Summer 2004 Edition

Channel 77   By Ron Lottermann (President, Fair Lawn TV Productions) Channel 77 (on cable tv) is Fair Lawn’s Public, Education and Government access station.   The station is funded by a franchise fee paid by Cablevision to the Borough of Fair Lawn and is run by a group of volunteers known as Fair Lawn Television Productions, Inc.      Fair Lawn TV has two separate areas of programming, the community bulletin board and original TV shows.    Community Bulletin Board: The community bulletin board provides information about community events, including:  - Borough events & notices  - Fair Lawn TV program schedule - Personal announcements (such as birthdays) submitted by Fair Lawn residents - School closings / delayed openings  - Emergency announcements    Original TV Shows Original television shows include coverage of the council meetings, Around Our Town (news and interview show), and special events coverage such as the Halloween Parade, holiday festivities and the July 4th Fireworks.    Channel 77 also broadcasts a variety of events held by local organizations such as the Fair Lawn Street Fair, Knights of Columbus events, Litter Clean Up, and League of Women Voter’s debates.  Shows that were created by other public access stations, NASA and Fair Lawn residents are also regularly aired.    Last year, Fair Lawn TV produced over 90 shows.  Volunteers write, direct, produce, edit, film and star in our original programs.  The volunteers are trained by more experienced members and through a training program provided by Cablevision. The training includes camera operations, audio, video editing, lighting and bulletin board.    The Volunteers' Perspective Daria Hrabrov:  I joined FLTV because I was looking for a way to volunteer in the community and this seemed like something I would really enjoy doing, not to mention, it really helped me learn more about actual video production, something I may want to pursue in the future. I like that it gives me the opportunity to interact with a great group of people and to hone my video skills. Bob Stein:   I was given a tour of the station for the Cub Scouts and was interested in what was going on and how it was helping the community.  Now I am able to give back to the community by providing tours to other organizations, helping with amber alerts and school closings as well as children’s programming (Family Tales, Scouting events) and piquing the interest of other families in town as well as the children of the community.  It's a great way to bring the people of Fair Lawn together-which makes us more than a community--like a family. Barbara Nagpal:  I am proud to be a member of FLTV. It is a dream come true for me. On my wish board I had a list of what I wanted to do when I retired from teaching in NYC. At the top of the list I wrote "cable TV interviewer." For the past year I have been a co-host for Around Our Town which is a news/interview show. It has opened up a whole new world for me.  It is so enjoyable to meet so many people of varying ages and experience. We keep expanding our knowledge in all the areas of TV production. I love the creativity in all its forms but I dislike the technical aspects because I am not right brained to a large degree! However, there are those that prefer the technical and are patient with me.  Ron Lottermann:  I joined Fair Lawn TV because my wife and I were looking for something to do together. We both thought TV production would be fun and different. She decided it wasn’t for her and I have had a great time learning the cameras, editing and producing shows for the station. It is more work than I thought, but the rewards are more than I expected. Fran Moldow:  By nature, I am a curious person.    When I retired from 20 years of teaching, volunteerism appeared to be the path to follow.  Although involved in several volunteer affiliations such as Hackensack University Medical Center and Community Blood Services, Fair Lawn TV is a favorite.  It has opened doors which lead to acquiring new skills and satisfying my limited technical curiosity.  Covering some council meetings gives me the opportunity to learn about operating audioboards and camera.  Fair Lawn TV is looking for more volunteers.  For more info, call 201-794-5394 or see http://www.fairlawn.org/tv/fltv.htm or send an e-mail to fairlawntv@fairlawn.org.   Photo above:  Three volunteers (Rob Morigi, Mariann Hutlak and Julie Gomstyn) and a Cablevision employee getting ready for their TV shoot at the River Road studios.