[Peace-discuss] Democracy Now on UPTV ???

[Ricky Baldwin]

Folks, 

If you recall, some of us pushed really hard to get Democracy Now! on Urbana Public Television, over the objections of the then-mayor of Urbana Tod Satterthwaite.  There was a public showdown at a City Council meeting, and Council members voted to direct the Administration to put the show on.  Randall Cotton was the spearhead of that effort, but many people contributed.

As a result UPTV got a new service, Dish Network, which they have been using for other programming, too.  AWARE kicked in the first year's fee for that service.  The last two years no one has asked us for a penny.  At the time, UPTV staff - Chris - said UPTV might pick up the tab if the service proved useful enuf.

Now there is new staff at UPTV, and recently they say they have received at least 2 automated messages from the Dish Network people saying the bill hasn't been paid and the service will be canceled if it isn't.  I got the email about it because I am the officially the sponsor (has to be an Urbana resident) of DN! on UPTV.

I spoke to Randall and Durl, as AWARE's UPTV experts, and paid a visit to UPTV to let them know I have never paid this bill, nor has any of us for the last 2 years, we've never been asked before, and what's up?  Basically, they don't know, but they are checking into it.  UPTV by regulation can't pay for programming that we sponsor, but they tell me they could possibly pick up some of the bill due to the programming they do get from Dish Network - it fulfills their education requirement or something.

The long and the short is, we may have to cough up some cash if we want DN! to stay on TV here.  Presumably the easiest way to do this would be to simply take donations.  At this time i do not know how much money we are talking - or when we'd have to pay.  This is just a heads up, and a who's in?

So ...

Who's in?

 Ricky


"Only those who do nothing make no mistakes." - Peter Kropotkin