To: Stuart Domber

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Queens Public Television

41-61- Kissena Boulevard

Flushing, NY 11355 

Re:  2006 QPTV LOTTERY 

This letter is written on behalf of several producers who feel the recent lottery held at QPTV for the drawing of program time slots for 2007 was not executed in an equitable manner.

The intent of the lottery ostensibly is to provide a fair method for giving time slots to producers based on a “first-come first-served” basis, as determined by when their applications for channel time are received by QPTV. 

We have so far heard from several producers who 

a)      Were denied their request for a full one-hour time slot but were offered a half hour slot instead. 

b)      Did not get any time slot at all. 

c)      Received two daytime (half-hour) slots instead of one half-hour in the daytime and one half-hour in the evening as has been the tradition to date.  

The reasons given to them by QPTV staff were: 

a) An increase in number of producers requesting channel time. 

b) Unavailability of requested time slots or no times slots available when their selected number came up. 

We can appreciate this possibility, because there are only so many programmable hours in a week, even with four channels.   What we find unwarranted is that: 

1.      Some producers were given two weekly one-hour time slots (the equivalent of four half-hour programs to one producer) while others have had their requested program time reduced to one weekly half-hour. 

2.      Some producers not being given any time slot at all, while others are being given two time slots per week.  

3.      Some producers being given only daytime slots, limiting their audiences drastically.   This practice is an obvious departure from past lottery practices which allowed producers one daytime and one evening slot.  

“First-come first-served” means just that: the earlier applications get to pick first.  However it should not mean two slots are given if there aren’t enough to go around.  

Additionally are QPTV's in-house productions also chosen via the QPTV lottery?  If not, how are those time slots allocated?  

Given that there are no outside and independent overseers to this lottery who can truly validate its fairness, we ask that the Board review these facts and create immediate remedies for the producers who have been deprived of their right to public access by this lottery. 

If it is true that there is a scarcity of time slots, a more equitable approach might be:

 1.      Each producer is afforded one time slot until every producer has a slot.

2.      Or for the future and with plenty of advanced notice as to why, no producer may have more than one-hour programs.  This may assure that all producers have cablecast time.

3.      Increase cable casting hours to 24 hours in the same manner that other stations in the New York metropolitan area have done. 

Public Access TV is for everyone, and the access center can best serve the community by ensuring that all producers voices be heard, not just a select few. 

While we have not yet heard from all producers who have been negatively affected, we feel this matter is of great urgency in view of some of the representative cases we have been made aware of so far.  

We have addressed this letter to all of QPTV's Board of Directors as well and additionally request that copies of this letter sent via e-mail to each board member. 

We thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. 

Sincerely,

Anna Vitale

President

The Association of Cable Access Producers

cc:         Nayibe N. Berger

Sandra Delson-Deutsch

Patrick DiMotta

John B. Haney

Alfred Harris

Andrew P. Jackson

William L. Jefferson

Henry Kee

Joseph Lapatin

Joan Serrano-Laufer

Joel A. Miele, Sr.

Ruth Schlossman

              Thomas Hillgardner, Esq.