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Marc Smolowitz is the SFCTC Development Coordinator. In Marc's mind, he is Zane Blaney's right-hand man, because his cubicle is outside Zane's office. Marc believes that everything that Access SF does needs to be in direct support of his development efforts.
Prior to my employment at SFCTC, my software development company started a contract with SFCTC to maintain the Access SF web site. I gave SFCTC a sweetheart deal, since I had been a volunteer for a couple years. Zane limited me to four hours per week on the web site. My priorities were to update (clearly) obsolete information (i.e., Board of Director meeting dates, training and workshop dates, etc.), improve the navigation tools (i.e., tool bars, search mechanism, page selection drop-down list, etc.), and to make this a resource for producers and volunteers (i.e., Facilities Equipment Manuals, Tips and Tricks, etc.). Zane gave me my assignments, and I reported to directly to Zane for this work, but Marc insisted that the web site's primary role was to support the development effort, and would give me lists of mandated web site revisions, all of which were of the highest priority that had to be completed immediately, and few of which could be done in the budgeted time. I would tell Marc to get Zane's approval and to get Zane to allocate the necessary hours to complete the tasks on schedule. Zane would tell me he authorizes the work, but it had to be in the allotted hours of 4 hours per week. I would remind him that I couldn't meet Marc's timeline with the allowed hours, and Zane would acknowledge that. I was limiting my time on Marc's tasks to the billable 4 hours a week limit, and would end up having to volunteer unpaid time to work on the changes I felt would benefit web visitors, producers, volunteers, and the audience. During the Christmas/New Year's Holiday week in 2004, I was programming in playback while Tom Barkett was on vacation. As I was pulling tapes for playback, Marc came out to the lobby and started yelling at me for not finishing his list of tasks in time to meet his schedule. I stopped what I was doing and invited him to talk in the inner office area. I explained that I asked Zane for additional hours to meet Marc's schedule and was denied, and asked Marc if he talked with Zane. He acknowledged he had not. His yelling turned to screaming, as he complained that I had time to build a page for "Open Mic on Access SF" and for "Newsroom on Access SF". I explained how I had done that on my own time. That set Marc off, and he screamed (yes, screamed) that if I was going to volunteer time it had to be for his projects. I explained how mandated work had to be billable, and it's not for him to decide what I volunteer for I was calm during this entire exchange, while Marc was yelling and screaming. I was later reprimanded by Zane for not getting along with Marc.
Last summer, while beginning work on an episode of "The San Franciscans", a staff series that Marc produces, Marc called a staff meeting to present his production rundown. He started out the meeting by stating that he planned a very aggressive shooting schedule, which leaves no room for breaks. I asked Marc "What about our mandated meal break?". Boy, did that set Marc off. He made a snide remark, so I rephrased my question stating that Zane and Sade have repeatedly stated that we are mandated by law to take a meal break when working a full shift, and asked where in his plan could we fit that break in. Marc went ballistic. He told me that I didn't have to work on the production if I had a problem. Later Zane reprimanded me for not getting along with Marc, and I was forced to apologize to the entire staff, or be terminated.
I'm not the only one who has had problems with Marc. Marc's inability to work with others is directly relate to why Tom Barkett is gone. Read my exposé League of Women Voters Preempting Producer Programming. When Sam Long started as Tom's replacement, Marc tried pulling that same type of B.S. with him. Ignoring Sam's workload and priorities, Marc demanded that Sam construct and post numerous "underwriting" credits in SCALA immediately to support his development project.
It was only today (2006 January 23) that another Access SF producer send me this news article about Marc's service Petaluma Community Access crisis raises disturbing questions, about Marc Smolowitz's history in public access television.
Marc Smolowitz thinks Access SF is there to support his development outreach, rather than the other way around. In my humble opinion, Marc Smolowitz is the second biggest problem at Access SF, second only to Zane Blaney. Remember the authority rests with Zane, not Marc.
Production Services, which offers studio and staff time for for-profit corporate use (rent). This seems to violate the Access SF Policies and Procedures, the SFCTC Bylaws, and SFCTC Grant Agreement with the City and Country of San Francisco. Last year, the Avid workstation, which most staff and no member producers are authorized to use (read Non-Linear Editing - Avid Workstation) was rented out to another non-profit. It was being used by people that were not members, and had never even been to an orientation meeting, but whose qualification was that their non-profit rented the facility.
Underwriting and Sponsorship Programs, which offers ON AIR credits in those few seconds between shows. This squeezes out other interstitials, including the program schedule and Public Service Announcements.
Membership Partners; If only more priority was given to adding value to Access SF memberships.
Community Partners; Nothing is wrong in building affiliations with other non-profit organizations.
The San Franciscans; This series on face-value seems to benefit the community. I question why is needs to be staffed exclusively by Access SF staff, because that makes less staff time available to serving the public. This series can be crewed with volunteers.
League of Women Voters of San Francisco; I wholeheartedly support Access SF's collaboration with the League, however I strongly contest the way that Marc and Zane schedule the programs. I question why is needs to be staffed exclusively by Access SF staff, because that makes less staff time available to serving the public. This series can be crewed with volunteers.
Youth Media Festival, supported this outreach to Bay Area youth. I saw no justification for preempted producer series to show the festival, because there's plenty of available timeslots in our daily schedule.
This outreach is primarily to influential for-profit and non-profit corporations. Organizations that already have plenty of media access. There seems to be no outreach to the general public, to our audience, to our producers or volunteers. Access SF workshops have been repeatedly canceled this last year due to underenrollment. Even our free monthly orientation meeting is underenrolled. Studio reservations are down, and there are less shows being cablecast. Yet in spite of this decline, the outreach is being made to corporations.
Production Services, which offers studio and staff time for for-profit corporate use (rent). This seems to violate the Access SF Policies and Procedures, the SFCTC Bylaws, and SFCTC Grant Agreement with the City and Country of San Francisco. Last year, the Avid workstation, which most staff and no member producers are authorized to use ( read Non-Linear Editing - Avid Workstation) was rented out to another non-profit. It was being used by people that were not members, and had never even been to an orientation meeting, but whose qualification was that their non-profit rented the facility.
Underwriting and Sponsorship Programs, which offers ON AIR credits in those few seconds between shows. This squeezes out other interstitials, including the program schedule and Public Service Announcements.
Open Mic, which has been converted from a free speech forum for the public to a performance show for non-profits.
The San Franciscans, which is a showcase for community non-profits.
I don't have the actual dollar amount. Someone would need to invoke the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance to demand that information. I am unable to exercise my rights to that information since Zane banned me from the Access SF facilities. I know this is a considerable effort in time and money, and I don't believe it's brought any significant funding back to Access SF. The costs would include:
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