Community Video Report (Autumn 1974)

UCC’s new access book “How to Protect Your Rights in Television and Radio” is the name of a new book due out in January by Ralph Jennings and Pamela Richards, of the United Church of Christ's Office of Communications. The book has been described as the most comprehensive manual for citizens on access to broadcasting, and is available for $4 from UCC Office of Com“munications, 289 Park Avenue, South, NYC 10010, (212)475-2121. Publicable handbook Publicable, Inc. is planning to publish an Annual Handbook with support from the Academy for Contemporary Problems and MacMillan. Proceeds will go to the non-profit organization. Editor this first year is Mary Louise Hollowell, who hopes to have copy to the printer by late November and books printed .early in 1975. The working outline indicates a very useful manual, including CATV industry data, federal regulations and action, round-up of state regulation, local and regional! structures (with focus on studies and reports from Washington, Dayton, Minneapolis) a guide to public service cable, funded cable projects, cable and videotape organizations list, international developments in cable and video, and various appendices, including ferences, glossary, bibliography, etc. Ms. Hollowell is anxious to make this book ~ as comprehensive as possible. If you want to provide input, write her, c/o Publicable, 1201 16th St. NW, Washington 20036. Government Teleconferencing “Two-Way TV_ Teleconferencing for Government: The MRC-TV System” is a study by RAND's Rudy Bretz(R-1489-MRC) that explains the first of municipal and . governmental teleconference interconnection experiment, which has begun in the Greater New York City region, under control of the Metropolitan Regional Council. The report ~ describes the technical system and costs, as 1974 con well as the various kinds of. utilization, which have been primarily meetings of officials from as many as 10 different locations simultaneously, and in-service training, which typically reaches 20-30 prople at each location. RAND: 90406. : MRC: World Trade-Ctr, New York, N.Y. 1700 Main, Santa Monica, Cal. USIA student tape-films The U.S. Information Agency has announced it will provide individual grants of up to $3,000 for students to produce sound films or videotapes for distribution in foreign countries as part of the American Revolution Bicentennial observation. Full-time graduate or undergraduate students in cinema, television or communications programs are eligible to submit applications for the program. Films or videotapes should not exceed 30 minutes and may be dogutnentary, dramatizations or ~ animation. AEs ESE “by state, which originate programming, with data about the communities served, the hardware, categories of programs, including public access. Appendices list special programming (black and minority programming, medical shows, religious, etc.), and which systems own super-8 and time-base correctors—very useful for programmers. The NCTA’s findings indicate that 4,684,785 subscribers in 1533 communities can view local programming of some sort over 629 CATV systems, although the number of systems with on-going origination is only 589 (the rest have just begun this year). The directory is $4, from NCTA, 918 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. Over the Cable is the transcript of origina . tion, access and education panels of the 1974 Applications must be submitted by Dec. 1. : Grant applications are available from Phillip Bonnell, U.S. Information Agency, Room 2406, Patrick Henry Bldg., 6th and D Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20547. NCTA publications 1974 Local Origination Directory is the National Cable Television Association’s second annual attempt to survey the industry about its programming habits. Most of the booklet is a very useful chart of cable systems, SAN FRAN LIBRARY A statewide “video resource project” has been established in California with a $155; 966... and uh, mater als... ~ grant: through the federal Library Resources Women’s Media A Season for Women’s Arts Film, Video Festivals There seems to be a limitless amount of energy around for women to get together for showings of their work in the visual arts of film, photography and video. Since the fall began, there have been two major midwest, mixed-media festivals in lowa City and Chicago. The Chicago Film-Video Show held in early Sept: lent itself well to the gathering together of a permanent and still growing collection of videotapes by and about women from all around the country. This traveling collection of over thirty tapes, called Women Doing Video is organized by women of Videopolis, a Chicago-based community video group. The purpose of the showings are “to highlight the work of women in the growing alternative television movement.” The variety of tapes include the following categories: topics of the womens’ movement, community and political issues of particular interest to women, abstract tapes created with electronic image synthesizers and personal statements and stories by and about women. Women Doing Video will be going other places in the coming months, often to colleges, as part of women’s studies curriculumns. For information on future showings and for a complete listing of the tapes contact: Judy Hoffman and Anda Korsts at Videopolis. 3730 N. Clark, Chicago, Il. 60613. (312) 8711390. Upcoming N.Y. Women’s Video Festival The womens’ Interart Center will present the third annual Women’s Video Festival in their gallery space in New York City from April 2-19, 1975. The festival coordinators, Susan Milano and Ann Volkes, are inviting women videoartists from all over the U.S. to send tapes that they may have for possible inclusion in the festrval. They've expressed interest in presenting a wide range of works in such categories as: documentaries, video-art, erotic tapes, multi-channel presentations, dance, health, video sculpture and live events. A jury of varied women will decide on the tapes to be finally entered in the showings. Tapes and application forms must be submitted by Jan. 15, 1975. For more info., contact: Susan Milano and Ann Volks, c/o Women’s Interart Center, 549 West 52nd st., N.Y., N.Y. 10019. _A Women’s Media Directory A new women’s media directory and index to the contents of the last two years’ issues of the monthly Media Report to Women, is being prepared by the staff of this newsletter which is a publication geared to women working within the media. The directory and the newsletter cover a wide spectrum of womens’ media including: print, presses, radio, video, TV, and film, as well as educational resources, employment and organizations. The newsletter seeks to interpret media issues as to how they may relate to women, in particular. The Directory will be available after Jan. 1, 1975. Price will be $4.00 if check is sent before ‘the first of the year. After Jan. 1, the price will be $6.00. Send checks and payment to: Media Report to Women, 1306 Ross Place. NW, Washington, D.C. The Women’s Film Coop Catalog Anextensive, critical selection of films (and some videotapes) made by women and men which “have a direct bearing on the women’s movement, and reflect women’s experience of Oppression, struggle, growth and change” has been published. Includes feature and independent films. Videotape listings are sketchy, but they are in the midst of preparing a women’s video supplement so videomakers should send their tape descriptions and ‘or copies. Cost of catalog is $1.50, send checks, requests, listings to: The Women’s Film Coop, 200 Main St.. Northhampton, Mass. 01060. and Construction Act. 1 i The two-year project, to be carried out by : is ay the San Francisco Public Library, is the first of its kind in the nation. The project is designed to provide experimental models for the use of video and cable in extending library services to the public. Proposed activities include: the purchase of a videotape collection, both from community and commercial sources, for use in library programming, research, and for exchange with other state libraries. : @ publication of a bi-monthly video exchange newsletter that will provide a catalog of the tapes the Project has available, reviews of all tapes that the Project staff screens for purchase, and information on video and cable for librarians in California. ® experimentation with different video viewing formats at the library; ® programming by library staff over cable in San Francisco; © creation of a video network among state libraries, in conjunction with the California State Library. Project Coordinator Roberto Esteves, who has been active in cable and video affairs both in San Francisco and within the American Library Association, has enthusiastically launched the tape acquisition phase of program by soliciting vidiotapes from groups around the country. Groups or individuals interested in selling their work to the project should inquire or send tapes with cost information to: Video Resource Project, San Francisco Public Library, Civic Center, SF 94102. sede NCTA convention in Chicago. Portions of these panels were printed in CVR (Spring, 1974) Cost: $3, from NCTA. Combination price for two books: $6.50. Resources about Libraries For a comprehensive look at what's happening in libraries with cable and video, two publications have done good jobs: Cable Libraries, which concentrates on this subject, ran five pages of case studies in May issue (1140 Conn. Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036). Cablelines, which concentrates on minority participation in cable ran a 9-page feature on libraries called “Teleculture: Wiring the Urban Library” in their. June issue. (published by Cablecommunications . Resource Center, 1900 L Street, NW Suite 205, Washington, D.C. 20036). A packet about the SF Library’s, full video program is available for $2, which includes a policy statement, program guides, testimony Watergate tapes at DCPL_ The District of Colanibia Public Library, in a special agreement with the Public Broadcasting System and local PBS affiliate WETATV, has recorded and stored copies of the complete Senate Watergate hearings held last year. Although the original agreement prohibited copying their tapes for other use, Library Communications officer Lawrence Molumby reports that he hopes this can be changed for non-commercial use. He has received numerous requests from _ other libraries and researchers from around the country. Viewing is possible on color cassette at DCPL’s main Martin Luther King branch, 10th and G Streets, NW, Washington. Alternatives in Print The American Library Association’s Social Responsibilities Round Table is publishing the fourth annual issue of Alternatives in Print, which is a guide to publications and audiovisual material of “The Movement” listed according to subjects developed by the Alternative Press Index. Last year over 800 groups were included. Although the deadline was October 5, last minute entries are possible, if you pleads Publisher is Glide Press, an antiprofit SF-based group. Write: Mimi Penchansky, Task Force on Alternatives in Print, Queens College Library, Flushing, NY 11367, for further info. If you want your stuff included, be sure to list title, author, publisher, and price. The third issue of Access, the new publication of the National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting (NCCB) just came out and it’s a 48-page blockbuster. Intended as a sort ofa showcase for subscribers and funding agencies alike, the issue is a prototype for the magazine, which will come out bi-weekly beginning the week of Jan. 13. Publisher Nicholas Johnson and Editor Chuck Shepherd tell us they intend to make the publication an aid for groups in the broadcast reform movement, as well as for others interested in broadcast and related issues (including broadcasters themselves). The issue reflects this concern, with articles on license renewals. fairness doctrine, advertising, reruns, public TV, children’s TV, happy-talk news, prime-time access, and other issues, plus news about the broadcast movement. Most useful is the compendium of outstanding court and FCC issues, including all pending petitions to deny license renewals Subscription is $20/year (third-class, add $4. 80 for Ist class, $6.24 airmail) from: NCCB, 1346 Conn. Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. Nonprofit groups that cannot afford this price can contact NCCB for other arrangements.