STARDOM A POSSIBILITY ON PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL

So you want to be a local access cable star.

Well, come on down!

Teri Goodman, the former public awareness coordinator for the city of Cape Girardeau, said the city receives "a lot of inquiries" from people interested in having their shows broadcast.

There are a few requirements, Goodman said.

Application forms are available from the city for wannabe producers. Applicants have to state what the show will be about and their preferences for air dates and times, she said.

In addition, the applicants must be Cape Girardeau residents. And the shows can't contain material that could be considered obscene or indecent. The programming also can't solicit business or advertisers.

Applicants are also responsible for producing the shows themselves -- the city doesn't have the facilities or the staff to handle production. And only VHS or SVHS tapes are acceptable for broadcast.

And don't think producing means getting out the camcorder and letting it roll, said Jim Dufek, a member of the city's Cable Advisory Committee and producer of several of the shows on Channel 5.

"It's a lot of work," Dufek said. "People think it takes a half-hour to produce a show. With the police show, we plan well in advance of the air date."

In some cases, he said, planning for an individual broadcast may begin 12 to 13 weeks before the air date, and on the day the production crew goes in to the studio, they usually get there six hours before the on-air guests and hosts.

All applications are reviewed by the city's Cable Advisory Committee, which has the final say on what does and doesn't air.

For more information, call the city's Public Awareness office, 335-8556.