
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, November 11, 1994                   TAG: 9411110068
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

RVTV IS GOING LIVE ON SALEM CABLE

Coming soon to a TV screen near you: live broadcasts of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors meetings. And eventually, the viewing pleasure will be available to Salem residents as well.

Channel 3 anywhere in the Roanoke Valley will air Roanoke Valley TV beginning Dec. 1, when Salem Cable starts televising the same programming that Cox Cable does on channel 3.

School notices, announcements, the monthly "Roanoke County Today" and - beginning in January - live supervisors' meetings will run on the channel, which is strictly governmental and educational access. RVTV has been airing since 1992, but only on Cox.

Salem Cable subscribers, however, will be able to see only a bulletin board until the two cable companies link their systems to allow live and taped shows to be broadcast to Salem. The two companies have a year to work that out.

Roanoke County recently renegotiated its franchise agreement with Salem Cable, which serves the Glenvar and Mason Cove areas of the county as well as Salem. As part of the deal, the cable company agreed to provide a $40,000 grant to RVTV to buy equipment and to designate channel 3 for the access channel.

Several schools in Glenvar and Mason Cove have been unable to get RVTV and the educational programming it provides.

With its programming airing on the same channel on both cable systems, RVTV provides continuity throughout the valley.

"They had to give us a channel, but they didn't have to give us channel 3," said Anne Marie Green of Roanoke County.

Channel 3 also is the one most televisions must be set on to play a videocassette recorder, which may help grab an audience as people finish watching videos, Green said.

RVTV also would like Salem to join Roanoke, Roanoke County, Vinton and their school systems in using the channel to publicize government and school events.

Cox Cable kicked in a $480,000 grant to RVTV as part of its 1991 franchise renewal agreement. That money has allowed RVTV to relocate to the Jefferson Center and expand its programming.

Its space at the Jefferson Center includes a 950-square-foot studio and production facilities.

by CNB