County on cable closer

Jeff Schweers

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

An independent local government access channel could become a reality sometime next year as Prime goes through its fiber optic upgrade, Prime Cable General Manager Harris Bass said.

"We believe responsible government programming is an important asset," Bass explained Tuesday to the County Commission.

The company is planning an $80 million fiber optic upgrade over the next three years, but could provide a separate channel for Clark County by the end of next year, Bass said.

But three county commissioners demanded immediate activation of a local government access channel.

"It's time for Clark County to step up and take the ball and get our channel that was promised 15 years ago," Commissioner Jay Bingham said. "We can sit and talk all we want but a decision needs to be made today and staff can go work it out."

Commissioner Erin Kenny, who said she had her own cable access program with her husband 10 years ago, said it's time Las Vegas gets what most other cities have had for years.

Commissioner Paul Christensen said Prime Cable wanted to keep editorial control of programming, but Bass said the company has never exercised such control.

Commissioners Bruce Woodbury and Yvonne Atkinson Gates questioned what would be accomplished by approving a resolution to request activation of the channel if Prime is not able to provide the channel at this time. Their motion to table the resolution failed, but Gates voted with the majority so she could recall the item when the new board convenes in January.

"Wouldn't it be more productive if other commissioners and staff took the next 30-60 days to negotiate a transition agreement?" Woodbury said to Assistant to the County Manager Tom Warden, whose tasks include developing programming for Clark County.

"What is it about this item that gives you what you don't have now?" Woodbury said, noting that the county already broadcasts meetings and in-house programs on cable Channel 4, which it shares with UNLV and C-SPAN2.

Warden said the commission's support could help move negotiations along.

"If this meant we'd get our own channel tomorrow, I'd vote for it," Woodbury said. "Whether we agree or not, we still have to get both sides to agree."

An interim agreement signed in February 1995 gave Clark County $100,000 worth of equipment, the use of studios at the UNLV Greenspun School of Communications and more air time. That agreement was rolled over last February, and expires in March, Warden said.

Warden would like to see a permanent agreement negotiated by then that will eventually give Clark Couty control of a regional government access channel for locally produced programming.

Currently, Warden has a $217,769 budget for program development and production -- 45 percent of his total budget. To date, the county airs about 40 hours of programming, not enough to justify an entire channel for itself, Warden admitted.