, I'm gonna do whatever I can to get "Stolen Honor" on the air yet. Argh.
Sure, I'll probably post a summary on my own website www.kittycatonline.com, but for now, here is the Reader's Digest version:
Many cable operators are required to carry "PEG" channels, which stands for Public, Educational, Governmental. The "P" of "PEG" is the part you care about. Typically this is what folks call the "Public Access" or "Community Access" channel; the one with the kook who reads poetry while dressed in a tutu. Yeah, that channel.
Cable operators are not directly bound by the FCC to carry PEG channels, but they can be bound by their local municipalities to do so, as a concession for gaining permission to lay cable through a community. The FCC has guidelines about what can air on a PEG channel, and believe me, anything goes.
Example: A lawsuit came out of a situation where a cable provider blocked a show featuring a man dressed in a clown suit who did porno movie reviews. He was masturbating on camera. The court ruled that this action was indecent, but not obscene. The cable company had to air it.
Do this: Visit www.fcc.gov and do a search for "PEG Channel". Locate the document labeled "PEG Fact Sheet", and read it. You will find out that the FCC indeed affirms that the rule of public access programming is "Anything Goes" with the sole exception being obscenity; which is pretty difficult to reach.
Now, you go to your local cable provider, and ask about getting a public-access program on the air. Note that public access programming is typically first-come-first-served as far as time slots go, and they are under no obligation to give you a good time slot. You may also find yourself being given a "Sunday morning at 3 am" slot if the people at the cable company have a bone to pick with you, so be polite.
You will probably be asked to sign a variety of releases. I took mine to an attorney, and spent some $$ having them reviewed. I spent less than $200, and would do again willingly.
Now once you get a slot, you need the programming, right? I got a hold of folks at Red White and Blue Productions, the producers of "Stolen Honor", by visiting www.stolenhonor.com and finding the phone number on the site. They called me back, I explained my situation, and they mailed me a legal release granting me permission to air the show on tv, so long as I don't charge $ for viewing.
Now mind you, just because you can place something on the air doesn't make you immune to crackpot lawsuits. There is one guy going around threatening to sue folks who show "Stolen Honor" because of about 38 seconds of footage containing this person. I decided to "block blur" those 38 seconds, and that is where my technical difficulties arised.
Oh, and while I'm on the topic of editing, note that your cable company is most likely under no obligation whatsoever to assist you in preparing your work for airing, and since public access TV generates zero income for them, don't go looking for help from them, either. When I lived in Hawaii, public access was pretty big, and the cable company there had very good post-production facilities. Here in Anchorage AK, the cable folks are helpful, but you can tell that the cable company isn't pouring in huge $$$ into public access; it's somewhat of a shoestring budget operation. Moral of the story; you might get local help, you might not.
So there you go. Good luck if you decide to get something going on the air.
And at long last, I'm happy to report that yes indeed, this saturday, October 30th, "Stolen Honor" will be on the air, cable channel 9, at 9:30 p.m. Whew. at last!
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