Press Conference on Privatization, Mismanagement & Misappropriation of SF City Funds

On Monday 1/25/2010 at 4:30 PM there will be a press conference in front of the Bay Area Video Coalition to report the closure of the 1720 Market St. station and the financial arrangements that the BAVC management has made to privatize the stations

Press Conference on Privatization, Mismanagement & Misappropriation of SF City Funds

Monday 1/25/2010 4:30 PM
Officers Of the Bay Area Video Coalition BAVC
2727 Mariposa Street/Bryant
Press Conference And Action

Stop The Privatization of San Francisco Community Access
Keep The 1720 Market St Station Open
Bay Area Video Coalition Folding SF Community Access Into Private Non-Profit

The Mayor of San Francisco Newsom and his Department of Technology transferred the operation of city community access station channels 29 and 76 to a new operator the Bay Area Video Coalition BAVC. This private non-profit corporation has closed the station on 1720 Market St built out at a cost of over $1 million and is now planning to spend millions of dollars on building out another station at their own offices with higher charges for community use. This has already driven out many producers and programmers at the station despite promises to the city and the community that they would protect the programming.
The press conference will outline the serious financial mismanagement by BAVC and the lack of proper oversight by Mayor Newsom’s Department of Technology. The Executive Director of BAVC Ken Ikeda at a recent Board of Supervisor’s hearing admitted that they had no intention of operating on the RFP of $170,000 that the city provided for the operation of the station and what other applicants agreed to yet they now propose a budget of millions with the use of city funds for rent and equipment at their offices.

Convened by
Coalition For Free Speech and In Defense Of SF Community Access
SAVE San Francisco Community Access Station
(415)282-1908
http://blip.tv/file/2933399

Following the press conference producers and community supporters of community access going into the meeting at BAVC offices at 6:00 PM.