This is a Showcase of TV Shows Created or Sponsored by Pinellas County Citizens
Question to Members
How would folks feel about being able to use the old facility again? It would have to be a totally different structure. There's a rumor that the County would be interested, if we came up with a proposal that included $'s to them . . . This means we'd have to do fundraising and have membership dues, etc.
It's a big task, but doable.
Let the discussion begin . . .
Jen
It's a big task, but doable.
Let the discussion begin . . .
Jen
Views: 12
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Sloane on -
I'm happy we're generating some discussion about this topic! Thank you!!!
Lisa, I agree that $368 a month is very steep for most folks, especially in these times. I'm thinking that we would need to create multiple sources of funding . . .
Bill, there could be a sliding scale type of fee.
Also, instead of replicating what we had before (i.e. Public Access), this space could be used to create an Arts and Education Station that includes a core group of producers, rental of the space to income generating production companies, sliding scale fees, fee-based education programs, etc. This doesn't mean that we'd negate the social gathering aspect, but perhaps create it in a new and better/different way.
This post was meant to generate some initial discussion, see what the interest level was and to gather ideas. It looks like that's happening.
Someone was supposed to speak to Carl Brody about the legalities, insurance, etc. I haven't heard the results of that conversation. I think the County is in serious financial trouble, and any proposal should be geared towards income generation for the County. They might loosen up their previous "stranglehold" on things, if they're making money off a space that now is virtually empty.
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Permalink Reply by bill mclain on -
So we still need county employees (overtime is costly, we're still including salaries), no answer on cable TV time, (the internet does not do justice to the public in watching shows. Wait til' you see how much it costs to get "air time") we rent space AND the equipment from the county? If we could have some semblance of the way it was, mainly back on cable tv, I'd be willing to jump in again
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Permalink Reply by Robin Kay on
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Why can't the studio be rented to get money. Maybe see if a production or casting company would move in and share space
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Inserra on -
The county, up until now, has been very reluctant to rent out the studio. They're so desperate now they've begun to consider it....but I doubt they'd recycle any of that money back into public access. They don't see public access as a necessity like roads, or utilities, etc.
Here's the thing....the CITIZENS paid for that broadcasting facility and we CONTINUE to pay for the broadcasting facility with our tax dollars. Would citizens VOTE to use the revenue for public access? At least it something that could be put on a ballot.
Re Bill McLaiin's post, I know I can't afford $368 a month to do a Public Access program. But I don't think it would cost $300,000 a year to running the place unless administration was structured as it had been in the past. That included salaries. What we're looking at now is insurance, renting the space, and perhaps overtime of 1 or 2 county employees as they would have to have a county employee on the premises during times when the public was in the building.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Savelo on
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So, in response to a question put to the County Attorney Carl Brody recently, about the legalities of a private group renting or leasing or leasing to own County owned property that is both costing the County money and is no longer of any use to the County, his response was the following "Menu of Fees" from Eric Hulsizer for County personnel and "Public" Access Studio facilities. My response to the person who approached Carl Brody follows this Menu of Fees (cleaned up a bit from my original tirade).
PCC-TV Studio Rental Fee Schedule
Contact: Eric Hulsizer
Station Manager
Ph# 727-464-4724
E mail – ehulsizer@pinellascounty.org
Item Cost
Studio 40’ X 50’ 100. per hr.
Basic lighting package & technician
Basic Studio Package 300. per hr.
Includes: 3 cameras, switcher, DVE, 2 VTR’s, audio,
make up and green room, Director, Audio Operator, Graphics,
Camera/Tape Operator, Floor Director
Teleprompter w/operator 30. per hr.
Captioning Service 170. per hr.
Real Time Captioner (remote or on site)
Location Recording Package 135.00 per hr.
(1 - DVCAM DSR 300 Digital Camera, Tripod, light kit
microphones, Operator) Rates based on 8 hr. day.
Remote Multi-Camera Package 500. Half day/900. Full day
(3 cameras, switcher, audio mixer, monitors, intercom, etc.)
Director, Audio, 3 camera operators. Rates based on 8 hr. day.
Edit Suite 175. per hr.
Avid Express Pro or Adobe Premier Non-linear Edit System/with editor
Audio
Narration recording 100. per hr.
Basic Service 50. per hr.
Radio production priced per request.
Duplication ( tape, pkg., label)
VHS 10.
DVCAM 30.
Beta-SP 30.
S-VHS 30.
¾” 30.
DVD________________________________________________10.
My Response:
So tell me what's wrong with this picture?
Is the County now in the Commercial Studio business, competing against private taxpaying studios who are busting their butts to survive in this government created economic crisis?
Could Eric Hulsizer actually make it in the real world in the commercial studio production business. I don't know. I'm sure he could if he really had to. Maybe. But, not if the County government is in direct competition with him, and likely charging a bit less than a private company could charge.
And what the hell is Carl Brody, the County's salesperson. I thought he was a friggin' County attorney.
Anyway, the question that he was supposed to be answering was not how much money would the County like to suck out of our pockets for us to be able to use "their" studio.
The question was what do we have to do to take over the studio so a group of us can move forward to make it a commercial success, so the County can recoup a portion of the money they're currently wasting by having millions of dollars worth of Taxpayers' property and equipment sitting their collecting dust.
That is the question. Not, "how much do you want us ignorant rednecks to pay you to rent our own freakin' studio?"
End of my response to Hulsizer's and Brody's "Menu of Fees".
Ron Savelo
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Sloane on
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Yeesh! Thanks for the explanation and the update, Ron.
I completely understand your frustration. It was a simple and direct question that required a simple and direct answer to open up dialogue.
The response from Carl and/or Eric seems wrong on so many levels. The menu of costs looks like a wish list. Teleprompter with operator @ $30 per hour? Come on. I actually laughed out loud when I read that one. This mindset isn't realistic or very rational.
Time for a deep breath.
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Permalink Reply by Scott on -
As a former graduate of the fine program taught by JJ and John and former board member and vice chair of the Public Access Advisory Council for Pinellas County, I think this is a GREAT idea! We need a business plan, I can help with that.
I suggest that we offer to LEASE IT FROM THEM either by the hour, day or week (at first). We can generate funds as you suggested with fundraisers, but we can also create revenue from the use of the studios.
Count me in,
Scott Shapiro
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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By the way when I replied to the 1st post I had not yet viewed or read the subsequent posts. We need to see the operating budget and cost of the studio to the County. The "WishList" of fees provided is irrelevant and notworthy of a response. All we need to do is make a public records request for anything and everything related to that studio. If we can show the cost to the county in terms of REAL DOLLARS and thus cost to the citizens and taxpayers, we can offer a real solution to subsidize the program and return the dollars back to the county for other programs.
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That sounds like a great idea!
And it looks like you're very knowledgeable in that area.
If you could find the time to do at least the initial research into the public records, that would be awesome. It could probably be done mostly, if not all online.
We definitely need to know, as exactly as possible, what they are currently spending on the studio for electric, maintenance etc., just to keep the space and equipment from falling apart.
How much it originally cost to build and equip the studio would be a major plus to know also, particularly in any negotiation phase.
Ron
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