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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1995                   TAG: 9501250053
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SUPERVISOR ASKS COLLEAGUES TO ACT NICE FOR DEBUT ON TV

As the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors prepares to beam its meetings directly into the homes of Roanoke Valley residents, members are realizing perhaps they're not ready for prime time.

Tuesday's board meeting was taped and will be shown Thursday night. Beginning in February, meetings will be shown live and taped for later rebroadcast on Roanoke Valley TV, the government-access station.

``I think we're now entering into a different media transmission of this government,'' Supervisor Harry Nickens said.

And in consideration of that, he suggested a change: that supervisors try being more respectful of one another. He doesn't want them to look bad to viewers.

``We're just now getting into this medium, and I think we need to just raise the flag,'' he told his fellow elected officials at their annual retreat Friday.

Part comedy, part drama, often as engaging as a documentary on tax reform, the meetings will never threaten the ratings of ``General Hospital,'' on during the same time slot. But televising meetings on RVTV (Channel 3) is another avenue of informing citizens about what supervisors do - and supervisors are worried about how, exactly, they do it.

``Maybe we should get five big signs to put in front of us that say, `Remember, you're on TV,''' Supervisor Lee Eddy said.

After all, he joked, viewers of government-access RVTV could include ``very young children who may be adversely impacted for life.''

But Bob Johnson, the Hollins supervisor known for his scathing wit - usually directed at those with whom he disagrees - said he wasn't going to change his style just so the cameras can see a kinder, gentler board.

``I'm not going to back down on an issue just because some people might think I'm being discourteous to you or Mr. Eddy or the administrator,'' he told Nickens.

RVTV taped the last supervisors meeting as a practice run, and board members' bickering captured on tape prompted Nickens' suggestion. Tuesday's meeting will be shown Thursday at 7 p.m. on Channel 3 on Cox Cable.

By February, RVTV should have the equipment and training to allow the shows to be aired live, general manager Angi McPeak said. By then, technical problems - such as making sure speakers before the board remain in an area where they're visible - and communication problems - such as having board members summarize the issue for viewers, who won't have agendas in front of them - should be settled.

by CNB