LG Davitian CCTV's blog

http://blog.commongoodvt.org/2011/03/use-video-to-create-on-line-community/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 14, 2010
CONTACT:
ALEXANDRA MACLEAN
1-802-279-3560

GOVERNOR-ELECT SHUMLIN APPOINTS ELIZABETH MILLER AS COMMISSIONER OF
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Montpelier, Vt., - Governor-elect Shumlin announced today that Elizabeth
Miller will be the next Commissioner of the Department of Public Service.
"There will be no better advocate for the public's interests than Liz,"
said Shumlin. "She will work tirelessly for the citizens and ratepayers of
Vermont.  I have laid out several ambitious goals for my administration,
such as delivering broadband to every last mile by 2013 and developing a
successful renewable energy economy.  Liz is an incredibly bright,
talented and energetic individual who will be instrumental in helping to
achieve these goals. "
Elizabeth H. Miller is a practicing lawyer and business owner in
Burlington.  After graduating from Yale Law School, Liz served as a law
clerk to the Honorable James L. Oakes, Circuit Judge for the United States
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in Brattleboro.  She then
practiced law in San Francisco, California, where she helped represent
independent power producers in federal court and administrative actions.
After moving back to Vermont in 1998, Liz launched a small law firm in
Burlington, helping it grow into a successful commercial litigation
practice.
As a business owner and community member, Liz has been involved in a
variety of organizations.  She has been a member of the Energy Policy and
Health Care study groups for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of
Commerce, and has served on the boards of the Vermont Alliance for Arts
Education, Local Motion, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Chittenden
County Bar Association, and the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of
Commerce.  She recently joined the Burlington Bike Path Task Force,
appointed by the City Council.  She has taught at Community College of
Vermont and has served on Congressman Welch's Business Advisory Council.
As Commissioner of DPS, Liz's salary will be approximately $96,000.

If you are interested in high level grant training, please go to survey link here:

http://blog.commongoodvt.org/2010/07/grant_training_survey/

(If you haven't yet subscribed to the Common Good VT ENews, you'll like the website and the weekly posts on how to be a more effective nonprofit!) Go here to sign up: http://commongoodvt.org

Hope all is well! Lauren-Glenn

Sign up today for this great 60 minute workshop -- free for ACM Members. For the next year ACM members get FREE membership with NTEN -- the go to national nonprofit technology network. We just returned from their national conference and it was awe-inspiring! So don't miss this opportunity.

Workshop Link: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=8xedyv5kpb7k
NTEN Info: www.nten.org

______________________________

Hi Everyone -

I hope you are WARM! We've posted/ reposted a batch of CCTV Media Maven's on VMX for your viewing pleasure.

We produced these over the past year with the target audience of nonprofits and activists interested in expanding their reach and impact new media tools. We've found this series has upped our regard in the community as a trusted source on new communications strategies.

We hope you find these programs useful for YOUR work and provide an outreach tool for your work with local nonprofits. We'll have a full series in 2010 of both Media Mavens and a new series, NPO Mavens, which we are producing with folks around the state as part of the Common Good Vermont project.

Here is a link to the whole Media Maven series:http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/series/media-maven

You'll see what's planned for 2010. Scroll down for the 2009 descriptions.

Very best! Lauren-Glenn

VAN ANNUAL MEETING
2 May 2008
Bennington VT

(Note from LGD: I was under the impression that I sent these already, so forgive duplicate posting if I did).

1. Introduction from Lisa Byer – She welcomed us and provided history of the CAT-TV historic building we are lucky enough to be meeting in.

2. Welcome from Chamber of Commerce – Spoke of all the great collaboration with CAT-TV including Xmas Tree trip to DC. Welcomes us back to Bennington to visit.

3. VAN Board Members
Rob Chapman, Pres/ Treasurer
Lauren-Glenn, Sec.
Dick Thodal, VP
Lisa Byers
Jeff Tolbert
John Bloch
Tony Campos

4. VAN Membership/ Challenges/ Protecting our Interests/ Funding
Points of Pain:
- Annual Reports on Line

South Portland- State Representative Lawrence Bliss is sponsoring LD-2133, An Act To Establish Consistent Consumer Protections for Cable and Video Programming Customers. Co-sponsors listed on the bill include Senator Lynn Bromley of Cumberland, Representative Jane Eberle of South Portland, Representative Stan Gerzofsky of Brunswick, Representative Bryan Kaenrath of South Portland and Representative Peter Rines of Wiscasset.

"I'm delighted to work with the Community Television Association and the Maine Municipal Association to move forward with this legislation that will protect municipalities and individual video broadcast users," said Bliss. "As technology continues to leap forward, it's important to make sure that everyone receives the best protection as well as the best service. This legislation will go a long way in that direction."

The bill has three primary benefits for municipalities and subscribers, first it makes clear that consumer protections with respect to television services delivered to the home over the public rights of way apply to any corporate entity, not just "cable" companies.

Second, it seeks the creation of a model franchise agreement by the PUC in consensus with video service providers. This model franchise would then be available for municipalities to use on a voluntary basis. Third, the bill amends and strengthens various consumer protection statutes related to television service.

A public hearing and a workshop on the bill have been held at the Utilities and Energy Committee and a modified version of the bill received an "Ought to Pass" vote following supporting testimony by the Maine Municipal Association and the Public Advocates office.

A revised draft of the bill will be heard by the Committee on Tuesday, March 4th .

Additional details of the bill's provisions include:
1. It holds new entrants to the same standards as current cable operators.
2. It clarifies credits and refunds for interruption of service.
3. It clarifies the complaint filing procedures for the subscriber.
4. It requires the operator to notify subscribers that they have a right to request only the basic, non-premium tier.
5. It requires the operator to notify the attorney general annually that it has distributed certain consumer information to subscribers.
6. It strengthens the subscriber privacy rights so that the operator cannot sell subscriber lists.
7. It directs the PUC to create by rule, standards to implement the provisions in this section.
8. It requires the cable operator to file copies of all Franchises with the PUC.

The Community Television Association of Maine is an affiliate of Maine Municipal Association and assists municipalities with issues related to local television access channels.

Tony Vigue
CTAM Acting Secretary
P.O. Box 2124
South Portland, ME 04106
(207) 767-7615
www.ctamaine.org