URTV attorney responds to Council committee

Last month, Asheville City Council’s Boards and Commission Committees sent a letter to the URTV director and board dhair with a 14-point list of its impressions of the problems within the public-access station and asking URTV to “right its own ship.”

On Aug. 5, attorney Michelle Rippon, whose law firm Van Winkle represents URTV, responded with a letter asking the committee for facts to back up its concerns, saying the purported problems the product of “efforts to discredit the organization.”

“I should add that I have reviewed numerous emails containing allegations against individuals associated with UTRV which could be related to your concerns, but are for the most part unsubstantiated or illusory and could easily support claims for defamation,” the letter reads.

As evidence, Rippon attached an e-mail allegedly sent that same day to URTV Operations Manager Jonathon Czarny by retired private investigator Alan Rosenthal, who has leveled accusations at members of the URTV board and several producers.

In the e-mail, in which Rosenthal asks Czarny to “keep this to yourself,” Rosenthal indicates that he has checked Czarny’s criminal record (where he found “nothing of concern to anyone”) and has researched Czarny’s activities at UNCA (“No one has anything negative to say about you over there”), and says that “were it not for the company you keep … I would be a fan.”

“I think you are destroying your career at URTV,” Rosenthal states in the e-mail.

In related URTV news, Asheville City Council on Aug. 11 is once again scheduled to appoint a new member to the URTV board. In early July, Council was poised to appoint producer Dale Joyner but delayed the vote to address the drama within the organization.

Click here to read Rippon’s letter and the attachment in The Xpress Files.

— Brian Postelle, staff writer

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53 thoughts on “URTV attorney responds to Council committee

  1. URTV Producer

    It sure would be great if we could get a lot of non-URTV participants to post here on this thread, YET AGAIN rehashing the same crap that has been stated over and over and over and over and over again. Now Ya’ll don’t let us down.
    It’s been over a week since the Express has done a URTV story and given you yet ANOTHER thread to bitch about how unfair something is, or how you were done so terribly wrong.
    So get ready…..

    Wait for it……

    GO!!!!

  2. In her non-responsive answer to city council’s ultimatum, Rippon states that the attached confidential letter by Rosenthal is an example of having the goal of “controlling the programming at URTV.”

    In what way is the attached letter an example of that?

  3. Vox Clematis

    Hmmmm, wondering what is so defamatory in the tidbits of correspondence from Rosenthal to Czarny.
    Is this an example of the attorney’s best shot at the valid concerns from the city council?

    Looks desperate to me, like URTV’s management is grasping for anything to smokescreen the issues raised in the City’s letter.

  4. when i start my new show on urtv,we will get to the bottom of all this stuff..
    free and open speech,that is the only way to go..
    who would like to be on the show with me ???
    you know,i bet i can get some of ashevilles best thinkers…
    i plan to start the show very soon,something like a urtv round table..
    i also have something like 200 hours of music video in the can ready to go..
    you know,i get so much email every day,asking me ,when will i get back on the air..
    well i just do not have the time to respond to all of them,but it will be very soon,and better than ever..

  5. URTV Producer Too

    Timpeck: the URTV attorney is asking the questions now and some of you people have a lot to answer to.

    Vox Clematis: “Vox Clematis En Deserto” tranlates from Latin as “crying in the wilderness.” Why don’t you come into town and learn what’s going on. URTV flourishes as any producer can tell you. It excels in FREE SPEECH. Free speech means absence of control by ANYONE, especially a small minority of idiots who have no idea what it is. Answer the attorney’s questions now or in court.

    Dr.Blackwell: From what I’ve seen, you pretty well blew any chance you had of ever doing another show on URTV. Shame, I liked your show but you have no commonsense and shot yourself in both feet numerous times with pretty good shot groupings.

  6. URTV Producer Too writes: “the URTV attorney is asking the questions now and some of you people have a lot to answer to.”

    I don’t see city council being particularly disposed to answer any questions. They hold the keys.

    They city has given URTV an ultimatum and if this is their response, I don’t see any doors opening for them in Nov.

  7. JamesL

    It does seem pretty clear that the city has asked the URTV board to demonstrate they are able to manage the place while addressing their own issues, and they’re not interested in he said/she said. Instead, URTV challenges any suggestion that there’s anything wrong and asks the city to prove there are problems. I’m not sure they get that they are asking for money and permission to continue operating.

    Do you think the city is concerned they won’t be allowed to give URTV more taxpayer money if they don’t do as URTV asks? And the crazies doing all the complaining, do they really think they’re going to get the keys to the place when it gets shut down? The only people demonstrating their incompetance more than the URTV board is the group complaining about them.

  8. “Instead, URTV challenges any suggestion that there’s anything wrong”

    Denial of what is obvious and documented is a weak defense. I’m just sayin’.

  9. “Dr.Blackwell: From what I’ve seen, you pretty well blew any chance you had of ever doing another show on URTV.”

    oh,no, i plan to start doing shows very soon..

  10. OMG. you should have been there at City Council …
    Dale Joyner gave a fabulous performance..
    bravo,bravo,to Dale Joyner…-
    the new york times says,”her best yet. the role of a mad woman will never be the same..Dale Joyner owns the role..”
    while some in attendance,sat in horrified disbelief,as police tried to decide if they would need to take her out,others of us could hardly hold back our applause…she is the queen of urtv..

  11. URTV Producer

    Why the new show blackwell? Do you have a new
    FOR PROFIT website you need to advertise? Some new business venture you can’t figure out how to ADVERTISE for free!!

    It really is heartbreaking how you have been SO mistreated isn’t it. You stated a couple of weeks ago that:
    “you just wanted to do your show in peace, is that too much to ask?”
    Well, you signed a programming contract to abide by the rules, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to do that could you?
    Was THAT too much to ask?
    Now you want to come back and start a lot of unnecessary crap, just to keep conflict or “Anarchy” as you like to put it going.
    Shame on you for trying to bring down Asheville’s public access station because you were called out and suspended for breaking the rules.
    Pat should have banned you for life for breaking the rules and acting the way you have. I’m sure it won’t be long until you do something else stupid get thrown out again. It’s just a shame that staff time will have to be wasted providing adult supervision over you because you clearly can’t be trusted to play by the rules.

    Another note, most teenagers stop using the phrase “OMG” when they get into high school.

    To quote Davine: “ROTFL”

  12. R.Bernier

    URTV attorney Michelle Rippon should be aware of the following video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFfV2Ge4HQI

    In my opion, I see violations of Open Board Meeting Laws here.

    The lack of being open says it all.
    RB

    PS…The last Board Meeting, URTV passed a budget were tehy failed to post a ten day notice of meeting – even one of the Board Members said he was only made aware just two days before the meeting.

    Reform URTV today!!

  13. JamesL

    To stick to the point for a change, how specifically do you and other outspoken opponents to URTV suggest it be “reformed”? I’m genuinely curious about your constructive suggestions rather than open ended non-specific complaints or opinion based accusations.

  14. Mister Blister

    Why do we keep hearing about this? And could you people please try to craft ONE response?

  15. Mister Blister

    Oh yeah, back to my main point: Why are we hearing about this? Why is there a board? Dump the bums out and fix it (or forget it!)

  16. Legal Eagle

    URTV attorney Michelle Rippon should be aware of the following…

    I would say, Mr. Bernier, your problem is that she already IS aware of it and the other actionable things you’ve been doing. Keep it up, you big ole target you.

  17. to – URTV Producer
    i know that some people think that “Anarchest” should not have tv shows,but this is public access for crying out loud… every one gets to have a show, an that is the joy of it..
    if you have not figured that out by now,you are not fit to run a public access facility..
    get it ??

  18. Bravo! to Robin Cape, who attempted to interject some sanity.
    I too, am disappointed your suggestion fell on deaf ears.

  19. to URTV Producer
    i know that some people think that “Anarchists”should not have tv shows,but this is public access, and every one gets to do a show.. that is the point..

  20. “how specifically do you and other outspoken opponents to URTV suggest it be “reformed”?”

    1. I am not an “opponent to URTV.” I am a supporter of URTV. That’s why I am a critic of the corruption that has taken root there.

    2. The only way URTV will survive after November is for the Board of Directors to replace the Executive Director. The only way to replace the Executive Director is to replace the board. Since the ED ‘de facto’ controls the board, the latter is not likely.

    3. I predict that neither the board nor director will be replaced with competent people in time to satisfy the city’s ultimatum. Therefore, URTV, in its present form, will not survive. That’s a shame. I would like to have participated more.

  21. James L

    The question was more directed at the ex board members, but nonetheless, the response is again entirely opinion based and non-specific. The problem with the opinions is they are not shared by everyone. You’ve been down that road a hundred times, move on. Other than removing people because of apparent personal differences or an accusation of corruption that is not shared by all the members, how do any of you propose to make the facility run harmoniously to the satisfaction of everyone involved?

    I believe the city wants URTV to simply operate without all the drama. They’re clearly not taking anyone’s side. So how do any of the people complaining on both sides propose to address the actual problems as opposed to fueling the various vendettas that have cropped up both internally and externally? It’s a fair question.

  22. James: Do you think the city is concerned they won’t be allowed to give URTV more taxpayer money if they don’t do as URTV asks? And the crazies doing all the complaining, do they really think they’re going to get the keys to the place when it gets shut down? The only people demonstrating their incompetance more than the URTV board is the group complaining about them.

    The city sent a 14 point letter in which they clearly outlined the ongoing issues at URTV. Those issues are the same (for the most part) of what I saw and was labeled a whistle blower about. I’m certain if they felt the issues were just bellyaching from a couple of few disgruntled BODs or shunned producers, they would have refrained from doing so.

  23. Matt Howard

    One thing to be clear on. I had the oppertunity to have a casual conversation with a lawyer who used to work for the IRS. Legally speaking, the PEG money that supports URTV is not a tax. It’s collected by charter, which is a business. Only governments have the power to collect taxes. Call it a fee all you want. A fee that only cable subscribers pay, by the way. Local government merely facilitates the transfer of funds.

    Not a tax.
    Any court of law will back that up.

  24. Thinker

    They seem to be talking about a video programing sales tax which replaced the way PEG funds are funded for them. Matt and the lawyer are correct. You really need to re-read the link.

  25. I honestly don’t know how much clearer this article could be in explaining the “tax” on programming, based on the 2007 law that turned the collection over to the state revenue dept. on cable, satellite, and telecommunication companies.
    But then this comment is from a group who continually obfuscates everything imaginable.

    Sales Tax on Video Programming: Due to the passage of the Video Service Competition Act, the Town of Chapel Hill no longer receives cable franchise fees from Time Warner Cable. Instead, the Town receives the Sales Tax on Video Programming distributed quarterly by the NC Department of Revenue, which collects varying levels of taxes from cable, satellite, and telecommunication companies in the state and redistributes the tax.

  26. Fremont Brown

    Davyne, that’s correct, that’s the way Chapel Hill is funded. But it does not apply to URTV and the way its funded. URTV is still funded by subscriber fees from Charter. The two stations are funded completely different. Therefore, you are still wrong URTV is not funded by taxes. And Matt and the Lawyer are correct.

  27. elaneon

    PEG funds are collected by private companies in order to uphold the companies agreements within the areas they operate. Like any other cost of doing business, it gets passed along directly or indirectly to consumers. This is not a tax. To say it is a tax is like saying postage and handling is a tax on goods, which really isn’t the case. These are all merely costs accrued in providing goods or services to customers. Directly or indirectly businesses which are in business to make profit pass along any and all such costs of doing business to their customers. Because the consumer wants the good or service, he agrees to pay the costs involved plus a reasonable profit for providing that good or service.

  28. Reprint of an article from Medford, Mass…. from an evaluation of their public access station, describing very similar issues to ones that have been presented here at Mountain Express for the past seven months. This leaves me to wonder of the problems myself and others have spoken about, at Asheville’s public access station are not pervasive within many other public access stations, nation wide.

    http://www.wickedlocal.com/medford/news/x2145957005/BREAKING-NEWS-Judge-issues-recommendations-for-TV3
    MEDFORD – After more than nine months after evaluation hearings regarding Medford Community Cablevision, Inc. (TV3), the city earlier today released the findings and recommendations of Judge Marie O. Jackson Thompson.
    In a 12-page report submitted to the administration Aug. 5, Thompson outlines the history of local access in Medford, followed by steps she took in preparing for the evaluation hearings held Oct. 29 and Nov. 15, 2008, such as attending Board of Director’s meetings, requesting documents and speaking to former TV3 station manager Dawn Natalia.
    “During the period of from April through October, I made repeated oral and written requests for documents, including all minutes,” Thompson writes, adding she received a job description for position of executive director, a suggested reorganization of the board composition and selection, a questionnaire for the board self-evaluation and employee evaluation, current Policies and Procedures Guidelines and bylaws for 2007 as well as 2008 documents.
    Thompson goes on to reference the Oct. 29 public hearing in City Hall, where testimony was heard from the community and city officials. She also refers to a letter of resignation from Natalia, presented on her behalf by TV3 attorney David Skerry.
    The judge proceeds with a point-by-point assessment of TV3’s bylaws, policies, record keeping, membership and filmmaking projects.
    In perceiving the operation of TV, Thompson writes “this reporter looking at the contract and business aspects finds it a poorly organized and operating business with deficient internal controls due to a dirth of records at all levels.
    “This business is not serving the needs of the community,” she continues. “Whether it has complied with sound financial practices will depend on the conclusions of the audit.”
    In May of this year, Melanson Heath & Company, of Andover, handed over an assessment of the public access station’s books to both the city and the organization’s Board of Directors, but declined to provide a conclusion on the station’s finances.
    In a two-section list of recommendations for both the city and TV3, Thompson states that, “whether the city can make a substantial case to remove the MCC remains a decision for the city of Medford. However, for the reasons set forth above, a preliminary notice of “no confidence” should be filed with the board as a formal notice of deficiencies in their contractual responsibilities.
    “Should the board continue to be noncompliant, the city may wish to take additional actions to ultimately terminate the MCC contract,” she continues. “At this time or anytime near the future, the city may wish to request that the Office of the Attorney General and/or Secretary of State investigate MCC.”
    To the Board of Directors, Thompson says the body is not obliged to follow any of her recommendations. However, she states, “The integrity of the MCC board and TV3 has been seriously compromised by the failure of the MCC board to establish and maintain lawful corporate records. Lawful and correct filings, act in accordance with the bylaws and Massachusetts law.”
    Thompson goes on to recommend the following for the board:
    · Examine the issue of governance and determine if the president, treasurer or clerk of the board needs to be removed, disciplined or sanctioned for violations.
    · Examine the need for stronger policy to curtail acts of discrimination at TV3.
    · Appoint MCC Board of Directors and committee heads that reflects the greater diversity of the city of Medford.
    · Require all individuals who serve as board members to participate in training in cultural and disability awareness as well as contract resolution.
    · Seek as advisor to the board a PEG channel general manager from a comparable station such as Malden, Somerville or Reading.
    As a joint effort, Thompson goes on to recommend the mayor’s office as well as MCC should undertake outreach efforts to attract new members.

  29. URTV Producer

    Well, here we are a week later.
    I want to personally thank Dial, Bernier, Blackwell, and Peck for answering my call to action.

    I must say you all didn’t really accomplished a lot of baseless URTV slamming this week.

    Chins up little buckaroos…. I’m sure a new thread will be started here for you all tomorrow.

    OMG, ROTFL!!!!!
    :)

  30. OMG. did pat call me a little buckaroo..
    ok. that did it.
    it’s time for everyone to watch
    “they ilve.”,and “videodrome”..

  31. Secret Service

    Davyne: “This leaves me to wonder of the problems myself and others have spoken about, at Asheville’s public access station are not pervasive within many other public access stations, nation wide.”

    I think you are onto something Davyne!! Perhaps you, Brezny, Mass, Peck, Blackwell, Bernier, Yelton, Maroni, Thomas, Bradbury and Nesbitt can convince Rosaenthal to take your show on the road and demand a Federal Investigtion!!!

    RAOTFLMMFAO

    No one takes you clowns seriously and your 15 minutes——AND credibility; are just about up.

  32. Fremont Brown: Davyne, that’s correct, that’s the way Chapel Hill is funded. But it does not apply to URTV and the way its funded. URTV is still funded by subscriber fees from Charter. The two stations are funded completely different. Therefore, you are still wrong URTV is not funded by taxes. And Matt and the Lawyer are correct.

    We were told by Wanda Greene back in February that “as soon as AT&T arrives in the county” the city and county will no longer be paid directly by Charter…that the funding will begin coming from the state, in the manner mentioned above. The arrival of AT&T negates the franchise agreement with Charter.
    See at the bottom of reprint below my statement from ACT, where the Video Service Competition Act, which N.C. General Assembly passed in 2006. The legislation streamlined the process for entering the video marketplace.

    Kathy Hughes: Asheville and Buncombe County have franchise agreements with Charter Communications, which in the past has limited competition. The county has more than 39,000 cable customers, while the city has 22,000.

    “Right now the county has a franchise agreement with Charter, but as soon as AT&T gets that first customer, that franchise agreement is no longer any good,” said Kathy Hughes, Buncombe County’s communications director.
    (2 of 2)

    AT&T has offered Internet and telephone packages that include satellite television. But this is the company’s first foray into a cable product.
    Advertisement

    Other providers are looking into establishing cable service in Buncombe, but AT&T was the first to get a platform together, Hughes said.

    Customers likely will welcome the competition, she said.

    “It will give customers an alternative to Charter and an alternative to satellite TV,” Hughes said.

    The county signed an agreement with Charter in 2002, and if no other provider had entered the market, that agreement would not have run out until 2014.

    Asheville had a similar deal with Charter, said Jeff Reble, the city’s media production manager.

    “A lot of folks make the assumption that Charter had a monopoly here, but that’s not correct,” Reble said. “There was just no other company interested (in competing) until AT&T.”
    Charter filed bankruptcy

    Charter is the region’s dominant cable television provider, although some other providers have small slices of the market. Also, Dish Network and DirecTV provide satellite television.

    Charter, the nation’s fourth-largest cable company, has struggled in recent years, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March to get relief from its creditors and restructure $8 billion in debt.

    The move left about $13 billion in debt on its books, though. Charter had 5.5 million customers in 27 states at the time of the filing.

    Anthony Pope, vice president and general manager of operations for the Carolinas and Virginia, said the company has “about 95-98 percent of the (cable) subscribers in Western North Carolina.”
    Charter responds

    “Competition is nothing new for us,” Pope said, citing satellite providers, as well as competition for telephone and Internet customers. “We feel very comfortable in our product.”

    Pope said Charter has a track record for reliability and its customers “have been unanimously approving of the product we provide.”

    Over the years, customers have complained about Charter to the county, sometimes citing Charter’s offerings and pricing. Pope said the company provides a superior product and “welcomes the competition” from AT&T.

    The competition is made possible by the Video Service Competition Act, which the N.C. General Assembly passed in 2006. The legislation streamlined the process for entering the video marketplace.

    “Local residents have asked for more choices in television service and today we’re delivering,” said Cynthia G. Marshall, president of AT&T North Carolina.

  33. URTV Producer

    Secret Service stated:
    “I think you are onto something Davyne!! Perhaps you, Brezny, Mass, Peck, Blackwell, Bernier, Yelton, Maroni, Thomas, Bradbury and Nesbitt can convince Rosaenthal to take your show on the road and demand a Federal Investigtion!!!”

    Well stated.
    It seems clear Rosenthal will bark at whoever Davine points at as long as there is a paycheck involved!

    Word is out about your little organization kids, and the list of people whose credibility has been ruined because of your vendetta just seems to grow.

    David Forbes obviously is no longer allowed to do his dictation URTV hit pieces for you.
    (I hope he takes seriously what David Conner Jones taught him, good luck Mr. Forbes)

    Richard Bernier’s political career is shot to republican hell where it now belongs.
    (Thank You)

    Carl Mumpower’s email to you all pretty much wiped out all of his conservative credibility and any chance he had of a higher political seat.
    (HUGE THANK YOU!!!!)

    And so on….

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Pat’s still in charge, Jonathon is successfully running a smooth facility, Curt with no previous training is proving Jen was in completely over her head, and the list of happy producers grows regularly.

    You know, the more I think about this, you all are doing a GREAT JOB! Keep it up.

  34. No one takes you clowns seriously and your 15 minutes———AND credibility; are just about up. so says Secret Service

    If this was about 15 minutes of limelight (as you so wish it was) you might have a point.

    But it’s not….it’s about GROSS ABUSE of authority. That is what this slog in the trenches has been about. And the more intimidation tactics and threats of “action,” meted out by the appointed pit bulls, the more obvious things become.

  35. URTV Producer

    Yes Davine, GROSS ABUSE of authority.
    Like when you and richard abused your authority while on the board! and were PROPERLY removed as a result of YOUR abuses.

    “appointed pit bulls” don’t you mean hired?
    BY YOU!!!!!
    (Have you really gotten your money’s worth? Because with Rosenthal’s city council performance we sure found him very entertaining! )

    This stupidity is actually becoming comical!

    Or as you junior high-schooly put it:
    ROTFLMAO.

    See you here Wednesday for a new week of this.

  36. URTV Producer

    I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Mountain Express for not presenting another example of stenography journalism this week.

    Perhaps Rosenthal’s performance at the county commissioners meeting FINALLY proved the point (to your writers, we already knew) that this group has a personal vendetta. Hopefully Mr. Forbes will stop furthering baseless claims and attacks.

    To anyone who has not met Joe Scotto,
    ( Rosenthal’s latest attack victim) he is without a doubt one of the finest and most honest human beings you would ever be lucky enough to meet. He has been a cornerstone of URTV since the doors opened. When you attempt to go after him, you have truly jumped the shark!

    From all current URTV Producers:
    Thank You Mountain Express!!!

  37. John

    Whoever the individual was who I saw on City TV the other day who was commenting on how he didn’t like the way that URTV is being run didn’t do his cause any favors.

  38. Secret Service

    Davyne Dial Wrote: “If this was about 15 minutes of limelight (as you so wish it was) you might have a point.

    But it’s not….it’s about GROSS ABUSE of authority. That is what this slog in the trenches has been about. And the more intimidation tactics and threats of “action,” meted out by the appointed pit bulls, the more obvious things become.”

    Nice job side-stepping here, but you failed to adress my point: You and your group have no credibility!

    After 8 months, twenty-something articles in the Mountain X; Dozens of emails to City Council/County Commissioners/and every media outlet in the region; multiple appearances at Council/Commisioners Meetings; and hundreds of posts online…

    …..people have actually STOPPED paying attention to you. You and your group of Sour Grapes/Axe-Grinders have acomplished nothing….

    …and it is not by accident or conspiracy; it’s precisely because you and your group have no credibility.

    …but keep on telling people the sky is falling……because people can look up and see for themselves that the sky, in fact, is not falling.

    Sheesh!!! Next thing you know, they will try to start their own Media Company (again). Which would explain their trying to destroy the competition (URTV) first. Long Live URTV!!!!!

  39. JamesL

    “Sheesh!!! Next thing you know, they will try to start their own Media Company (again). Which would explain their trying to destroy the competition (URTV) first. Long Live URTV!!!!!”

    Interesting you should say that….

    http://ashevillenccoc.weblinkconnect.com/CWT/EXTERNAL/WCPAGES/WCDIRECTORY/directory.aspx?ACTION=newmembers&adkeyword=newmembers

    From the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Website

    “Welcome to our newest members..”

    Western North Carolina Media Center, Inc.
    Mr. Alan J. Rosenthal
    72 Montview Dr.
    Asheville, NC 28801
    Phone: (828) 253-9115
    Fax: (970) 239-4811
    Send Email

    Member Since: 2009

  40. Evaluate_Now!!!

    It’s a free country and the management at URTV needs some serious competition. Just like Earth Fare did, and Greenlife gave it to them. If they are indeed as the say “a private management corporation” then what is the problem. No one is in a capitilist system exempt or protected from competition.

    Media Centers covers a broad swath in WNC:
    http://www.wncdirectory.net/media.shtml

    Additionally, the purpose for public access in Buncombe was to train people to go on to bigger and better. That is how the whole concept became acceptable to finance the facility. And there are over 500 FORMER members of URTV, needing a place to show their stuff. Ask Wally Bowen about his role in stressing how it would give skills and create jobs.

    It’s the American way.

  41. another URTV Producer

    OH this is RICH!!!!!!!!!!
    Great catch James L.
    If you go to this jokers website, ( I don’t recommend it)there are no active links, and the “current projects” info is:

    “We are a full service video studio, offering design, filming, editing, and streaming of your programs , commercials, or tutorials.”

    A “full service video studio”? That would mean you get a professional shooter, gaffer and so on.
    Is Alan or Davine the professional shooter? ROTFLMAO!!!

    A bit of free industry education for you Cecil B. Rosenthal:

    Unless you have a Panavision, Arriflex, Aaton, or Bolex camera package in 35mm, 16mm, or 8mm formats with lenses, filters, film magazines, camera mounts etc;
    You are offering to VIDEOTAPE….

    NOT FILM!!!!!!

    Their mission statement is also fitting….
    a dead link!

    There is a nice (although a little under exposed and blurry with a somewhat busy composition) digital photo of a wooded hillside.
    I can’t imagine where on earth they went to get that shot! They must have scouted locations for days.

    You know, if he were only a producer at URTV, he could put his stuff on the air, and someone might actually see it.

  42. JamesL

    More interestingly, Alan pulled down his website banner image in record time after my last post. It used to say….

    “WNCTV.org – Streaming WNC Media Live to the World”

    Now the banner is missing. Seems Mr. “Evaluate_Now!!!” is your friendly neighborhood private investigator himself, or at least just one of his aliases.

    If he’s such a white knight in all this drama, why does he hide behind the proxy registrants for his URLs wncmedia.org and wnctv.org? This is the guy who wants “reform” apparently by seeking the public money for himself. Then he evokes Wally Bowen as justification for his selfish desire to steal some of the pie after bashing Bowen and others for the same in his unstable rant to anyone who would listen; quoted below and at the link… Holy heck on a hockey stick, can’t anyone in this town find a shread of legitimacy, or do they all have to be preoccupied with strutting around blowing smoke up their own butts?

    From Mr. Rosenthal:
    “Hunter Goosmann, appointed by Buncombe County Commissioners to the board of URTV, Inc. on
    January 16, 2007, is General Manager and a key figure of ERC Broadband. a company poised to receive millions of dollars from the FEDERAL Stimulus Funds. ERC Broadband is a part of the Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas, Inc. (ERC), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. It is my understanding that this organization along with Wally Bowen of embattled WPVMFM(a nonprofit), Mountain Area Information
    Network (a nonprofit)and YET ANOTHER NONPROFIT
    of Bowen’s, Citizens for Media Literacy, Inc. have
    or are about to apply for Federal Stimulus Funds. These folks are profiting well from all these nonprofits.
    With no oversight and an aggressive manner of discouraging dissenters and questioners, I can see how being profitable in a nonprofit can be very attractive AND lucrative.”

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/18206865/URTV-Charges

  43. Another URTV producer

    James, This town is way too loaded down with people who instead of actually learning to DO production well, just decide they are going to be a producer, director, shooter, etc, and expect that if they say it enough, they magically become it.
    Pretending is fun…. for children!!

    Rosenthal, nice fix on your website.
    What, not even a “Thank You” for the free advice?
    If you take any more of my suggestions, I expect you to make a donation to URTV. Fair is fair.

    I suggest you keep it “Under Construction” indefinitely!

  44. Recently I was invited to the Asheville Chamber Business after hours. On my way to the buffet, Allen Rosenthal stopped me and surprised that I do not know him, introduced himself as the man who was going to take down URTV.

    When he started asking invasive questions, I politely excused myself to go have some food that was catered by the Brown Bag Gourmet from Black Mountain…. shortly after the food Mr Rosenthal was just a sad after thought.

    How can someone with such a BIG EGO be such a?

  45. Evaluate_Now!!

    Thank you James for posting this link, it pretty much says it all.
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/18206865/URTV-Charges

    How URTV’s poor management and a lazy Board, have run down a valuable public resource and “pass the buck” local officials look the other way while this public access programming becomes more and more mediocre.

    It appears the local “powers that be” want URTV to be irrelevant to the local citizens. Could that be the reason they’re looking the other way?

  46. James L

    Alan, the link was posted to show what a hypocrite you are. And I wouldn’t be too proud of your work there. If your going for the illusion of an actual legal document, you should probably avoid the name calling, personal opinions, use of caps for editorial sake, obvious venom, and over the top theatrics. If you want to use Wally Bowen as your justification for seeking public resources for your own ends, you should probably not trash him at the same time for the very same thing in your diatribe. Just stating the obvious.

  47. mtndow

    If URTV needs a lawyer as a mouthpiece,
    its time to dismiss the entire board.

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