Bartlett selectmen vote 2-1 to make final Valley Vision payment [12/07/2002]

Holmes speaks out against not-for-profit cable station

With the camera rolling, Valley Vision was once again the hot topic at the weekly selectmen's meeting yesterday morning. Resident Bob "Homer" Holmes, a former videographer for the local cable station, give the board background on Channel 3 over the past year and encouraged selectmen not to make the town's final annual payment of $1,600.Selectmen voted 2-1 to make the payment. Doug Garland and David Shedd were in favor, Gene Chandler opposed. The board then voted unanimously against putting an article on the warrant for the station by Jan. 1 (see related story)."I almost feel Valley Vision is on the edge of collapsing after what has happened this week," Shedd said. "One of my concerns is I feel things need to change. I also feel the town agreed to pay a certain amount ($6,400 approved at town meeting in March), and I would not want to contribute to the station's demise by not paying the $1,600."Chandler disagreed and noted with displeasure that the board awarded $1,600 to the station the week before while he was not present and asked that the record reflect his opposition to that vote. "We already gave them $1,600 that we shouldn't have," he said, and felt the town hadn't received the amount of service it was promised last spring. "I'll use the truck analogy again. If the townspeople vote to spend $64,000 on a truck and we don't get the right one or don't get it period, we shouldn't have to pay for it.""If we decline to pay the remainder of the bill for this year," Shedd followed, "there's no reason for Valley Vision to film the meetings."Holmes said he watched the Nov. 15 board meeting and Valley Vision President Jac Cuddy delivered a clear message. "He said if on Jan. 1 there is no warrant article for $39,000 to let the legislative body vote on you would cease to have coverage," Holmes said. "I don't believe this year Valley Vision deserves $6,400."Garland agreed to make the final payment because he said the town never had a firm agreement on what the station would cover or how much coverage there would be. Ten selectmen's meetings were not taped this summer while the station was in transition. "Since they've gotten a little firmer footing," Garland said, "Laura (Slitt, town videographer) has been following a heavier schedule and she has been diligent covering these meetings, the planning board and the (Bartlett Jackson Cooperative School Board) meetings. I can see the effort is there... Also, I want the ball to be in Valley Vision's court. If they're not going to be airing us from Jan. 1 to town meeting, it won't be the fault of the town. I want no reason let on the charter with anyone saying we're not going to cover Bartlett because it didn't pay. We're all paid up.""You can decide if we got $6,400 worth or not," Chandler said, "but we didn't get what we were promised."Holmes provided the board with a thorough timeline of events at Valley Vision from September 2001 to today, outlining resignations, times when the station was off the air, and meetings where he felt the public was not allowed to provide input.Holmes got an article for Valley Vision on the warrant in 1999. "That first year it was well handled by the board," he said. "I think it was well received by the voters... In 2000, I went for 25 percent of the franchise fees ($8,700) which at the time were $34,847.50. Before it even got onto the floor for discussion our rep to Valley Vision (Dick Glines) asked for it to be amended to $6,400. I think it was wrong. I think it was up to the legislative body to decide... After the meeting I went to the rep and asked him why he cut the budget and he said that's all selectmen would give us.""In 2002," Holmes continued, "I spoke with the Valley Vision board and found out the article put in was for $6,400 and wondered why the $8,700 wasn't put in and again I was told the $6,400 was all the selectmen would give us."Garland said there was a slight mix up with the figures. "Dick Glines asked me if we would put it on the warrant for the same amount as the year before," he said. "I thought he meant the figure that voters approved (not the original $8,700). There was a miscommunication."Shedd recalled the March meeting when the figure was actually amended up from $6,400 to $8,700, but was voted down by the legislative body. "The vote was so close," he said, "I remember standing for a count."Holmes said he loved shooting video for the station, but resigned in March. "I went to Valley Vision to ask why the rep cut the budget to $6,400 when Valley Vision at the time was in the process of losing $25,000 from RSN, he again said that's all the selectmen would give them... I was getting $25 a shoot whether it was two or three hours long and I in turn donated it back to the station... (I left because) I felt like I was just pushing against the tide," he said. "In the six weeks that Ron Fish (former station manager) gave his resignation the (Valley Vision) board did nothing to look for a station manager... Watching the station I could not see where it was getting better, but worse. You get to the end of a show and it would go right into the end of another show. The schedule in the paper didn't match up with what was on."Holmes called for the resignation of the station's executive board. "They made it look how well the station was doing, but in my belief the executive board was derelict in its duties," he said. "I went to the newspaper and no one wanted to touch my story. Maybe it's because one of the people at the paper had his daughter working at the station... I felt this story had to be told when the rep who cut the budget in 2001 wanted it back up to $39,000 this year."Holmes said he's spoken with officials at Adelphia about the prospect of Bartlett getting its own channel. "I was told yes," he said. "In six months they're putting in new boxes and channel 4, 7, 21 and 22 will be available."Valley Vision Board of Directors holds its monthly meeting Monday at 3:30 p.m. at the station in North Conway next to Video World.