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Published on 05/05/1997 All articles from this issue

Access to a variety of views

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By Andy Nystrom

Town Crier Staff Writer

Local cable TV channels offer 'electronic soapbox' of idiosyncratic programming

Access Los Altos is taking viewers to other "worlds" through the cable television shows being produced at its Foothill College studio. And it's not because many of the programs are filmed in the building that once housed the college's planetarium.

Variety of subject matter has much to do with the station's impact on viewers, with shows ranging from "Grand Piano" to "Vegetarian Country" to "Anything Sports." Local residents are even getting involved in front of and behind the cameras, by producing, hosting and filming their own shows.

Budding David Lettermans and Oprah Winfreys are also brightening up the screen over at Mountain View Community TV (KMVT), which features shows like "Humor and Healing," "Real Estate Matters" and - one of its most popular attractions - "Local Sports."

Both stations share the goal of appealing to their respective communities.

"The station and programs tend to take on the character of the community, whereas channels 4, 5 and 7 have such a broad target audience from San Rafael to Gilroy," said Marilyn Ackerman, director of Access Los Altos, which has been in existence since 1986. "It's about people who live right here."

Which also means featuring programs for seniors ("New Horizons"), kids ("Subculture") and shows in Spanish ("El Ojo," "Latino Unidos").

Speaking out

"We speak to the needs of the community. We invite people to come down and share their views," said Doug Broomfield, KMVT's general manager.

Added Alisa Rice, the Mountain View station's public relations coordinator/producer: "It's the last place (on television) where people can exercise freedom of speech. It's like an electronic soapbox."

Broomfield has been running the show in Mountain View for six years and recently began production on "Mountain View Speaks Out," a five-minute platform in which viewers can discuss anything on their minds. Topics have ranged from the use of Moffett Field to local rental rates.

As far as content goes, Ackerman will allow almost anything on the air, unless it's commercial programming, political solicitation, a lottery or something she feels is obscene. Access Los Altos has run shows late at night that contained nudity, and KMVT gave the go-ahead to its hosts of "Gen-X" to air a controversial piece on body piercing.

"My viewers could see it on another channel at the same time, so why can't they see it here?" said Ackerman, Access Los Altos director for eight years. Added Broomfield, "I'd rather run the piece and work it out with the community later on than trying to censor it. And when people call to complain, it's a chance to share with them what (the station) is all about."

KMVT, however, went the political route for the 1996 election, inviting 36 local candidates - including those running for city council, education, superintendent and state senate positions - to come down to the station and film their campaign messages.

Running the show

Aside from common views on the content of most of their programs, Access Los Altos and KMVT are run differently.

Access (Channel 26) runs on a yearly budget of about $200,000, with money coming from Foothill College, TCI Cable and a percentage of franchise fees from the city of Los Altos. Those funds pay for the studio, employees' salaries, supplies and production equipment. Because they're covered financially, the station doesn't charge a fee for people to produce their programs.

Since KMVT (Channel 6) is its own entity, the station charges a $10-an-hour fee to use the studio and $2.50 per hour to work in the editing suites; however, if people put in enough volunteer hours on the station's other programs, the production costs are waived. This year, the non-profit KMVT - in operation since 1982 - has run on a budget of just under $430,000, with money coming from grants, donations, fund-raising and client services.

As far as production goes, Access Los Altos and KMVT have all the basic features that the major stations use: editing suites, control room, graphics studio, audio room and studio.

Mountain View houses a 1,000 square foot studio, in which its staff produces its shows during the day and local residents film their programs in the evening. Broomfield also noted that KMVT has a scene dock, which is stored with a variety of backdrops for shows.

"We're trying to get away from the green plant with the blue curtain (scenery)," he joked.

Along with the host and guests, camera and production crews are needed to help a show get rolling, and KMVT and Access Los Altos have that covered. And because of KMVT's volunteer data base, one can browse through and hook up with people willing to put in some hours and experience the cable television scene.

Thanks to a $5,000 grant from Hewlett-Packard, KMVT recently started training 14 juniors and seniors from Alta Vista High School in a video production workshop titled "Focus on Youth." In the workshops, students develop technical and artistic skills, build self-esteem and get involved in their community.

Air time for Access Los Altos, which shares station space with Cupertino Community Television, is every day from 4-11 p.m. KMVT also runs city council meetings on Channel 3 and airs Channel 6 programs from 4-10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

It's showtime

Perhaps one of the most colorful programs on Access Los Altos is "Suzanne's Studio," hosted by Suzanne Barnett of Los Altos Hills.

Dressed in clothes and painted sneakers of all shades of the rainbow, the self-proclaimed "wild" hostess has interviewed everyone from drag queens to an Elvis Presley impersonator to a renowned cosmetic surgeon. An upcoming show will even feature Luba Brezhnev, daughter of former Russian leader Leonid Brezhnev, who will discuss her high-society life during that time.

"No. 1, I want to entertain the audience, but at the same time I've had guests who are so fascinating and educational," said Barnett, in her 60s, whose been with Access Los Altos for a little over four years. "I feel like I'm on the cutting edge of doing different things."

An extra on "The Donna Reed Show" some 30 years ago, Barnett notches her guests through a networking process and by meeting people at social events. "I can be at an art show and know if the person I'm meeting is going to be right," she said. "If they say they're shy in front of a camera, then I don't have them on the show. They need to be very excited."

Local high school athletes are excited about KMVT's "Local Sports" show, which airs twice a week and features commentary and three camera angles.

Broomfield estimates that the sports crew rolls the station's van out to about 100 games a year; as a result, players and their parents return the favor by purchasing video tapes of the program. And the KMVT general manager said several athletes may have received scholarships by sending the station's broadcasts out to colleges to view their performances on the field.

Other shows making an impact at Access Los Altos, and which are up for awards at this month's Bay Area Cable Excellence Awards, are: "Sober Graduation," an eye-opening feature about the dangers of drinking and driving; "Subculture," an MTV-like music video show; and "Vegetarian Country," a humorous show featuring two local chefs and a country-music band.

Cable fever

Speaking of programs and the personalities who produce and star in them, Ackerman said she enjoys meeting chefs, authors, landscapers and others and learned a great deal about skateboard art from the "Anything Sports" show.

"(That program) targets to the other end of the spectrum. It's a nice contrast, and it's as valuable to that target audience as 'Grand Piano' is," she said.

"Grand Piano," produced and hosted by Los Altos resident Wayne Picciano, focuses on classical music and is one of the station's most popular programs; aside from Access Los Altos, it also runs on KMVT and across the Bay Area and country.

KMVT's Rice, who also produces a show titled "Before the Council," said that the local residents who file into the studio each evening to produce their access programs are a creative and dedicated bunch. "Their energy and excitement is felt by all of us," she said.

Added Susanne Elwell, production coordinator at Access Los Altos: "Everyone comes in just for the love of the show. It's fun, just having a good time."