SAD, Gray Cable team up
By Naomi Morrison

Once the contracts are signed, MSAD No. 15 will have a successful start on future public cable programming.

Superintendent Victoria Burns was pleased to announce at the Wednesday, October 20 Board of Education meeting that Gray Cable has agreed to train students and donate equipment and money in turn for students to help with the future programming of the Gray/New Gloucester public cable broadcasts.

Brad Fogg, chairperson of the cable committee for Gray Cable, said this is a win, win situation. Gray Cable was in need of volunteers to tape, edit and produce programming for public broadcasting. They recruited high school volunteers by generously donating a $600 stipend for a high school video tech advisor; are providing up-to-date equipment for students to capture sport events, graduation and theatrical events, among others; and are teaching the students how to use the equipment. These students will basically learn how to run a television station he said.

Right, Bill Getz and Brad Fogg testing new equipment. File photo: The Monument 2002

"We're going to teach them to use everything we have," said Fogg. "It will give exposure for students who want to learn video tech."

Gray Cable and the Superintendent recognized the high school's need to get out of the technological dark ages. In addition, there were lack of funds in the school budget for a video tech advisor. Gray Cable not only had equipment to loan, they had unused money in their public cable franchise fees, which is where the stipend money came from.

"Our donation of broadcast equipment and seed money for a video advisor will give us a lot of help while providing education," said Fogg, "and it costs nothing to the tax payers."

The school has promised Gray Cable 70 to 90 hours of volunteer work over the course of the school year. This includes producing programs, running cameras, digital editing and more. The school has also committed to 10 hours of programming per semester, such as the usual sporting and theatrical events already viewed on public cable.

A new feature to the programming is a video news programs, which is slated to begin the first week of November and will air twice a month. Burns said that her and the Director of Teaching and Learning Karen Caprio will kick off the initial news program followed by the principal's of the schools for the second broadcast. Then teachers and other administrators may contribute to subsequent programs.

"It's a different avenue of getting to know what's happening in the schools," said Burns. "Principals can share the student's work... My hope would be to get kids on TV to show what they're doing."

Provided permission is granted by parents, Burns hopes to film some classroom time. Parents could then be involved in their children's learning process by seeing what some of their days are like. She also said that clips of classroom time can be inserted into the news program.

New Gloucester Cable is not being left out of the deal either. Part of the contract includes sending a duplicate tape to New Gloucester after Gray Cable has had a chance to broadcast each program first. This will allow for even more school information to make it to the public, which is one of Burns goals.