CTAC Minutes

 

Cable Television Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes – December 4, 2024

Attending:  Johnes, Tom, Peaches at location of Peaches Quinn apartment.

 

Announcements:  Well Wishes to Treasurer George for a speedy recovery.

 

Holiday Get-Together postponed to 2025 (TBD) due to a number of illnesses and George’s recovery timeline.

 

Treasurer Report: No report due to George’s absence.

 

Comcast: No report due to Comcast rep’s absence.

 

Old Business:

Johnes submitted one former member’s (New Haven) Resignation information to the New Haven alder’s liaison, per a request.

 

Hyla Goldberg’s application to join is proceeding through channels – hopefully for approval at a Board of Alders (New Haven) meeting.

Johnes has been in contact with the Board liaison on the application’s progress.

 

Johnes has also contacted and will follow up again with the City of West Haven mayoral office rep. to see if West Haven has identified applicants.

 

Johnes has compiled the latest annual report to PURA and is reviewing that to ensure it is ready for submission.

 

New Business

Peaches is contacting prospective Hamden CATV member {Belinda) for a meeting to assess status of her prospective application representing Hamden on the Board.

 

In 2025, the CATV Board plans to investigate appropriate high school activities/organizations eligible for a CATV financial grant.

 

 

 

Minutes submitted by Thomas Costa (Representative Advisor for New Haven Public Library System)

 

 

Cable Television Advisory Council

Minutes for Wednesday, November 1, 2023 6:00 pm

ZOOM

Attendance:     Johnes Ruta, Chair (New Haven)

Tom Costa, Advisor, (New Haven Library System)

Melissa Canham-Clyne (Hamden), EXCUSED

Peaches Quinn, Advisor, (New Haven)

George Alexander – Hamden

1. Call to order 6:02 pm
2. Minutes – Motion to approve October minutes

Correction: Check to NHPL was for $900. During same meeting $1,000 was approved for Partnerships.

Motion to accept corrected minutes: Tom; seconded, George. Minutes approved

 

• Treasurer’s Report (George)
  880. Balance: $3,880.46
  881. October meeting expense- $137.94

Motion to accept Treasurer’s report – Peaches; seconded, Tom. Report approved

 

1. CTV – Executive Director Joseph Schofield

 

• CTV is pushing through setbacks. Have now recovered about one third of producers (lost to COVID extended shutdown). Staff is performing many functions to recover. Goal: By end of June be back to 100% performance.
• Since June, 2022, all studios statewide are under review by state legislative study group. Many questions are being asked. Joe was just notified a draft of their report is being released. There are no recommendations just data/info gathering (30 pages) for legislator consideration.

Report provides a full picture of options for public access (studio) funding. Cable companies would prefer public access goes away with the claim audience isn’t there.  To date, no specifics on basis of that conclusion. *

CTV has been continuing to receive quarterly checks. The amount has dwindled, but currently stable (as subscribers drop cable). One proposed option: turn over public access operations to the towns. Joe’s belief, shared by others, is such a move would be disastrous and not in the best interest of sustaining public access operation.

*Note: Cable companies pay 5% of their revenue to the state, but not all the 5% actually goes to public access.

Per Joe, best scenario: charge a fee to cable and internet only customers. CTV also looking at merits of establishing a “subscription” membership to generate revenue

• Joe believes all public access studios will organize to lobby legislators.
• Joe felt by January, our meetings could return to CTV studio.

 

 

 

1. Comcast – Representative Amy Horan (not in attendance)

George reported Comcast now recognizes customer history across changing addresses.

 

 

 

1. Old Business

Facebook- No update

Website – Latest minutes are uploaded (September)

Our CTV/CTAC PSA – No activity. Assume it’s defunct

 

• Subscriber Issues – George

None

• Adjournment:

1. Next Meeting – December 6 – Wood n Tap, Hamden
2. Motion to adjourn: George; seconded, Peaches

 

 

Adjourned 7:12pm

 

Respectfully submitted: PQ

 

Cable Television Advisory Council
MINUTES Wednesday, September 4^th, 2024 6:00 pm ZOOM

Attending:  George Alexander, Treasurer (Hamden)
Tom Costa, Secretary (New Haven Library System)
Johnes Ruta, Chairperson (New Haven)

 

1. I. Call to order 6:07 pm on Zoom, initiated by Peaches Quinn

 

1. Minutes
   August 2024 Minutes for approval.  No changes or modifications requested. George
   Alexander makes Motion to approve. Tom Costa seconds the Motion. Vote unanimous.

• Treasurer’s Report Treasurer: George Alexander:

92. YTD funds balance is $4,861,92.
    This includes the reduction of $102.18 charge at NOLO Delegna Pizza for August 7,
    with George, Tom, and Johns in attendance.
93. CTV – Executive Director Joseph Schofield
94. Review of three PURA Reports from summer 2023, received from Amy Horan at Comcast:
    CTV Response to PURA Notice, dkt 22-06-26.pdf
    2. Response of CTV to OCC-PURA Interrogs 4-15.pdf
    3. Response of CTV to 22-06-26 PURA Interrogatories 15-43.pdf
95. CTV Studio availability for CTAC Meetings: CTV building is open by appointment only.
    Appt available hours 9 am to 9 pm. Production studios are now available,
96. Comcast  — Comcast Representative Amy Horan, not in attendance.
97. Looking into advertised Comcast rate reduction offering called “NOW”
    1. – this plan is different from the previous Internet Essentials program for
    low-income subscribers.
98. NOW Streaming Service features 40+ networks, including NETFLIX
    and Peacock.
99. NOW Mobile cell phone is now priced at $40 per month.

 

1. Programming updates: no program changes at this time.

   c.  Grants are being made available to New Haven Not-For-Profit agencies, especially if they are Comcast subscribers.

 

 

1. Old Business
2. Need to have all Board members online with each having personal Board contact
   CTAC group addresses for outgoing distribution listing all member emails.
   CTACPublic@advisorycouncil.org is programmed or public input.

   a. Annual CTAC Report (compilation of all monthly Minutes) due to PURA –
   is ready for review for submission. Peaches Quinn is researching whether missing
   Minutes for several months is because of months in which CTAC did not meet?

   b. CTAC Public Service Announcement:  Update

3. Facebook/Website Update – George states that the CTAC Facebook and cableadvisory.org websites are now up to date with reports and Minutes.

   d. Community Awards – 2024 planning – no plans taking shape.

VII.   New Business

1. New issues of cable subscriber rates. Any foreseeable subscriber rate reductions?
   See info here about Xfinity NOW Plan.

 

VIII.  Legislative Issues
a.  Again review the Draft of the Proposed Legislative Report for release to PURA.

IX      Subscriber Issues

1. Subscriber Correspondence – none reported by George.
2. Other? – Discussion regarding Emergency response for possible Cyber Attack to
   Comcast or CTV systems. Municipal leaders have information regarding this threat.

 

 

1. Other Topics?     None.

 

2025. Meeting Adjourns 7:30 pm from Zoom call.   Tom Costa Motion to Adjourn, George
      Alexander seconds Motion, Vote unanimous.

      September Minutes filed by Johnes Ruta.  November 6, 2025.

 

 

Monday, August 5^th, 2024 6:00 pm
at DeLegna NOLO Pizza, State St. New Haven

Attending:    George Alexander (Hamden advisor) Treasurer
Tom Costa (New Haven Library System) Secretary
Johnes Ruta  (New Haven) Chairperson

I. Call to order 6:30 pm at DeLegna NOLO Pizza

 

2023. Welcome and Minutes
      March 2024 Minutes for approvalb. Issues April 3^rd 2024 informal meeting of Tom Costa and Johnes Ruta.
      1) Recommendation of CTAC contact addresses resolved – that each Advisor will
      set up a Group Email List on their own computer with all the names and email
      addresses of advisors. (This is due to the GoDaddy email server change to MS360
      which will not accommodate a system-wide Group email setting.)
      Resolved previously to be initiated.

      2) Annual Report to PURA – update on summation of monthly Board minutes.
      Task is still outstanding, needs assignment to a CTAC Advisor.

      3) CTAC requires representation by all district member towns. Recruitment.
      (a) West Haven is still not represented since 2023. Johnes will contact W.H. Mayor’s Office to request attention to this matter.

      (b)  Regarding Hamden, Johnes requests Tom Costa to contact Belinda

2024. Pappacoda, met by Johns at Hamden Commissions & Boards Fair in March 2024,
2025. regarding possibility to join CTAC, with Hamden Town Council action; has she applied?III. Treasurer’s Report     Treasurer: George Alexander:
2026. YTD funds balance – $4,963.61 balance as of July 31, 2024.
2027. CTV – Executive Director Joseph Schofield:
2028. Need to contact Joe Scholfield regarding review of three PURA Reports from summer
      2023, received from Amy Horan at Comcast:
      (The following documents are attached to the June 5^th CTAC Meeting Announcement:)
      CTV Response to PURA Notice, dkt 22-06-26.pdf
      2. Response of CTV to OCC-PURA Interrogs 4-15.pdf
      3. Response of CTV to 22-06-26 PURA Interrogatories 15-43.pdf
2029. CTV Studio availability for CTAC Meetings?
2030. Comcast — Comcast Representative Amy Horan
2031. Report
      b. Programming updates
2032. Issues/topics
2033. Partnerships

 

1. New Comcast rate reduction offering called “NOW”
2. Old Business
3. Annual CTAC Report (compilation of all monthly Minutes) due to PURA. Incomplete.

8:07 pm,  George Alexander – Motion to Adjourn, Johnes Seconds Motion.
Carried unanimously.

MARCH 3, 2024 MINUTES

Cable Television Advisory Council

Minutes for Wednesday, March 3, 2024 6:00 pm   ZOOM

Attendance:     Johnes Ruta, Chair (New Haven)

Tom Costa, Advisor, (New Haven Library System)

George Alexander – Treasurer (Hamden)

1. Welcome and Minutes
   Call to order at 6:07 pm.
   b. February Minutes for approval, No modifications requested.
   Tom makes Motion to accept. George 2nds this Motion. Vote unanimous.
   c.  For the May 1^st CTAC Meeting, as I will likely be away, I request that Peaches
   Quinn be acting Chair, and that the task of taking the Minutes be determined
   by her.
2. Treasurer’s Report – George Alexander
   476. Balance: $5,476.59 as of March 1^st. George has paid the GoDaddy MS subscription of $38,16 for the advance year of 2024.
   477. Johnes reminds the council that we must compile and submit our Annual Report to PURA, already due by the end of February. This will be a summary of all 2023 Minutes together in one document. The Form for this doc is to be found on the PURA website.

 

III.      CTV. Executive Director Joseph Schofield not present.
a.  Johnes prompts the Council to review three PURA Reports from summer 2023,
of concern to CTAC:
1. CTV Response to PURA Notice, dkt 22-06-26.pdf
2. Response of CTV to OCC-PURA Interrogs 4-15.pdf
3. Response of CTV to 22-06-26 PURA Interrogatories 15-43.pdf

1. CTV Studio availability for CTAC Meetings? – It is again recommended that we ask
   Joe Scholfield to notify us by email immediately when the studio reopens for public use.
   IV.      Comcast – Representative Amy Horan (not in attendance)
2. Comcast has not attended any CTAC meetings in recent months, and there has not
   been any correspondence in March from Amy Horan.
   b.  We resolve to ask Amy to attend the next CTAC meeting on April 3, or send a delegate.
3. Old Business
4. Facebook- No update
5. Any update from CTV on the CTAC Public Service Announcement?
   c. Community Awards – 2024 planning. No recommendations put forward.
7. Old Business
8. Facebook- No update
9. Any update from CTV on the CTAC Public Service Announcement?
   c. Community Awards – 2024 planning. No recommendations put forward.

 

 

 

 

2024. New Business
      a. Request from Joe S. if there is a Final Legislative Report. Must be submitted by end
      of February.b.  Request for member to attend – 2024 HAMDEN BOARDS & COMMISSIONS FAIR
      Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM at Miller Library – Thornton          Hall, received from Karimah Mickens <kmickens@Hamden.com> Hamden Town Clerk.
      No one volunteers or is available.

      c. Status of new outgoing email group addresses for GoDaddy system transfer
      to Microsoft 360 email addresses.  Peaches project, not ready.
      CTACCouncil@gmail.com   for public access.
      CTACForward@gmail.com  for CTAC members internal messaging.

      VII. Subscriber Issues – George – no emails received at this time.

      VII.   Adjournment:
      a. Next Meeting – Wednesday, April Peaches.  Carried.

      Respectfully submitted:  Johnes Ruta 03-04-2024.

Cable Television Advisory Council

Minutes for Wednesday, February 7^th, 2024 6:00 pm   ZOOM

Attendance:     Johnes Ruta, Chair (New Haven)

Tom Costa, Advisor, (New Haven Library System)

George Alexander – Treasurer (Hamden)

1. Welcome and Minutes
   Call to order at 6:31 pm, delayed because of technical problem starting Zoom.
   b. January Minutes for approval, No modifications requested.
   Tom makes Motion to accept. George 2nds this Motion. Vote unanimous.
2. Treasurer’s Report – George Alexander
   514. Balance: $5,514.31
   515. George reminds us that we need to write our Annual Report to PURA, due by the end of February. This will be a summary of all 2023 Minutes together in one document. The Form for this doc is to be found on the PURA website.

 

III.      CTV. Executive Director Joseph Schofield not present.
a.  Review three PURA Reports from summer 2023, received recently from Amy Horan at                 Comcast:
1. CTV Response to PURA Notice, dkt 22-06-26.pdf
2. Response of CTV to OCC-PURA Interrogs 4-15.pdf
3. Response of CTV to 22-06-26 PURA Interrogatories 15-43.pdf

1. CTV Studio availability for CTAC Meetings? – It is recommended that we ask
   Joe Schofield to notify us by email immediately when the studio reopens for
   public use.c.  Johnes says that he notifies Joe Schofield when he detects that any or all of the
   CTV channels, 26, 27, 93, on Comcast cable are blank or dysfunctional.
   He requests that other members who subscribe to Comcast also do this.IV.      Comcast – Representative Amy Horan (not in attendance)
2. George reported Comcast now recognizes customer history across changing addresses.
3. No correspondence in February from Amy Horan.

 

 

1. Old Business
2. Facebook- No update
3. Any update from CTV on the CTAC Public Service Announcement?
   c. Community Awards – 2024 planning. No recommendations put forward.

 

 

 

 

• New Business
  Request from Joe S. if there is a Final Legislative Report. Must be submitted by end
  of February.b.  Request for member to attend – 2024 HAMDEN BOARDS & COMMISSIONS FAIR
  Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM at Miller Library – Thornton Hall, received from Karimah Mickens <kmickens@Hamden.com>

2024. Hamden Town Clerk.
      No one volunteers or is available.Status of new outgoing email group addresses for GoDaddy system transfer
      to Microsoft 360 email addresses.  Peaches project, not ready.
      CTACCouncil@gmail.com   for public access.
      CTACForward@gmail.com  for CTAC members internal messaging.
      VII. Subscriber Issues – George – no emails received at this time.VII.   Adjournment:
      a. Next Meeting – Wednesday, March 6, 2024 via ZOOM.b. 7:15 pm. Tom makes Motion to adjourn: George; seconded, Peaches.  Carried.

      Respectfully submitted:  Johns Ruta 03-04-2024.

 

Cable Television Advisory Council

Minutes for Wednesday, January 6, 2024 6:00 pm   ZOOM

Attendance:     Johnes Ruta, Chair (New Haven)

Tom Costa, Advisor, (New Haven Library System)

Peaches Quinn, Advisor, (New Haven)

George Alexander – Hamden

1. Call to order 6:08 pm
   November Minutes – Motion to accept from Peaches, seconded by George A. approved unanimously.
2. Treasurer’s Report – George Alexander
   513. Balance: $5,513.84
        includes receipt of 2024 Allowance $2,000 from Comcast
        includes annual dinner check paid $265.66 for Wood ‘n’ Tap Restaurant, Hamden

 

1. George states that we need to write our Annual Report to PURA, due by the end of
   February.  This will be a summary of all 2023 Minutes together in one document.
   The Form for this doc is to be found on the PURA website.

 

III.   Comcast – Representative Amy Horan (not in attendance)

George reported Comcast now recognizes customer history across changing  addresses.

 

1. Old Business
2. Facebook- No update
3. 1990s CTAC Archive Project – Tom Costa reports that the project is now completed
   and contained in the New Haven History Room at the New Haven Ive Library.
   Records are sorted by:  1 Years, and 2. Primary important categories, within years.

 

360. New Business
     a. Request from Joe S. if there is a Final Legislative Report?

     b. GoDaddy emails for CTACForward etc no longer functional because of GoDaddy
     system transfer to MicroSoft 360.   Peaches says she is constructing two new
     email addresses, such as
     CTACCouncil@gmail.com   for public access.
     CTACForward@gmail.com  for CTAC members internal messaging.

     VI. Subscriber Issues – George – none at this time.

     VII.   Adjournment:
     a. Next Meeting – Wednesday, February 7, 2024 via ZOOM.

     b. Motion to adjourn: George; seconded, Peaches. Respectfully submitted:  Johns Ruta         02-07-2024.

Cable Television Advisory Council

Minutes for Wednesday, November 1, 2023 6:00 pm

ZOOM

Attendance:     Johnes Ruta, Chair (New Haven)

Tom Costa, Advisor, (New Haven Library System)

Melissa Canham-Clyne (Hamden), EXCUSED

Peaches Quinn, Advisor, (New Haven)

George Alexander – Hamden

1. Call to order 6:02 pm
2. Minutes – Motion to approve October minutes

Correction: Check to NHPL was for $900. During same meeting $1,000 was approved for Partnerships.

Motion to accept corrected minutes: Tome; seconded, George. Minutes approved

 

• Treasurer’s Report (George )
  880. Balance: $3,880.46
  881. October meeting expense- $137.94

Motion to accept Treasurer’s report – Peaches; seconded, Tom. Report approved

 

1. CTV – Executive Director Joseph Schofield
2. CTV is pushing through setbacks. Have now recovered about one third of producers (lost to COVID extended shutdown). Staff is performing many functions to recover. Goal: By end of June be back to 100% performance.
3. Since June, 2022, all studios statewide are under review by state legislative study group. Many questions are being asked. Joe was just notified a draft of their report is being released. There are no recommendations just data/info gathering (30 pages) for legislator consideration.

Report provides a full picture of options for public access (studio) funding. Cable companies would prefer public access goes away with the claim audience isn’t there.  To date, no specifics on basis of that conclusion. *

CTV has been continuing to receive quarterly checks. The amount has dwindled, but currently stable (as subscribers drop cable). One proposed option: turn over public access operations to the towns. Joe’s belief, shared by others, is such a move would be disastrous and not in the best interest of sustaining public access operation.

*Note: Cable companies pay 5% of their revenue to the state, but not all  the 5% actually goes to public access.

Per Joe, best scenario: charge a fee to cable and internet only customers. CTV also looking at merits of establishing a “subscription” membership to generate revenue

3. Joe believes all public access studios will organize to lobby legislators.
4. Joe felt by January, our meetings could return to CTV studio.
5. Comcast – Representative Amy Horan (not in attendance)

George reported Comcast now recognizes customer history across changing addresses.

 

1. Old Business

Facebook- No update

Website – Latest minutes are uploaded (September)

Our CTV/CTAC PSA – No activity. Assume it’s defunct

 

• Subscriber Issues – George

None

• Adjournment:

1. Next Meeting – December 6 – Wood n Tap, Hamden
2. Motion to adjourn: George; seconded, Peaches

Adjourned 7:12pm

Respectfully submitted: PQ

 

Cable Television Advisory Council

Minutes for Wednesday, October 4^th , 2023 6:00 pm
Monthly Meeting –  DeLegna NoLo Restaurant

 

Attendance:     Johnes Ruta, Chair (New Haven)
Tom Costa, Advisor,  (New Haven Library System)
Melissa Canham-Clyne, Advisor  (Hamden)
Peaches Quinn, Advisor, (New Haven)    via ZOOM

1. Call to order 6:08 pm
2. Minutes – agenda topic was not addressed at this restaurant meeting due to
   service commotion.

• Treasurer’s Report (George Alexander – not in attendance)
  No report provided.
  b.   Members present discuss better protocol to receive Comcast check physical
  arrival to New Haven Free Public Library(NHFPL)  for CTAC gift to the
  John Jessen Memorial Fund:  check arrived at NHFPL Mail Room in September
  but then was circulated around the Lib offices until finally reached its destination
  after several days!
  

1. CTV – Executive Director Joseph Schofield, not in attendance
2. Comcast – Representative Amy Horan, not in attendance

George Alexander had sent Comcast an email regarding current rewards for Comcast customers and clarifications requested on Reward status levels – Amy
Horan reports that she has responded and resolved this matter, and  requests
notice if there is still an ongoing or subsequent issue, so that she will look into any further problem.

 

1. Old Business
2. The Committee again discussed asking Joe Schofield if he would to delegate someone
   from CTV to work with this Board, considering his current absences.
3. 
   No update was available on the CTAC Public Services Announcement.
4. 
   Issue of the fee of 84 cents to be added to cable franchise billing for Internet
   subscribers, in addition to existing cable billing for cable television subscribers,
   for the purpose of increasing available revenues for Local Access channels in CT.
   It was noted that State Rep. Needleman (D) stated that he proposed a “study” for
   new Legislative Bill because the Bill in the last Leg. Session had expired, after
   the Office of Legislative Research had intercepted the finalized Bill with an
   unauthorized Amendment meant to terminate Cable franchises’ support for
   Local Access channels and Cable Television Advisory Councils. Needleman
   proposed a “study” for a subsequent Bill.d.   Two CTAC Awards totaling $1,900  were distributed in September:
   (1) $1000 to Partnership, received.
   (2) $900 to the New Haven Library Foundation in memory of late City Librarian
   John Jessen.  This postal mail envelope with the $900 check enclosed went                 astray, as the delivery address was accidentally defaced in the USPS machine
   and went to the “Dead Letter Office.”  It was eventually traced there by George       Alexander and then delivered to the New Haven Free Public Library.Johnes Ruta makes Motion that future checks be hand-delivered to recipients
   whenever possible. Melissa Canham-Clyne seconds this Motion. Carried.

 

• New Business

1. Johnes previously discussed his group email address was eliminated by GoDaddy,
   thus requiring Johnes to now redirect all Board emails to member’s individually-
   provided email addresses. George Alexander has investigated and determined
   that GoDaddy discontinued email service under its website hosting plans.b. Johnes proposes that CTAC initial regular contact with our State Legislators to
   promote Cable television and related internet equality issues.  Tom Costa identifies
   a legislator for zipcode 06510 as Roland LeMar. 

• Subscriber Issues

 

1. Adjournment: Tom Costa makes a Motion for Meeting Adjournment at 6:55 PM. Peaches seconded. Carried.   Next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday November 1