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from: Columbia Trubune

Struggling access channel makes plea for help

By T.J. GREANEY of the Tribune’s staff
Published Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The clock is ticking on public access television in Columbia. Without help from city hall, televisions tuned to Columbia Access Television will go black in October.

Supporters sought to tilt opinion in their favor last night by offering a tour of the studios where they operate free of charge at Stephens College. Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala, Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade and Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe took the tour, which was offered to all Columbia City Council members.

The council will hear a first reading Tuesday of an ordinance to increase the cable "franchise fee" from 3 percent to 5 percent. The fee is money paid by cable companies for use of public rights of way. If Mediacom chooses to pass the hike on to customers, it would amount to an extra $1 on a $50.

CAT TV said it needs about $600,000 in startup money and $250,000 annually for maintenance and full-time staff. The increased franchise fee would generate an estimated $334,000 each year. CAT TV also will ask the council for special funding in next year’s budget to stay on the air.

Council members on the tour seemed more interested in offering a helping hand than a constant funding stream. "In essence, this would be seed money so you can get other sponsors interested in this. If you have a successful product and people see there’s interest in the product, people will be more likely to chip in," Skala said.

The money would be exponentially more than CAT TV now receives from Mediacom each year. The cable giant has fallen behind on its payments, CAT TV personnel said, and still owes $10,000 from May.

"Mediacom really just wanted you to go away, and you didn’t," Skala said.

A message left for Mediacom yesterday was not returned.

If the franchise fee is approved, though, others have designs on the money. Columbia’s other two public cable channels, for education and government, have both expressed interest.

CAT TV supporters said the money is badly needed. They point to chronic understaffing and outdated equipment. "We need studio cameras and studio lighting. This lighting was from the 1950s, so you’ve got these huge bulbs. That’s field lighting; it’s not studio lighting," said Steve Hudnell, CAT TV board treasurer.

Supporters also believe the public access studios are an underutilized resource. Councilman Jerry Wade asked Columbia Cable Task Force member and volunteer Beth Pike what her dream is for the station. She said she wants it to be a community hub.

"There is so much potential out there for communication, and I see us as kind of a hub for that with different types of media. We’ll be that center where people can learn it, where people can use it and disseminate it. Certainly people are going to be doing it from home, but you’re still going to need some kind of central place where it kind of all happens," she said.

She also worried about the health of a community where cable access didn’t exist.

"For democracy to work, you really have to have access to media," Pike said.

CAT TV runs an average of 100 hours of programming weekly. About half of that programming is locally produced, including such shows as "Foodsleuth TV," "GoodNuz," a religious program, and programming from the League of Women Voters.

Reach T.J. Greaney at (573) 815-1719 or tjgreaney@tribmail.com.