September 2, 2010

Advocacy News

 

Visa Processing Improvements Promised by USCIS

In a meeting on July 20th U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) promised public stakeholders that processing times for regularly-filed artist visa petitions will no longer exceed 14 days and that significant improvements to the quality of artist visa processing will soon be underway. The agency is making a major effort to revise its policy and training programs for its two US service centers in response to requests from the nonprofit performing arts community and following significant intervention by leaders in the House, Senate, and the White House Domestic Policy Council. Following years of advocacy on this issue, the Performing Arts Alliance is extremely pleased with this week's breakthrough. TCG in partnership with the Performing Arts Alliance and the Performing Arts Visa Working Group will continue to seek the promised improvements, in addition to weighing in with USCIS regarding the recently proposed fee increase, evidence requirements for O and P visas, and needed improvements to accessing emergency visa processing. Your examples of visa challenges are essential as we continue to communicate with USCIS headquarters. Please report theatre related visa problems to Laurie Baskin, Director of Government and Education Programs at TCG. For more information about visa processing for artists from abroad, please see the PAA’s action alert and TCG’s legislative issue page.

 

TCG at Arts Advocacy Day 2010 in Washington DC

Every year, TCG staffers and a group of member theatre leaders attend Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. This year marked the 23rd annual gathering presented by American for the Arts, co-sponsored by TCG and 85 other arts organizations, and more than 500 arts advocates from across the nation met with their representatives on Capitol Hill, calling on them to support arts-friendly legislation and policies.


Members of Congress were urged to support an increase in the NEA’s appropriation and arts education funding within the U.S. Department of Education; support legislation that will reduce the total processing times for O and P visa petitions filed by not-for-profit arts organizations to a maximum of 45 days and increase funding for cultural exchange through the State Department; and support increased tax incentives for charitable giving. Lastly, Congress was informed about the ongoing concerns regarding protection of wireless microphones used in the performing arts and the need for the FCC to make performing arts organizations eligible to apply for Part 74 licenses and therefore eligible for interference protections.


Joining TCG staff for Hill visits were TCG board members: Mark Cuddy of Geva Theatre Center, Morgan Jenness of Abrams Artists, Molly Smith of Arena Stage, Mark Shugoll of Shugoll Research, along with TCG National Council members: Lynn Deering of Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE, Heather Randall of New York Theatre Workshop and Liz Morten of Westport Country Playhouse.


The TCG delegation met with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY-28), Congressman James Moran (D-VA-8), and arts staffers in the offices of Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT-4), Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD-3), Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY-8), Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA-7) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY).

White Space Update! FCC Adopts Order and Issues a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

On January 15th, the FCC approved and adopted an Order and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will affect the use of wireless microphones in the performing arts. The Order took effect upon publication in the Federal Register on January 22nd.

The FCC Order carries several immediate implications:

  • Necessity to comply with 700 MHz transition date, June 12, or earlier if requested by a public safety or 700 MHz commercial licensee 
  • Immediate shut-down of 700 MHz microphones upon notice of interference from a public safety or 700 MHz licensee 
  • Assess inventory of 700 MHz equipment for replacement

Since publication in the Federal Register all wireless microphones enjoy an interim legal status under Part 15 for the first time ever. These users must comply with interim operating conditions. These are the Conditions for Part 15 Interim Use:

  • May not operate at powers exceeding 50mW
  • Must comply with technical rules
  • Must use devices certified under Part 74

Further, the Order includes a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that expresses interest in expanding eligibility for Part 74 licenses and requests Comments with regard to defining parameters for eligibility. Expansion in eligibility for licensing will also allow for interference protections and continues to be our core request to the FCC. TCG believes this will best serve the field as the FCC pursues reallocation of the broadcast spectrum. TCG is working closely with the Coalition of Wireless Microphone Users and the Performing Arts Alliance to draft Comments to submit to the FCC.

Please help us spread the word about the June 12th vacate deadline to any persons or organizations that use wireless microphones and alert production managers, technical directors and sound engineers to these changes. This table, found on the FCC website, should help in determining whether the wireless microphones your organization uses operate within the 700 MHz band and if they can be rebanded or will need to be replaced. Shure and Sennheiser and Sony all have information about the rebates they are offering on their respective websites. TCG may need to quickly gather information from the field to help in our ongoing advocacy efforts on this issue, so if you receive an Alert, please respond! If you have comments or questions, please contact Laurie Baskin at lbaskin@tcg.org. Visit the Legislative Issues section of website to learn more.

NEA Leadership Changes

On March 15, 2010 Ralph Remington joined the National Endowment for the Arts as the Director of Theater and Musical Theater. In his role at the NEA, he will manage the NEA's grantmaking for theater and musical theater, as well as develop partnerships to advance the theater field as a whole, and lead large-scale theater projects such as the NEA's New Play Development Program.

Additionally, please note the following new leadership at the National Endowment for the Arts: Rocco Landesman, Chairman; Joan Shigekawa, Senior Deputy Chairman; Elisabeth "Deba" Leach Arts Education Counselor to the Senior Deputy Chairman; BillO'Brien, Deputy Chairman for Grants and Awards; Patrice WalkerPowell, Deputy Chairman for States, Regions and Local Arts Agencies; Anita Decker, Director of Government Affairs; Jamie Bennett, Director of Public Affairs; in addition, Former Congressman Jim Leach is the new Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.