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Access SF Mobile Access Studio
- Not for Producers Use

Did you know that back in October 2004, SFCTC spent an estimated $50,000 of public funds to purchase what was then called "Studio in a Box", but it's now called "Mobile Access Studio" (MAS)? That equipment sat in the box on the shelves in checkout for over a year before it was first used, by paid staff, for two League of Women Voters debates in October 2005, and hasn't been used since.

Don't get me wrong here. I support the League of Women Voters, and I support having the MAS. My issue is that Zane refuses to let any producers use the equipment, or be trained on its use. The only two times it was used in October 2005, required all paid staff to operate it, so the Access SF facilities were shut down not only for those two days, but for other days as well for staff training and rehearsals.

Bud proposed producer training back in March 2005, and I promoted the idea of not only training, but the incentive to place that new equipment into the field checkout inventory, since MAS sessions are expected to be too costly to have very often. Because of poor management, this is s huge waste of funds and resources. There's a lot more to this scandal, and you deserve answers. Did you have trouble getting edit or studio reservations in September and October? When you have problems getting a field equipment reservation, ask about all of the MAS equipment sitting on the shelf. Don't hassle the staff with your concerns, since it's Zane that is keeping this equipment out of your reach.

I have a bit of information, but you should all demand answers in writing as per the sunshine ordinances. Ask Zane and the Board of Directors to answer these questions in writing.

• Provide an inventory of equipment purchased for and held in reserve for MAS.
• How much did that equipment cost?
• How were those purchases funded?
• How much of that equipment went out of warrantee prior to staff's first usage for the League of Women Voters in October 2005?
• Why is Access SF not training the public to use this equipment?
• When will producers be able to use the MAS?
• Why don't you release MAS equipment into the field checkout inventory when it's not needed for a MAS production?
• How many days was the Access SF facility closed to the public so you could reallocate staff to train, rehearse, and produce the two League of Women Voters MAS productions?
• How much did you spend in staff costs so far on MAS, including planning, purchasing, configuration, testing, productions?
• How many producer series were preempted to cablecast the two League of Women Voter MAS productions?
• What was the cost of each MAS production?
• What will be out out-of-pocket costs to an Access SF Producer to do a MAS production?

Questions/Comments?