Channel 17 has signed a new contract with Comcast Cable, and is stepping up its live coverage.
Lauren-Glenn Davitian, executive director of the public access channel which serves Chittenden County, made the announcement in a report to the Burlington City Council Monday night.
“People want on-demand government, they expect it,” Davitian told council members.
Davitian pointed to the live broadcast of the Democratic mayoral caucuses last fall, as well as live coverage of the mayoral debate scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, as examples of the on-demand access her media company is offering for Chittenden County citizens.
Candidates Wanda Hines, Miro Weinberger and Kurt Wright will talk about their plans and take questions from a panel that includes WCAX reporter Kristin Carlson, VPR’s Kirk Carapezza, and Andy Bromage from Seven Days. Questions will also come from a live blog and audience members at Contois Auditorium. The debate is co-hosted by Channel 17 and Seven Days, with support from Leunig’s Bistro & Cafe.
CCTV launched three of the first public access cable channels in Vermont in 1984, and Channel 17 officially became Town Meeting television in 1990. CCTV serves Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Essex Junction, Williston, Winooski, Colchester and St. George. The other two Chittenden County cable access stations are Channel 15, which offers a platform for shows created by area residents, and Channel 16, which televises educational programming.
Davitian also announced a new addition to the local cable scene. Burlington Telecom, which works closely with Channel 17, expects to add Free Speech TV (Channel 122) to its basic cable lineup on March 1.
FSTV airs “Democracy Now” three times daily and has coverage of cutting-edge current affairs like the Occupy movement and independently produced and investigative documentaries. A daily talk show hosted by Thom Hartmann features “Brunch with Bernie,” a Friday noon discussion and call-in segment with the U.S. senator. The program currently reaches 37 million U.S. homes via DISH network, DIRECTV and Roku.
To insure carriage on the basic tier received by all BT subscribers, FSTV and its local supporters have agreed to raise $10,000 to cover start-up costs by the end of this month. A Friends of Free Speech TV group has been organized to help, so far attracting a $5,000 challenge fund and around $2,000 in individual contributions. Supporters include Davitian, former Seven Days columnist Shay Totten, RETN’s Scott Campitelli, and former BT Technical Advisory Council member Jan Schultz.
The channel’s mission is to “inspire viewers to become civically engaged to build a more just, equitable and sustainable society,” according to Greg Epler-Wood, a former member of the Community Advisory Council who is also part of the Friends group. Epler-Wood frequently updates the council about telecom issues during “fiber-side chats,” accompanied by the image of a crackling wood fire on his computer.
Following Davitian’s presentation, several councilors offered compliments about CCTV’s work. But a few also raised questions. For example, Ward 7 Republican Paul Decelles wondered how local residents can help to offset some of the costs of covering public meetings, while Ward 3 Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak wanted to know more about the availability and quality of volunteer training.
Davitian replied that anyone could “write a check right now.” But she acknowledged that, with support from local governments, Channel 17 has not found it necessary to develop an official fundraising campaign. As for volunteer training and the varying quality of local coverage, she said, “Sometimes we train them over and over.”
Vince Dober, the other Ward 7 councilor and also a Republican, asked about rules concerning profanity. The incidents in question are most likely to have occurred on Channel 15, Davitian said, and she offered her perspective on the expletive question.
“Access is about a forum,” she said. On the other hand, “We have to teach that with free speech comes responsibility. … But if they don’t get it, we don’t cut them off.”
Ward 1 Democrat Ed Adrian suggested that the political leanings or affiliations of some staff could potentially undermine the appearance of balance that is a hallmark of public access. “This question of parity and equity is our main objective,” Davitian replied. “When you walk in, your opinion is as valid as anyone else’s.”
Mayoral candidate Kurt Wright had no doubts about that. “You do make us all feel welcome,” he said. “I have a great experience every time.”
His campaign manager David Hartnett, a Ward 4 Democrat who represents the City of Burlington on the Channel 17 board of trustees, agreed. He called the organization “a great partner to have.”
