PUBLIC-ACCESS TV

Like many cities, Cape Girardeau has an unappreciated and little-used asset in its local-access cable-television channel.

With the exception of regular coverage of Cape Girardeau's city council and school board meetings, local programming on the station is sporadic. A handful of local programs -- forums for doctors and lawyers, church services -- have been produced and broadcast over the years, but few would argue there is an overabundance of local programming.

One problem has been the lack of push from anyone in authority to broadcast local programming. The city's cable-TV committee hopes to change that. Committee members are of the mind that the community, if given an opportunity, will desire more in local programming. That is what the channel is for. But for too long the city council has ignored the possible advantages of expanding local programming. Thus the citizens mostly are unaware of the potential benefit of the channel.

The city council soon will act on the committee's recommendation that a third party be contracted to coordinate or produce programs for the local-access channel.

This is an important development. For years the city's franchise with TCI Cablevision of Missouri Inc. has provided money for the city. Why not use some of this money to pay for expanded local programming for the cable-access channel?

Eventually, Cape Girardeau citizens, equipped with a simple camcorder, could shoot programming that could be aired on the channel. The third-party contractor, hired by the city, could then schedule the programs.

In years past, Southeast Missouri State University was responsible for the local-access channel's programming. Many viewers will recall that the programming was well-done, plus it offered learning opportunities for students. The university still has a strong educational component involving video production and other aspects of TV programming. With the appropriate funding and direction from the city, the university might be the logical choice for taking on the local-access channel again.

It is the cable-TV committee's hope that the public can be informed and thus persuaded of the access channel's potential benefits and expand its use. Certainly, adding programming to the local-access channel and coordinating the programming will cost money, but there is a ready mechanism for at least part of this funding through the TCI franchise fees.

The opportunities should be explored that would open the door to expanded local cable-access programming.