8/3/2019 Quote Unquote, Inc - By the People, For the People (1)

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For the People, By the People

Albuquerques public access tv channel provider, Quote Unquote, Inc. (QUQ), truly isfor the people and by the people, as demonstrated by the number and scope ofsupporters in attendance and advocating on its behalf at the January 5 special meeting

of the Cable Franchise Hearing Board. The contract between the city and comcaststipulates that Quote Unquote, Inc. be the designated public access service providerunless and until a successor is appointed.

QUQ participated in the recent request for proposal (RFP) process held by the city for

this service. Subsequently the contract for public access cable provider was awarded toan inexperienced company called uPublic, which failed to submit its RFP by the

published deadline (then extended by the city), lied about its 501c-3 status in itsapplication, and submitted an operating cost bid $117,000 higher than QUQs bid.

These factors alone would logically dictate that the RFP be granted to the applicant with

a proven record of superior service rather than to an unknown entity which could noteven satisfactorily meet the application requirements.

However, the negotiations surrounding this decision have been held behind closeddoors, seemingly between the IPEG committee (responsible for allocation of public,educational and governmental funding for cable service) and Robert Perry, the cityChief Administrative Officer (CAO). The Cable Franchise Hearing Board was not even

originally notified of the process. The Cable Franchise Hearing Board requested Mr.Perrys participation at the January 5 special meeting, but he refused to attend. Marvin

Gladstone, an attorney who has filed a complaint regarding this lack of transparency,stated that unless and until a successor is appointed must be interpreted to mean

lawfully appointed. I believe that it must also be interpreted to mean that unless onlybe applied if the service provider has been unsatisfactory in some way.

Quote UnQuotes record proves the opposite. The meeting speakers, representing the

full spectrum of our community in age, race, professions, economic level, and politicalinterests, applauded QUQs 30 year history of exemplary public service and urged the

Cable Franchise Hearing Board to demand transparency by the city in its designationprocess for who will continue as the public access cable provider within the cityscontract. Speakers gave testimony to the significant contribution Quote UnQuote has

made in Albuquerque and beyond by providing a truly public platform for free speech as

well as training to prepare many residents over the years to become competent andcompetitive for media careers. Speakers included youth, the camera man for the city

council proceedings, long time and recent Quote UnQuote program producers,international Navajo filmmaker Shauna Sunrise (also producer of Nativezine, the only

live native issues program in the U.S. and with viewers from New Zealand to Toronto),and Glenna Voigt, Principal of Albuquerques Media Arts Collaborative Charter School

(a further result of Quote UnQuotes outreach efforts to benefit the community).

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One speaker cautioned, He or she who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. The

city would do well to apply this advice to uPublic and Quote Unquote. uPublic hasalready clearly failed in their efforts towards little, while Quote Unquote, Inc. has amplydemonstrated their faithfulness both in little and in much. Anyone concerned with

protecting and preserving public access for the actual public, rather than for those whosimply name themselves public, must communicate with their city council members insupport of QUQ remaining as Albuquerques public access provider, and for complete

transparency in any future RFP process.