The circumstances of Scranton Today’s demise lend themselves to righteous outrage. The competing entity, Electric City TV, was apparently hatched by one of our volunteers and at least one of our employees while they were, so we thought, working for us. The process that selected ECTV over Scranton Today was deeply flawed and ECTV, even before it opened, foundered among financial, staffing, and zoning problems. I would be lying if I said I didn’t take pleasure in some of these recent misfortunes or fantasize that ECTV would implode publicly and spectacularly, but, in truth, the failure of ECTV will do nothing to secure the future of community access television in the Scranton Area. In fact, it may well end it. (It certainly won’t bring back Scranton Today.) So what can you do if you are concerned about open government and free and equitable public access? Get involved with ECTV. Go up to their studios at 933 Prescott Avenue and ask to see their By-Laws. Ask if there are board vacancies. Get yourself on the Board of Directors. Volunteer. Work to bring the values espoused and, we hope, borne out by Scranton Today into a new organization that clearly needs a great deal of help.
I have recently been asked, regarding my tenure with Scranton Today, to describe my proudest moment. This is easy. Back in March 2007, the President of City Council ordered our cameras removed from Council Chambers. Many of you turned out to protest. Many of you communicated your support. Our cameras were gone, but we showed up with a port-a-cam. We lost our live capability so we ran tapes one block up the court to our head-end to make sure we were “almost live.” That night Council voted to restore the cameras partly because of the outrage expressed by the citizens and partly because they realized they could not stop us. They could remove the camera from their wall, but they could not remove the one in our hands. I am convinced this passionate commitment to open government helped to hasten our demise, but if I had a chance to go back in time or, to use an apt metaphor, rewind the tape and edit the show, I would still air it “as is.”
Again, thank you for support over the last decade.
4 comments:
Scranton Today and STTV Volunteers - Thank you for all your years of service to our community!
As the Scranton School Director that was instrumental in getting your first cameras into our boardroom against other directors wishes, I truly appreciate the hard work setting up your cameras before every meeting and the dedication working late hours to televise our meetings in its entirety. Thank You!
KEEP THE FAITH!
-Jim Minicozzi
If you want to attest the credibility and trustworthiness of past employees-turned ECTV "execs" ask them about the not one, but several affairs had by them on the recent ex. Is this the type of role model we as a community want to trust in amongst the already corrupt world of politics? It's frightening.
Agreed. Migliore has an extreme temper control problem which may not carry him far in business or amongst a public community. The guys better off in jail. I'd check his background.
It's interesting to come back and reread these comments. They seem rather prophetic now when we learn of the criminal complaint agains ECTV Mark Miglore. Just read about what he did to Fay and Dave at the last council meeting.
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