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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Turning the TV channel

Keith Vandervort
Posted 10/4/17

ELY – The City Council Tuesday night approved a committee recommendation to switch local television access programming to a new operator. Beginning Nov. 1, a local radio station personality, Todd …

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Turning the TV channel

Posted

ELY – The City Council Tuesday night approved a committee recommendation to switch local television access programming to a new operator. Beginning Nov. 1, a local radio station personality, Todd Crego, will replace longtime Ely-TV operator, Mike Jankovec, at the controls of the two local television stations.

With the looming contract expiration, the city’s Telecommunications Advisory Board advertised and received two proposals, and held interviews at their Aug. 29 meeting, The agreed to the decision to switch operational management at their Sept. 28 meeting.

Crego’s new contract goes into effect next month and will pay him $1,750 per month to manage the programming of the city’s two cable access channels, 11 and 98. The contract will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Jankovec, a well-known local concert promoter, has owned the non-profit rights to the Ely-TV operation for the past eight years. He appeared before the City Council Tuesday night and presented an alternative plan for operation of the local access television channels.

“I am the developer, programmer, director, editor and overall creative force that is Ely-TV and have been since its inception,” Jankovec said as he provided background information on the issue. He said he wanted ‘the council to make an informed decision” regarding the future of the Ely community access television stations.

Ely-TV assumed operations in 2008 under the management of Jankovec to provide programming for Channel 11. “The previous contractor provided little more than live broadcasts of City Council meetings, and then would switch over to the Arts Channel, provided by Charter Communications,” he said.

With a new contract in hand, Jankovec acquired non-profit status and took total operational control, and established a studio on Sheridan Street. “Automation systems were completed and an independent technician was hired by Ely-TV to provide the training necessary to transition to an automated programming system,” he said.

“After nearly a decade of operation, we have not missed one live City Council meeting,” Jankovec asserted. “In addition to fulfilling contractual obligations, Ely-TV provided thousands of interesting, educational and entertaining programs for its viewers.” He listed many types of shows, including school events, parades, cooking shows, nature programs, religious programs, and historical documentaries, among others. “You name it, and I have probably put it on Ely-TV over the years,” he said.

A second public access television channel was added a couple of years ago. “This was another vehicle to deliver to our viewers the kind of uncommon, educational and entertaining television you can’t find anywhere else,” Jankovec said.

He said he did not understand, nor agree with the recommendation of the Telecommunications Advisory Board to give the local access television contract to another party. “My purpose here is not to question that decision, but to voice the concerns I have pertaining to the well-being of the station.”

Jankovec offered an alternative option for the council to consider.

“Without an extensive programming library and proper training, this station simply will not function properly,” he said. “There is a huge learning curve involved with operating a television station.”

He provided a solution to avoid the “potential collapse” of the local access television station, rather than “removing an experienced operator and replacing him with an unknown or unproven” operator.

He offered a one-year contract alternative to the city involving both parties. “Each entity would run its own channel and develop its own content on its channel,” Jankovec said. He said studio time at City Hall could be split and a fair compensation for both parties could be negotiated. “I would be available to provide training to the other operator,” he said. “This would be a safer, more cost-effective, and agreeable solution to the future of public access television in Ely.”

Telecommunications Advisory Board member Dan Forsman made a motion to award the Ely-TV contract to Crego, with the stipulation that the contract will be reviewed after one year.

Paul Kess supported the motion, and said he wanted the issue sent back to TAB to consider Jankovec’s 11th-hour proposal. “I appreciate the loyalty and the work Mike has done in building up this station,” Kess said. “I think we owe him that much. He has been our (television) operator for a decade or so, and this would give the committee a chance to see if his proposal is workable.”

Mayor Chuck Novak said, in reviewing the two proposals, “We have a responsive proposal and a non-responsive proposal. I am in full support of supporting our boards and commissions. They do all the homework and all the studying, and if the council ignores them, they could all quit. That is the serious concern I have.”

Kess responded, “I certainly respect the work of the committees, but I don’t think that any council should take it blindly and do whatever they say. It is our responsibility to the public to exercise our own judgment.”

The council voted unanimously, to award the local access television contract to Crego, and directed the clerk to send a letter of appreciation to Jankovec.

Other business

In other business, the council took the following action:

• Agreed to form a negotiating committee to meet with supervisory staff in October to initiate contract negotiations;

•Approved a resolution indicating the city’s concerns regarding the MPCA’s proposed water quality standards to protect wild rice;

•Agreed to changes in the Pastika Building LLC purchase agreement calling for longer deadlines to complete building improvements;

• OK’d a commercial renovation loan for Ely Steam Bath to replace a second boiler, totaling $12,108;

•OK’d a commercial renovation loan for Timmothy and Jessica Leeson for Roots Salon for $17,500.