Hardwick Community Television Quarterly Board Meeting January 24, 2019 Minutes

Present: Elizabeth Rossano, Kurt Bos, Elizabeth Dow, Leif Goldberg, Robin Grant.

November Minutes: Robin moved we accept; Kurt seconded; unanimously accepted.

Financials: Leif reviewed the station’s financials, and nobody saw any points for concern. Kurt moved; Robin seconded; unanimously approved.

Brief discussion of the basketball broadcasting: it’s highly popular and the new features have received many compliments. Kurt suggested a technical change, which Leif implimented.

Station Report:

Copyright issues. We’re using Vimeo for online storage, at $400/year. Vimeo is getting concerned about copyright — they will delete an account if you get 3 strikes, and we’ve had one — recording a dance recital using commercial music.

Leif would like a backup archive. We have hard drives, but he would like an Internet archive. There’s a 1-time $2000 charge for a module that will send stuff to Archive.com. Leif wonders if it’s worth the $2000 and whether Archive.com will remain viable. He will into the issue more, including YouTube. Goal is to find a solution by the next meeting.

He and Wiz discussed working with the HHS to provide the archival discs a permanent, archivally sound storage area. Wiz will take it up with the HHS.

Elizabeth threw out an idea about a show, produced by HCTV — 10-15 segments in a half-hour or hour documentary format featuring ‘your neighbors’, focusing on what’s not obvious about them: why they live here; what they see for the town. People would be nominated by other members of the community. Discussion of various ways to do that. Could we do it live? Could we have people submit content?

Leif and Ray Small met and cleared up the issues of credit for HCTV stuff.

FCC Funding rule will go into effect whereby Comcast can charge us for ‘in-kind’ services. But we don’t know when. Our one hope is that the House Committee that deals with the FCC is now controlled by the Democrats, which may get us some more pushback. VAN is putting together a lobbying effort. Van is also organizing a state legislative day in Montpelier, Feb 20, to talk about future funding of these station through a state appropriation.

Another threat: the state Public Service of Vermont is still in court with Comcast

Another threat: we have no contract with Comcast — was to have been renewed Feb. 2018.

Another threat: what will happen with Internet and 5-G services. Annual Meeting in April. Date: 4th Thursday, tentatively. April 25.

Respectfully Submitted Elizabeth H Dow

HCTV Board Regular Meeting
Nov 14, 2018

Present are: Kurt, Rachel, Wiz, Rip, Leif

7pm- Meeting Opens

Approved minutes from July 2018

Financial Reports approved

Budget set for next year

Long debate about staff salaries. Everyone agreed that they deserve a raise, but the question of how much proved difficult.

The Board decided to meet at Wiz’s house on Nov. 20 to make a decision.

Meeting adjourned about 8:15

recorded by Wiz

HCTV Minutes 7-26-18 AnnualMeeting

Hardwick Community Television Annual Meeting
July 26, 2018
Minutes

Present: Rip Keller, Amatista Keller, Elizabeth Rossano, Kurt Bos, Elizabeth Dow, Rachel Kane, Emily Lanxner, Leif Goldberg.

President Rachel Kane call the meeting to order at 7:15. Kurt Moved that we approve the minutes of the 2017 annual meeting as written. Rachel seconded. Approved unanimously.

Executive Director, Leif Goldberg, presented his annual report:

• The station has installed a new server that can broadcast from anywhere there is a signal. We could broadcast the Town Meeting from the Elementary School. Leif wants to schedule daily shows from local providers. He does not want to over populate our channel with national feeds, and he will be moderate. Emily suggested scheduling a show twice a week so daily broadcast differed. We could have students integrate it into school projects.
• Comcast will upgrade our connectivity equipment to state-of-the-art equipment
• Leif has upgraded our internet service to bring it into capacity with the new equipment
• Leif has the station on the coin-drop schedule
• The project on the Holocaust-related oral history of Curtis Whiteway of Craftsbury, has grown very big; Leif is

moved

thinking of inviting new partners to finish the production.

After Leif’s report, we turned to the new by-laws. Rachel presented the changes and the rationale for each. Kurt that we approve them. Emily seconded the motion. Approved unanimously.

We then elected board members. Kurt moved that we elect Elizabeth (repeat), Robin Grant (r), David Mitchell (r), Rip (new), and Amatista (n). Emily seconded. Approved unanimously.

The Board then elected its officers. Amatista moved that we elect: President – Rachel Kane Vice President – Rip Keller

Rip seconded. Approved unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 8:15

Secretary – Elizabeth Dow Treasurer – Kurt Bos

Elizabeth H Dow

Present: Rip Keller, Amatista Keller, Elizabeth Rossano, Kurt Bos, Elizabeth Dow, Rachel Kane, Leif Goldberg.

President Rachel Kane opened the meeting at 8:20. 

After some discussion of the time Elizabeth's time, Wiz moved that we view the screening of a couple projects in progress first. Seconded by Kurt. Approved unanimously. 

We watched samples of some of the children's videos and Elizabeth's Rossano's work on the oral history with Curtis Whiteway.

After the screening, Leif presented the financial reports: Balance Sheet and Profit/Loss. Wiz moved and Kurt seconded that we accept the reports.  Approved unanimously. 

Rachel presented a Conflict of Interest policy as the first of a series of management policies the station will accumulate. Rachel moved and Kurt seconded that we adopt the policy. Rip and Amatista abstained, and the others approved unanimously. 

Meeting adjourned at 9:15.