Rob Chapman VCAM's blog

Attached is the agenda for the VAN meeting in White River Jct at CATV on March 31st. The focus of the day is production.

Here is the link to register.  Please let us know if you will be able to attend.  We hope to see you there!!

Just a quick reminder to folks that the Town Meeting Day social media project will be happening again this year at http://tmdvt.net. Many of you might remember a similar project at the Alliance for Community Media Northeast conference last year. Like the ACMNE project you can tag content related to this year's town meetings on Twitter, You Tube, blip.tv, Flickr and Delicious. For those of you out there covering meetings, shooting video, taking pictures and live tweeting, tag your content with "tmdvt10" ("#tmdvt" for Twitter) when you upload it to the web, then follow all the action from around Vermont on http://tmdvt.net.

Thank you for your participation!

One of the areas that it is important for VAN members to increase activity in is our interaction with the legislators in Montpelier. We have an opportunity next Thursday in the form of the Vermont Nonprofit Legislative Day. Please consider taking the day (or finding someone from you organization) and increasing awareness of PEG in Montpelier.

Please let us know if you are able to attend.  Here is more information. Thanks.

Some of you probably know that Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin filed the Community Access Preservation (CAP) Act. The Alliance for Community Media is asking it's members to help find sponsors for the bill. Please consider adding your name to urge our Vermont representative to do what they can to support the bill.

For more information click here

To email our VT reps click here

After having recieved a 30 day extension the cable operators have submitted their responses to the VAN Statewide Contract.  You can find them here.  We have begun to review and prepare to respond.  The meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 10am at the Dept. for anyone who is interested in attending. Your comments are most appreciated. Please contact me with anything you might like to address.

Thanks.

Call for Entries – NY, CT, RI, MA, ME, VT, NH Only!
 
The ACM-NE Video Contest Call for Entries is now available on-line at
http://ne.alliancecm.org/. A complete list of rules with a link to the call for entries is on the region website  – http://www.acm-ne.org.

Instead of a paper mailing, the Region will be
sending out the call for entries by email exclusively, saving printing and
postage and allowing us to hold the contest entry fees at $25 and $35. All
of this year's contest entries will be done on-line. You can even pay for
your entries on-line using PayPal or a credit card. For those of you who
would prefer, you can also pay by check. Just make sure you write your entry
number on the check so we can track it.
 
The on-line site gives you the contest category information, rules, and
entry form. Once you've filled out the form, you'll be given an entry
number. These numbers must be written on your DVDs in permanent marker. Send
your DVDs to Nancy Richard, c/o PACTV, 4 Collins Avenue, Plymouth, MA 02360,
along with your check if that is how you're paying. And that is it!
 
We hope you'll find the on-line entries easy and convenient. It will save us
a lot of time typing in data about the entries, and it'll make sure that
your name is spelled right on your plaque!
 
Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category -
plaques to 1st place winners, certificates to 2nd and 3rd place winners.
Deadline is September 4, 2009. A list of winners will be posted before
October 15 on the ACM-NE website - www.acm-ne.org.
 
So, be a winner! Enter your best videos in the ACM-NE Region's 12 Annual
Video Contest!     

A message from Nancy Richard, Chair of the Alliance for Community Media (Northeast Region)

Dear ACM Northeast Region members,

Every year, the Northeast Region awards three special awards to individuals or groups who exemplify leadership within the region. The three awards are the Brian Wilson Mentor Award, the Chuck Sherwood Leadership Award, and the Rika Welsh Community Impact Award.

The Brian Wilson award recognizes that the relationship between a student and a teacher is one that can have a profound, lifelong influence on both. This mentoring relationship inspires and gives confidence to the student while providing the teacher with a valued colleague. This award is given in the memory of Brian Wilson, a trusted counselor and guide.
 
The Chuck Sherwood award recognizes an individual whose commitment, experience and/or accomplishments has made a significant contribution through their service, or for going above and beyond the call of service to the mission and goals of the regional Alliance and to the preservation and growth of community media.
 
And the Rika Welsh Award recognized an individual or group—who have generated a project – whose impact spoke directly to a clearer understanding of the cause being championed. The content whether modest or large, would reflect the passion of the goal. Because of the use of PEG resources, a greater empowerment of purpose and appreciation of the value of those resources is achieved.

If you know someone who is deserving of one of these awards, please fill in the nomination form, located on the acm-ne website (www.acm-ne.org) and return it to me by September 25, 2009. A committee of three will read the nominations and bring their recommendations to the ACM-NE board for a vote at our October 8 meeting. The special awards leaders will be honored at our November 7th Video Festival Awards ceremony.

Please help us recognize those people who have made a difference in our region and send in your nominations!

Thank for your help.

Nancy Richard, Chair
ACM-NE Region

Here is a link to Seven Days coverage of RETN/Comcast.

And here is the link to RETN's press release.

That's all the links for today.