Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995 TAG: 9504130034
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After viewing a trial taping of itself in action three months ago, council has yet to order that its meetings be broadcast over Cox Cable's government-access channel, as the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors has been doing since February.
Council members disagree over whether it's a good idea.
While a majority view it as an opportunity for residents to be better-informed about their government, some say channel surfers would be bored to death.
Others say it may lead to grandstanding - either by elected officials or by civic activists - and more lengthy meetings.
City Council's trial taping occurred Jan. 9. Since then, "I haven't heard back on whether it's something they want to go ahead with or not," said Michelle Bono, city spokeswoman and member of the Roanoke Valley Regional Cable Television Committee.
Mayor David Bowers, an admitted C-SPAN, news and government-access-channel junkie, said he strongly favors broadcasting City Council meetings.
But the recent Hotel Roanoke reopening pushed the issue onto a back burner, he said. The mayor added that he's unsure what other council members think about it.
"I still think it's going to be a worthy issue for our consideration. ... I just don't know how it will play out at this point," Bowers said.
If Councilman Jack Parrott has his way, viewers won't be tuning in any time soon to watch hearings on alley closings or briefings on repairs for the Carvins Cove water treatment plant.
Parrott, council's representative on the cable TV committee, doesn't see any compelling reason to televise meetings. But "I don't guess it wouldn't be the end of the world one way or another," he said.
"I don't see how it necessarily opens up anything. ... I'm just afraid we'd get a lot of posturing and people wanting to be on TV by appearing before council," Parrott said.
Councilwoman Elizabeth Bowles agrees.
"Why do it? How many people are going to watch it?" she asked. Bowles said people in Roanoke County have told her they're "not impressed" with the biweekly Board of Supervisors broadcasts.
Siding in favor of putting meetings on the cable system is Councilman Mac McCadden. But he doubts that citizens will choose council meetings over baseball games, movies or MTV.
"I'm in favor of it. I just don't think there'll be a large number of people tuning in," he said.
Besides the mayor, the two strongest proponents are Councilwoman Linda Wyatt and Councilman John Edwards.
Wyatt said she doesn't particularly like watching herself, but it concerns her that most working people can't attend council's Monday afternoon meetings.
If the government-access channel replayed sessions later, as it does meetings of the Board of Supervisors, that would be useful for citizens, she said.
"It's kind of a way to make the business of the council accessible to the public, so they can see what's going on. I'd vote it up. I've always felt like government should be close to the people," she said.
Edwards, a Democrat who is making a bid for a state Senate seat held by Republican Brandon Bell, is enthusiastically pro-TV for similar reasons.
"I think it's a good idea," he said. "The more that citizens can learn about how government operates, how council works, the better. Also, what you're doing is expanding the public hearing to everyone who has a television."
Councilman William White could not be reached for comment.
by CNB