Our Opinion: Council urged to end inertia regarding JCTV

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Kicking the can down the road has become an epidemic among governments.

The U.S. Congress is the master of procrastination, but the Jefferson City Council also is embracing inertia.

Consider the city’s public access television channel, JCTV, mired in stagnation since its inception in the late 1980s.

Council members voted 7-3 on Tuesday to continue funding for JCTV up to its current $165,000. The vote — still subject to change — followed comments from six proponents of the station.

Our purpose here is not to condemn JCTV or call for the elimination of its funding.

Our purpose is to urge the council to do something — offer a vision for JCTV and a strategy to attain it, or pull the plug.

JCTV became a reality after the council, in 1988, approved a one-year, $50,000 contract with Lincoln University to operate the station.

The vision for the station was bold and designed to train LU students, engage community members in creating programming, attract viewers, and encourage private sponsorship and contributions.

Programming would be engaging, inventive and informative, ranging from coverage of local government to innovative local productions.

Sadly, that vision failed to materialize.

When an effort was made in 2006 to revive that vision, we wrote in this forum: “JCTV’s potential never has been realized (but) it deserves at least a fighting chance to become a robust medium in our community.”

That was more than five years ago.

Appearing before the council Tuesday, the station manager pleaded for “time to figure out alternative funding streams.”

We must ask, what specific alternative funding is available now that hasn’t been available, or pursued, for more than two decades?

City Council members can continue JCTV funding “as usual” for another year, or two, or 20.

Or they can take action. If JCTV is a potential resource, adopt a strategy to actualize that potential. If not, stop the lazy budgeting practice of continuing to do what’s been done in the past.

More like this story

JCLifer 9 months, 1 week ago

Agree, editor! JCTV could be so much more than it has been. Why hasn't it been expanded to involve other groups and venues? Performances at the Miller Arts Center could be broadcast. Local school sports games could be broadcast. Why not put a program for high school students at Nichols Career Center? Why not expand involvement to include Linn Tech students?

JCTV should become more of an educational effort, but it can still expand its community service mission while doing so. More service to students and multiple schools, and more service to the local community! If it involves more entities and more people, the funding could be much easier to cover costs of sustaibility and expansion.

I would encourage folks to take a look at the broadcasting programs at schools such as Farmington HS farmington.k12.mo.us/knightvision/

Cape Girardeau capectc.org/CoursesPrograms/HighSchoolStudents/BroadcastProduction/tabid/902/Default.aspx

spelchek 9 months, 1 week ago

I wonder how race plays into the equation? Many are ready to throw down the race card when they disagree with something involving minority groups. That stigma has frightened many public service employees into the corner when dealing with the issue which is wrong. NT is right, JCTV has had many years to bear fruit from its city funding and has come up empty fulfilling its mission.

JCLifer 9 months, 1 week ago

Either fix it or kill it. Spending tax dollars to continue to subsidize for decades such low-quality efforts are a huge waste of time and money.

If the city wants to get involved in something, they need to do it right and ensure some success. Otherwise, after a year or two of waste, time to end it.

Insight 9 months ago

Monies spent on JCTV are not tax dollars. The channel is funded from the franchise fee the cable company pays the city for use of the city's rights of way (utility poles, underground cable runs). Of course, the cable company passes that cost onto consumers, just like any other business. The cost is reflected in the cable bill. If you don't have cable, you don't pay for the channel. So it's not a tax.

Please review our Policies and Procedures before registering or commenting

Or login with:

OpenID

News Tribune