Cable Public Access Studio in Peekskill in Jeopardy
A cable access studio in Peekskill that has been available for community produced programming for more than four decades is in jeopardy of being off limits.
Under a proposed 10-year renewal of an existing contract between the City of Peekskill and Altice, which bought out Cablevision in June 2016 for $17.7 billion, use of the studio by such longtime cable show hosts as State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef and community activist George Ondek is not included as a stipulation.
An $85,000 grant to support three community access channels and an increase in the franchise fee are part of the contract, which will be subject to a vote of the Peekskill Common Council.
“We’re very much looking forward to continuing to serve the residents of Peekskill,” Dan Ahouse, government affairs area director for Altice, told the Council during a hearing last month. “The agreement does not include an obligation to keep a studio here in the City of Peekskill.”
Ondek, a Peekskill resident who has produced a show on public access for 20 years, said residents would be shortchanged if the doors on the studio were closed.
“They want to nickel and dime people by taking away our public access studio in Peekskill,” Ondek said. “This studio is important to us in Peekskill.”
There is no other studio in the area. If the Peekskill location were too close, individuals who currently have shows covering such topics as government affairs, religion, health and cooking would have to travel 90 minutes to two hours to a studio in Connecticut.
“Peekskill is growing in population and people are interested in what’s going on,” said resident Donald Sabo. “We don’t seem to have as many opportunities as we used to.”
“Public access is really a community voice set up by the community,” said resident James Brooks. “Without that studio those voices would truly be silenced.”
Joe Pisano, who volunteers on about 10 current shows with sound, and Cecilia Rohrs, who worked for 30 years in public access with Cablevision before being laid off but currently produces Galef’s program, also expressed support for the Peekskill studio remaining open.
“I think it’s a really important venue for people,” Rohrs said. “I’ve met thousands of people who have thanked me for getting the word out.”
The Common Council is expected to discuss the issue at its September 12 work session at City Hall.
“All your comments are being well received,” said Mayor Andre Rainey. “As an artist myself, it helps to get the word out.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
