SCAN – NATOA INC.  TWELFTH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE AND STAR AWARDS MAY 22, 2008 Surfin’ Telecommunication Choices: A New World, A New Direction! FAIRMONT MIRAMAR - SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA

It's really that time of year again for the annual SCAN NATOA Spring Conference.
Now in its 12^th year, we look forward to FUN, FUN, FUN during our upcoming ENDLESS SUMMER on the NORTH SHORE while we HANG 10 and play BEACH BLANKET BINGO after we partake in a BLUE CRUSH and feeling FREE AS A DOG!

Full Conference Brochure

Conference Registration Form

2008 STAR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!

All of these GOOD VIBRATIONS along with our VIDEO PROGRAMMING COMPETITION, aka “MUSCLE BEACH PARTY” STAR AWARDS.   As you know, the STARS recognize outstanding community television programming in the California and Nevada region. 

All attendees are encouraged to wear clothing that best represents your idea of surfing culture.

Please RSVP to Val Logan at CityTV at
val.logan@smgov.net  and select payment below;

or mail check to:
SCAN NATOA Inc. c/o CityTV
525 Broadway Suite 100
Santa Monica CA  90401

EDITOR’S CHALLENGE

 Thursday, January 31, 2008

9:30am  - Check-in and continental breakfast

10am to 12 noon - Program

 Hosted by:

GTV-6

City of Glendale

120 North Isabel Street
SUITE 200
Glendale, California 91206

(818) 548-4013 office

 This session is designed for our editors to get together and share their techniques and tricks that they use to produce quality programming on a limited budget for our channels. Come to get some good ideas and see some interesting videos.  Bring yours to share on DVD.

 Editor’s Challenge Part 1

 We are all given projects that only give us photographs, VO and a logo. Take our Editor’s Challenge and show us how you creatively work with the basics to create some wow!

 Go to:

http://scannatoa.org/graphicsJan08.html

and take these basic elements to create a 30 second Public Service Announcement.  There is music, VO, photos, a script and a logo for you to work with. Or, bring your own examples of how you have done a similar project and jazzed it up.

 Editor’s Challenge Part 2

 Many of us use Digital Juice jumpbacks, swipes, etc. Bring your best examples of how you use them to enhance your programming.

 This session relies on participation in order to be successful, so please take a moment to assign your editors to the challenge to see what they can come up with in a short amount of time.  

I will be coordinating the presentations, so please let me know if you will be participating. Non-local channels are also invited to share their videos as well.

 Please RSVP to Val Logan at CityTV at 310-458-8590 or val.logan@smgov.net.

 Cost is $15 for SCAN members and $25 for non-SCAN members on or before January 24^th. $25 for SCAN members and $35 for non-SCAN members after January 24^th.

Pay online now using

 Directions to Glendale’s facility are below. If you’ve never had a chance to check it out, it is very cool with a great little green screen studio and nice edit bays!

 Any questions, please contact me, Robin Gee at 310-458-8590 or robin.gee@smgov.net.

 Hope to see you there!

Robin Gee

Co-coordinator of this session with Tor Johansen from Glendale

 Directions to GTV-6: 

From the 134 FWY

Exit Glendale Avenue – SOUTH BOUND

To Wilson Avenue – take RIGHT

There is a Civic Center parking garage on Wilson Avenue

Look for the blue GTV6 logo on the awning outside our door

 GOOGLE MAPS LINK:

 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=120+N.+Isabel+Street,+91206&sll=34.147413,-118.249701&sspn=0.003219,0.011888&ie=UTF8&ll=34.147542,-118.248661&spn=0.003254,0.012065&z=18&om=1

SCAN NATOA STATE FRANCHISE TRANSITION WORKSHOPS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PEG AND DIVCA WORKSHOP
February 5, 2008
Walnut Creek City Hall
Registration:    9:30am

Program:  10:00am – 12 noon

NOTE: We plan to schedule at least one additional workshop on this topic in Southern California in the near future.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has begun to issue video service franchises to incumbent cable operators.  The first State authorizations became effective on January 2, 2008.  Most of the applications received by the CPUC cover jurisdictions where the local franchise has expired, but in some cases the cable operator has abrogated the existing local franchise agreement as permitted by State law.

All of the major cable providers in the State --- Charter, Comcast, Cox and Time Warner – have applied for and received State authorizations for some of their service areas.  Additional communities will be added as local franchise agreements expire or are abrogated in response to competitive video offerings from State authorized video service providers.

SCAN NATOA (the States of California and Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors) will hold a workshop in Walnut Creek on Tuesday February 5 from 9:30 - Noon to answer questions about the opening of the state-issued franchise process to incumbent cable operators under California’s Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (DIVCA). 

Experts on the rights of Cities and Counties under DIVCA and representatives from Comcast will speak on this timely subject, and will answer your questions about the transition to state franchising.

Issues to be addressed at the workshops include:

Ø  When may a cable operator apply for and receive a state-issued franchise?

Ø  Will Cities receive notice that the operator is seeking a state franchise?

Ø  What happens to the obligations under a local franchise once the operator applies with the CPUC?

Ø  What will happen to franchise fees, Public, Educational, and Government Access channels, support, service to public buildings, etc.?

Ø  What if the cable operator currently is not in compliance with a local franchise?

Ø  What happens to obligations set forth in settlement agreements, transfer agreements, rate orders, and other non-franchise documents?

Ø  What if the local franchise has already expired, but no state franchise application has been filed?

Ø  Can a City or County require a cable operator to seek a state franchise?

Ø  Can a City or County renew or extend a local franchise after January 1, 2008?

In addition, we encourage you to submit additional questions you may have in advance, by email to SCAN NATOA President, Barry.Fraser@sfgov.org.

Please note that payment must be received prior to the registration deadlines to qualify for the discounted rate:

A reminder:  Attendance will be limited to approximately 30 per location.   Additional workshops will be scheduled throughout the State. 

Programmers!

 It’s time to gather together to share videos and ideas for making great election programming for your community! Bring your videos, along with your evaluation of how well the programming was received, to the meeting to share.

 Betsy Rosenfeld from the Center for Governmental Studies will have videos and web sites to share about what she sees as the latest and greatest in this area of programming. CityTV of Santa Monica will have videos and web sites to share as well! We will also have representatives from the League of Women Voters on hand to advise us about election programming policies. Please contact me to let me know if you have videos to show! 

SCAN ELECTION PROGRAMMING WORKSHOP

Thursday, December 6, 2007

 9:30 a.m. - Check-in and continental breakfast

10 a.m. to 12 noon - Program

Ken Edwards Center

1527 4^th Street

Santa Monica, CA

 RSVP to Robin Gee at robin.gee@smgov.net or 310-458-8590. (Val is out of the office during this time period)

 Please pay in advance via PayPal, but also send your RSVP to me.

Cost is:

Friday, October 26 - 1:45 - 3pm
Workshop on DIVCA / AB2987 & PEG Issues - Part I of II / Sue Buske
Last year California’s legislature adopted AB2987, the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (DIVCA), which made sweeping changes to cable franchising in the state. Subsequently, the California Public
Utilities Commission adopted rules to implement the new law, and statewide cable franchises were granted to AT&T and Verizon. ACM West and SCAN-NATOA policy leaders will provide the latest information with updates on DIVCA and practical information to help local franchise authorities and PEG access providers address both threats and opportunities posed by the new law.

SCAN NATOA AND ACM JOINT WORKSHOPS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PEG AND DIVCA WORKSHOP
November 15, 2007
Walnut Creek City Hall
9:30am - 12noon

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PEG AND DIVCA WORKSHOP
November 1, 2007
Cerritos Library
9:30am - 12noon

Click to download flyer

IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE VIDEO FRANCHISEE PEG REQUIREMENTS

 The States of California and Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (SCAN NATOA) and the Western Region Chapter of the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) will hold two workshops on issues which have arisen, and likely will arise, regarding the implementation of the PEG requirements of California’s Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (DIVCA).

 Based on preliminary communications with State Video Franchise holders, it appears that local governments and the franchise holders may have different interpretations of the PEG requirements of DIVCA.  In some cases the proposals for PEG provided by the franchise holders are contrary to the requirements of the law.

 The workshops will be open only to Individual Members of SCAN NATOA, or those who are eligible to be Individual Members (meaning that you must either work for or represent a municipality).  ACM members who work for or represent a municipality also are invited.  Please distribute this notice to all eligible parties who may have an interest in attending. The meetings will not be recorded, so be certain to make plans to attend.

 The issues to be addressed at the workshops are:

 > Notification requirements
> Mandatory carriage within 90 days
> channel placement and identification
> PEG signal quality
> IP versus digital versus analog carriage
> placement on the basic service tier
> legal enforcement strategies
> elimination of closed captions
> editing of signal content
> costs of signal encoding, decoding, & conversion
> implementation, collection & utilization of PEG Fee
> interconnection with the incumbent cable operator
> signal transport to state franchisee's input source
> pull down menus vs. traditional placement & selection

 SCAN NATOA’s PEG Working Group consists of Barry Fraser, Marc Jaffe, Bill Marticorena, Sue Buske, Paul Valle -Riesta, and Lori Panzino-Tillery. The PEG Working Group members will lead each workshop discussion. The Group will also attempt to work with  State Video Franchisees on developing a Statewide implementation strategy for PEG.

 WORKSHOP DATES AND LOCATIONS:

 
 Please note that payment must be received prior to the registration deadlines to qualify for the discounted rate.