MINNEAPOLIS—Tightrope Media Systems has announced that it is taking over as the owner of PegMedia.org, a public access media exchange site, from PegMedia Inc. As the new owner, Tightrope will handle all operations and development of PegMedia.org while continuing to provide low-cost content sharing between community media organizations and producers.

Through PegMedia.org, content producers can make their programming available to multiple PEG TV stations simultaneously, while also giving stations access to a range of programming to fill out their channels.

According to Robert Nichols, who founded PegMedia Inc. in 2007 in Maine, PegMedia.org has a growing library of more than 35,000 videos that PEG stations can access for an undisclosed transfer fee. Today, PegMedia.org reportedly has thousands of users across the U.S. and internationally.

“Being under the Tightrope umbrella will ensure its long-term survival and growth,” said Nichols. “With a whole team of passionate PEG experts from operations and engineering to marketing, Tightrope is well positioned to take what I started to the next level.”

Despite operating Cablecast Community Media, Tightrope says it plans to continue to make PegMedia.org available to PEG stations regardless of which hardware or software solutions they use. Tightrope will also work to help grow the site’s user base to continue to add to the available content.

“We are honored that Robert is entrusting us to continue what he started,” said Steve Israelsky, president, Cablecast Community Media. “PegMedia.org provides a valuable service to the PEG community, and we very much want it to continue to succeed. With our large nationwide customer base, close relationships with the PEG industry at large and our planned efforts to promote PegMedia.org, we believe we can significantly expand its active user base. We look forward to further developing the PegMedia.org service while keeping it affordable and widely accessible.”

For more information, visit www.cablecast.tv.  

PORTLAND, Maine—A Maine federal district judge has upheld a state law requiring cable operators to place public educational and government channels (PEG) in the basic tier and on lower channels in the vicinity of broadcast stations.

The law also requires cable ops to put the channels in program guides and retransmit them in HD if they are originated in HD. There was also a buildout requirement that operators "extend cable service to areas that have a population density of at least 15 residences per linear strand mile."

NCTA-The Internet & Television Association had challenged the law and was understandably unhappy with the decision.

“We are disappointed with the court’s ruling," NCTA said in a statement. "We continue to believe that Maine’s burdensome network build-out and PEG requirements conflict with federal law and should be preempted, and that the PEG mandates independently violate cable operators’ First Amendment rights. We are reviewing the ruling and considering next steps.”

In her decision, U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen said that while there might be cases where PEG franchise requirements raise constitutional issues, this was not one of them. "[T]he Plaintiff has not met its burden of showing that the State’s PEG provisions infringe on cable operators’ First Amendment rights," she ruled. Instead, she said, "the State simply seeks to put PEG channels on equal footing with the vast majority of other channels" and to channel placements they had held before.

She said she agreed with the state that the PEG channel mandate was a consumer protection law and within its police power to respond to consumer complaints.

"The State, by requiring that PEG channels be placed near the local broadcast channels and on the basic tier, is exercising its police power to ensure that the PEG channels—considered vital to an informed citizenry—are widely and easily accessible," she wrote. "Anyone who has missed the first 10 minutes of a television program because she was scrolling through the channels in search of it knows that the process can diminish the quality of the viewing experience. As such, the channel placement requirements qualify as consumer protection."

As to the buildout requirements, the judge held that "because Maine’s municipal franchising authorities derive their power from the State, the Maine Legislature has the right to dictate the terms of municipal franchise agreements, including line extension requirements."

She did not say that all such extension requirements would necessarily be reasonable, but also said they were not all de facto unreasonable, as NCTA had argued, adding that cable ops could challenge such extensions on a case-by-case basis based on the individual fact record.

In an op-ed in Current this week, leaders of local community access TV criticized the FCC’s vote last week to deregulate local cable franchise fees that they say could threaten the future of PEG (public, educational, governmental) channels.

In the column, Ernesto Aguilar, program director for the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, and Mike Wassenaar, president/CEO for the Alliance for Community Media, said the FCC’s move could “devastate” PEG stations, adding that current trends in media consolidation and a decreased public trust in the media are proof enough that access to local news and information is more vital than ever.

“PEG stations supported through the fees have widely been considered a hallmark of media localism,” the writers said. “For the elderly, working people, students and everyone, PEG channels have been a window into the intricacies of City Hall, the classroom of a town’s college and the insightful, creative journalism and storytelling offered on public-access television.”

A local PEG channel’s airing of candidate forums and public meetings can help spur public interest in elections, especially in rural communities that don’t have local broadcast affiliates, they said, citing numerous examples of PEG channel programming that have helped “reignite waning interest” in local elections.

“Now multiply that success to 1,500 channels across the country,” they wrote. “All of these affected cities are at risk because of the FCC order, which treats local communities with contempt.”

The op-ed is available here. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC this week adopted new rules that prohibit excessive franchise fees and explains that local governments may not regulate most non-cable services, including broadband internet access service, offered over a cable system. These rules are a response to a remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and set forth how local franchising authorities may regulate cable operators pursuant to the Communications Act.

The rule was adopted despite an 11th hour effort from U.S. Senators, who told FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that the new regulations could threaten the future of cable access TV, which relies on such fees.

“If implemented, the Order puts at risk critical funding for public, educational or governmental (PEG) stations, which are vital resources for residents across the country,” the Senators wrote. “These stations connect Americans to their communities, catalyze civic engagement and keep us up to date on the local issues and activities that affect our lives.

“Your proposal would force local government to decide between supporting PEG stations and supporting other important services for critical community institutions like schools and public safety buildings,” the Senators added.

In all, 14 senators signed the letter, including Edward J. Markey (D.-MA) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

Chairman Pai, Commissioners O’Rielly and Carr approved the adoption while Commissioners Rosenworcel and Starks dissented.

Rosenworcel said the adoption of the new rules could have a detrimental impact on local community coverage.

“This agency should seize opportunities to reinvigorate local newsgathering and community coverage,” she said. “In fact, that has traditionally been a hallmark of Federal Communications Commission media policy.

“But on that score, today’s decision misses the mark,” she added. “That’s because it cuts at public, educational and governmental channels across the country. It goes beyond placing reasonable limits on contributions subject to the statutory franchise fee and jeopardizes the day-to-day costs, like staff and overhead, required to run such stations. I’m not the only one with this concern. Take a look at the record. We’ve heard from thousands of communities across the country worried we are cutting the operations of so many local channels. I am saddened that this agency refuses to listen.”

Under the Communications Act, every local franchising authority and every cable operator that offers cable service must comply with the Act’s cable franchising provisions, and local franchising authorities may charge franchise fees that are capped at 5% of a cable operator’s revenue derived from the provision of cable service. But some local governments, through the practice of requiring “in-kind contributions,” have been imposing franchise fees that exceed the 5% cap. In addition to being unlawful, this practice discourages broadband investment, deployment and innovation by cable operators.

In order to rein in overreach by local franchising authorities, and facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure, the commission concluded today that, under the Act, cable-related, non-monetary contributions required by a local franchise are franchise fees subject to the statutory 5% cap with limited exceptions, including an exemption for certain capital costs related to public, educational and governmental access channels.

It has also prohibited, pursuant to the Act, local franchising authorities from regulating the provision of most non-cable services, including broadband internet access service, that cable operators offer over their cable systems.

In addition, the commission decided that any state or local regulation of a cable operator’s non-cable services that imposes obligations on franchised cable operators beyond what the Communications Act allows is preempted.

Finally, the commission concluded that requirements concerning local franchising authority regulation of cable operators should apply to state-level franchising actions and state regulations related to local franchising.

Chelmsford, Mass. – March 28, 2019 – Broadcast Pix™ today announced Wilmington Community Television, a PEG station serving Wilmington, Mass., has upgraded its control room with a BPswitch™ GX integrated production switcher. The system was installed earlier this month in an effort to simplify productions for WCTV personnel and volunteer crews.

Adam Dusenberry, operations manager for WCTV, said the new install allowed a general “decluttering” of extra gear from the control room, including playback decks and an external CG. “Having one console to do graphics and video roll-ins makes it a whole lot more streamlined and easier to do in our environment,” he said.

All roll-ins and opens are stored in the BPswitch using its Watch-Folders media management system. Dusenberry said all shows have a dedicated folder; producers upload their assets from an NLE using the integrated BPNet™ cloud-based video workflow service. “The goal is to make it as easy and streamlined for our producers as possible,” he added.

Graphics are produced with the built-in NewBlueNTX multi-layer 3D motion graphics CG, which has improved the on-air look and saves at least one producer from adding specialized closing credits in post. WCTV also uses the integrated BPview™ customizable multi-view, which feeds four monitors in the control room, including two main monitors on the wall and two smaller monitors in the production console dedicated to graphics and the technical director.

The new BPswitch replaced a Blackmagic Design ATEM switcher. “We’d been pushing the envelope on production quality and outgrowing the capabilities of the ATEM,” Dusenberry explained. “We wanted to add more, but we also wanted it to be user friendly. The BPswitch fit what we were looking for – there’s an improvement both in usability and how our programs look to our viewers.”

WCTV offers hyperlocal coverage of events, government meetings, and education programs. The station operates three cable channels that are distributed through Comcast and Verizon, well as a website with live streaming and video-on-demand. WCTV maintains an active production schedule in its three-camera HD studio, with a handful of series as well instructional workshops for its active youth program, promotional videos for local organizations, and other shows.

“I will push a piece of gear to its limits,” Dusenberry said. “I always want to try and push for the production values that will make our programs look similar to the major networks. The BPswitch really makes that easy to do.”

About Broadcast Pix
With a tightly coupled switcher and 3D motion graphics CG, Broadcast Pix provides the most fully integrated live video production systems with patented control and automation technology. From compact units to large-scale, multi-system solutions, every Broadcast Pix features an extensive toolset that makes it easy to optimize and customize your workflows locally and over IP. Plus, its BPNet ecosystem provides secure cloud services and asset management. Founded in 2002, Broadcast Pix has customers in more than 100 countries and is the leader in fully integrated production switchers for government, broadcast, streaming, live event, and visual radio applications. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, BPNet, BPswitch, and BPview are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented. Switchers are made in USA.

BILLERICA, MASS.— Non-profit public, educational and government (PEG) access broadcaster Billerica Access Television (BATV) provides local residents with a compelling mix of community-created and station-produced programming. Like many PEG stations, we are concerned that viewers who “cut the cord” won’t see our content anymore. As such, offering our programming online is crucial.

When we replaced our station’s aging automation and playout system two years ago, tightly integrated streaming functionality was a big part of our purchase decision. We already offered online VOD through our previous system, but only in standard definition, and our VOD offerings were not mobile-friendly. We wanted to improve our online audience’s viewing experiences, delivering our content in HD through a better interface while also offering live streaming of all three of our channels for the first time.

We chose the Cablecast community media platform as the heart of our operations, deploying Cablecast Flex 4 and Flex Lite servers for our cable channels; Cablecast Live and Cablecast VOD solutions for creating our live streams and on-demand clips; and the cloud-based Cablecast Reflect service for reliably delivering our streams to web and mobile viewers.

Cablecast’s elegant online presentation and tightly-integrated publishing workflow were key factors in our decision. We looked at the public-facing VOD interfaces of all of the automation providers and liked Cablecast the best, and I can make our content available online without a lot of additional work. When I add a show to our schedule, I can also add it to our VOD library with one click, and indicate whether the show is permitted to be included in our live stream. The Cablecast platform automatically encodes the content and publishes it to our website, with nothing else I need to do.

Cablecast Reflect then delivers both our live streams and VOD clips to the public, minimizing the impact on our local network while ensuring reliability for our viewers. Reflect intelligently caches the content to the cloud the first time it is requested, taking the bandwidth burden off our own connection. The internet connectivity at our facility is not always reliable, so if we didn’t use a cloud-based service, I imagine the viewer experience would be dreadful at times. With Cablecast Reflect, we don’t have to worry about it. We know that we can serve as many viewers as want to see our streams even for our most popular programs, and no matter what, our content will stream out cleanly for them. While our previous system also delivered our VOD clips through the cloud, Cablecast Reflect has again proven superior. Our streams start up faster with no buffering before or during the stream, all while improving the visual quality of our content through HD delivery.

Now that we are reliably streaming live in HD, we have started encouraging people to watch our channels online. We’re currently only able to offer SD on our cable channels but our HD streams look beautiful, and we want viewers to see our content at its best.

As our audience’s viewing habits continue to evolve, we plan to add more Cablecast services to reach viewers the way they prefer. We’ll soon add Cablecast Screenweave, the cloud-based service and apps that let us effortlessly bring our live channels and VOD content to Apple TV and Roku devices.

Kayla Creamer is programming coordinator at BATV. She can be reached atkayla@batvinc.org.

For more information about Cablecast, call 866-866-4118 or visitwww.cablecast.tv.