CABLE TV COMMITTEE WANTS MORE SAY OVER ACCESS CHANNEL

Cape Girardeau's cable television committee wants to put more local programs on the cable access channel.

The committee wants to oversee the operation of the access channel and serve as a watchdog to see that TCI Cablevision of Missouri, the local cable operator, lives up to the terms of a new franchise agreement with the city.

Michael Maguire, a local lawyer who chairs the cable TV committee, will recommend such a role for his committee when he appears before the City Council Monday night.

Council members have said they want the local access channel to be used more.

Local programming currently shares space with C-SPAN on the access channel. C-SPAN takes up the bulk of the air time.

Maguire and other cable committee members want C-SPAN moved to another channel.

The council approved a new, 10-year franchise agreement with TCI in June. TCI, however, wants a minor change before signing off on the agreement.

The council will vote Monday on the proposed revision, which has the support of the city staff.

Cable TV committee member Jim Dufek said there are plenty of programming possibilities for access Channel 5, provided that the city, civic groups or other sponsors pay the production costs.

Under both the old and new franchise agreements, TCI must provide cable coverage of City Council and Cape Girardeau school board meetings.

Ron Duff Video Productions provides coverage of City Council and school board meetings and puts other local programs on the access channel under a contract with TCI.

That would still be the case regardless of what the cable committee does, said Dufek, video coordinator for the mass communication department at Southeast Missouri State University.

"We still have to work through Ron Duff," Dufek said, adding that it is not TCI's channel. It is the city's channel.

Dufek said he would like to see a comprehensive calendar of events on the channel, which could be accompanied by KRCU's National Public Radio programs. The radio station is operated by the university.

Other programming could include Mind Extension University, which offers college classes and a music video program.

Candidates' forums have been aired on the access channel in the past and could be in the future, Dufek said, and the city's public awareness office could use the channel to air informational videotapes about city programs and services.

Maguire said local schools might want to tape some of their concerts or other events and show them on the channel.

Currently, access Channel 5 airs just a handful of local programs, including church services, a medical show, a show on legal issues and Southeast Missouri State coaches' shows.

"We want to see that something is on at all times," said Maguire.