MTN & Portals
From:
cheryl luger
Date:
Nov 09 07:44 UTC
Short link
There is a plan. Handed out tonight at the Nokomis East city budget
presentation:
"Community and Neighborhood Portals". Didn't see the 2 pg. plan on the website,
but it's probably there...Highlights as a "p.s."
It is an ambitious program and looks worthwhile.
That isn't the question. What is, isthe funding source (MTN) and why it is in
excess of the wireless communitybenefits packagenegotiated with the wireless
provider.
Tonight's handout states:
"The Community Benefits Agreement with US Internet Wireless includes several
elements that are not linked to the Digital Inclusion Fund or in its Advisors
purveiw. The city of Minneapolis needs a plan for oversight of those elements."
Why wasn't it in the CBA? What was in the agreement? Why did the city feel it
necessary to expand offerings if it couldn't find the money except by
redirecting MTN. Why wasn't MTN informed before being ambushed..with no time to
work this out with the Mayor? Pretty heavy-handed.
From an earlier entry on the city website:
"The groundbreaking set of community benefits in the Minneapolis contract
leverages the success of the network to help bridge the digital divide.
Highlights include:
USI Wireless will provide $500,000 to create a digital inclusion fund that will
be used to promote affordable Internet access, low-cost hardware, local content
and training. In addition, US Internet will direct a minimum of five percent of
the networks net profits to a digital inclusion fund for ongoing digital
inclusion efforts. In total, it is expected that about $11 million will go into
the digital inclusion fund over the 10-year term of the contract. "
That 'local content and training'(neighborhood portals) IS within the fund's
'purview" .
Isn't there enough money here to cover this new initiative without redirecting
the very small MTN budget? Is that half-million gone already? What is it
ear-marked for?
Because of LGA cuts, it was explained tonight that all departments took cuts
...although there is enough money to establish a new Community engagement
department within the Communications dept.
MTN already took its cut...$50,000.On top of that is a 'one- time' $100,000 cut
to an already very small budget. This is over 20% of MTN's budget. I think we
also know how fleeting a promise of just a one-time cut can be. But that's
irrelevant, can MTN even handle a one year reduction of this magnitude?
$100,000 can certainly be found amongother departments with huge budgets.
This certainly is not community engagement...when it impacts a wide range of
minority, cultural, safety, news programs found on MTN. Not just the Somali
community (City pages) uses MTN to communicate with their
constituences...Hmong, Hispanic...community interests and topics (a number of
health shows in several languages). Thee programs 'look like' the communities
they are serving. The skills learned at this station (alot of
volunteers)benefit the community in other ways.
A little history on MTN...around 2003, the city put pressure on MTN to become a
city department. People rose up and protested the impact on programing freedom
and journalistic integrity. It was feared the city would, if not control, would
be iin a postion to unduly influence progamming, content and much more..By
drastically cutting the budget, the same result can be obtained & move this
station 'into thefold'...if this starvation strategysound familiar...
Best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east
PS If interested contact the city for the program (communications dept).
Highlights include:
"program planning, technology 'production', and community-focused
engagement/involvement".
18 month plan. 100 free accounts. $15,000 in annual wireless minneapolis
monthly suscription vouchers for volunteers. CIVIC GARDEN Community Portals.
Sponsorship opportunities for neighborhood - based businesses to reach out to
potential customers cost effectively.
I would guess there would be private contractors applying for this workoutside
of usinternet...unless the provider will be doing the additional work.