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B T R A Beach Triangle Residents Association Telephone: (416) 640-1088 extension 25 November 12, 1999 Via e-mail: SRTV@SRTV.ON.CA Star Ray T.V. 186 Main Street Toronto, Ontario Attention: Jan Pachul Dear Jan: Re: CRTC Application - Community Station - East Toronto We are very pleased to submit our recommendation in support of your application to the CRTC for a local community cable station. The Beach Triangle Residents Association represents over 1000 households in the Beach Triangle area and is presently representing the Greenwood Development (the new community between Coxwell & Woodbine) residents as well. There is an audience and a community need for a local station which will cover events and concerns in East Toronto. Star Ray T.V. has provided a forum for community information and action on many issues affecting the residents of the Beaches. Star Ray T.V. on UHF was instrumental in delivering a public forum for our organization on a significant issue, the CVA Tax. Providing community access to the television medium gave residents the opportunity to dialogue on the effects of CVA and to send information to the neighbourhood on local intervention and activities. Star Ray T.V. allowed the community organization to participate in call-in programs and interviews and provided full news coverage of a local march involving residents and all of our municipal and provincial political representatives. The access and technical support provided to the BTRA by Star Ray and Jan Pachul was professional and thorough, and instrumental in mobilizing the community to deal with its local problems. The community interest and its efforts to deal with this specific concern was not covered by other Toronto T.V. stations. We provided CityTV and the CBC and CTV with an opportunity to participate in our venture but were ignored by these commercial stations. These commercial channels do not provide the type of community access necessary to engage the public in the locality with an immediate concern whereas Star Ray T.V. did so quickly and effectively. Any neighbourhood organization with access to the medium of television is thereby given the ability to provide current and relevant information. Broadcasting to the neighbourhood and having a local channel that Beach and East Toronto citizens can respond to about its specific culture is an asset the community can use and benefit from. Any local group or body is enhanced in its power to voice its concerns, post notices about local events, local business can reach its local clientele, current issues on any public topic can be dealt with within hours and this type of television makes necessary community news available on its own channel. The BTRA is completely in favour of this application made by Star T.V. and is willing to actively support its venture to become a local cable television station. We will be publishing its broadcasting schedules in our local magazine and advocating that the residents we represent tune in to participate and learn about local events at Star T.V. Yours truly, J. David Windrim Community Liaison Officer Beach Triangle Residents Association |