THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 17, 1995 TAG: 9506170337
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER CHRISTMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Dare County wants to be on television, a spokesman told the Government Access Channel Committee on Friday.
Dare County Public Information Officer Charlie Hartig said the county is interested in joining an existing agreement among three municipalities that would allow it to use Channel 20 for public interest, non-commercial programming.
Kill Devil Hills, Manteo and Nags Head now have use of the Falcon Cable TV channel.
Hartig, a former broadcast journalist, said he sees television as a medium through which the government can reach the public.
``The key to communicating information to the people is television,'' Hartig said during the committee's meeting. ``If I am prohibited from using television as a venue to communicate with people, then there is no reason for what I do.''
In 1990, Falcon Cable agreed to donate a channel for state and local governments to use. Dare County and all its municipalities were invited to join the agreement drafted in 1992, but the county, Southern Shores and Kitty Hawk declined.
``At the time we began negotiations, the government access channel was something new,'' explained Larry Ott, regional manager of Falcon Cable TV. ``At the time, it wasn't something the county or some of the towns were ready to dive right into.''
But Dare County wants in now, Hartig said.
``I hate to talk on the level of politics, but all of the messages of last November was that people want more involvement in their government,'' Hartig said. ``This is a tremendous opportunity for us to disseminate information. That's our primary interest.''
Officials from Kill Devil Hills, Manteo and Nags Head said that while they are open to Dare County joining their agreement, they want the county to make a commitment to back operation expenses.
Kill Devil Hills Commissioner Bill Morris originally suggested allowing the county to enter the agreement without a preliminary financial commitment.
``I think the county is regretting not getting in on this sooner,'' Morris said. ``Hindsight right now is 20/20. The municipalities have done a lot of work. I don't want to minimize that, but can we just in good nature say we're all in this together and do something for the whole county?''
But Nags Head Commissioner Harry Thompson said that he wanted more assurance before allowing the county access to the channel.
``I just don't feel comfortable, and I don't think my board would feel comfortable, acting on this before a commitment is made by the county,'' Thompson said.
Hartig said he will take the existing agreement to the county board of commissioners for consideration.
The next meeting of the Goverment Access Channel Committee is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 18. by CNB