The Telecom & Video Services Agency Staff
Rick Maultra
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The Telecom & Video Services Agency Director is Rick Maultra. He holds a bachelors degree from Indiana University and a masters’ degree from Butler University , both of which are in telecommunications. His responsibilities include monitoring and enforcing compliance of Bright House Networks under their local agreement with the City, monitoring compliance and petitioning non-compliance with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on the state video franchises held, which include Comcast and AT&T. Such compliance includes all of the City benefits that carry forward to the State that were written and included in the local franchise agreements. Such compliance includes the continuation, connections and signal quality of the Institutional Networks (INETs) which are utilized for Public Safety’s use, the data and public service drops to local governmental institutions, signal quality, funding and all related compliance issues for the educational and government access channels.
Mr. Maultra oversees the compliance of revenues paid by the video service providers under local, state and federal laws for private use of the public right-of-way for which the providers are assessed 5% as a rental for such use. The Telecom & Video Services Agency initiates revenue reviews to ensure compliance of the provider remittances to the City under these laws.
As Agency director, Mr. Maultra is involved in providing direction to national policy on municipal telecommunication matters in his involvement with the National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (NATOA). He served on their national board for a four year term and was named NATOA’s 2003 Member of the Year.
Additional responsibilities include investigating telecommunication applications, applying evolving changes in video services and telecommunications law and bringing best practice approaches to such with the City of Indianapolis . This includes studies and documentation in right-of-way applications whereby the City would be best served in utilizing one of its most valuable assets to its utmost. The office serves as a telecom and video services advisor and liaison to Indiana ’s municipal organizations and the City’s Capitol Hill lobbyists on matters of municipal telecommunications and best practices.
Mr. Maultra also serves as administrator for the local government access channel facilities (commonly referred to as ‘Channel 16’) and the educational access channels as the grants and compliance administrator.
Prior to being the director of the Telecom & Video Services Agency, Rick was Senior TV Producer at WCTY-TV 16. He was responsible for a number of government access programs including At Your Service, Profile, On Assignment and Hoosier History. The Hoosier History series he created and produced has won more than 25 national and local awards for cable programming excellence.
Cristy Tirotta is the Telecom & Video Services Agency's Administrative Assistant. Cristy handles much of the facilitation for cable complaints, purchasing, budgeting, and administrative and personnel support for the Telecom & Video Services Board and WCTY Channel 16. Cristy also maintains the Agency's website.