Would You Miss CAR 25?
Racine aldermen want to kill off the city's cable channel, saying it's too expensive to continue providing the service. What do you think?
Racine's public access cable channel may disappear, if the city goes along with an alderman's proposal.
Alderman Greg Helding wants to see the money the city spends on CAR25 put into the contingency fund, according to The Journal Times, and used to potentially keep future cuts in services from happening.
From the JT article:
“This (money) represents at least one if not two positions,” Helding said, adding that aldermen are “kidding themselves” if they think they are going to get out from behind the cost of the union lawsuit loss or looming cuts from the state.
There's been controversy over the channel since Racine Mayor John Dickert first proposed hiring an outside consultant to run the channel (for $40,000 back in 2010, according to the JT article from the time). Most recently, the city set a request for proposals for an outside contractor to run CAR25, the JT reported, and one bidder said it "could run the station for $119,500 plus $47,500 in first-year expenses."
Rees Roberts
12:55 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
In the age of the Internet having a resource limited to just cable is out of date. A resource like this should be available to people through out Southeastern Wisconsin where the cost is subsidized by all local Internet Service Providers not just Time Warner. That would spread the cost and make it available to a vastly larger audience. The question is who should spear head such a venture in these economically challenged times. I have no crystal ball for that answer. Then again, why have such a resource when we already have YouTube and other broadcasting resources on the Internet for anyone to use. Ya, I think Car25 has run out of its usefulness when we can watch YouTube on our TV's.
Chase Hendrix
4:45 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
It is already available online to everyone around the world, and it is also available to Time Warner subscribers in Racine County and AT&T subscribers throughout SE Wisconsin. This was all accomplished on a shoestring budget. To see all programs, go to http://car25.pegcentral.com.
Heather in Caledonia
3:53 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What is broadcast on CAR 25 other than Prom and city meetings? Rees is right about YouTube - why can't the city set up their own YouTube channel and archive their meetings there? They'll still need to pay for the camera person and someone to upload it to the internet, but it would save all of the broadcast fees. Prom could also be handled in the same manner. For those few who still don't have access to the internet? They can pull it up at the library - there are computers there and librarians who can help them find city meetings and prom videos. Excellent way to save money, in my opinion.
Chase Hendrix
4:52 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
There are no additional broadcast fees. PEG channels are provided at no cost to the City as part of our cable franchise agreement. We just have to meet basic requirements to keep the channels, and our own City ordinances are written to provide fair and equal access to PEG resources.
Heather in Caledonia
5:48 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What are the thousands of dollars for then? Just for camera people and some computer work to edit the programs?
RacineNews
7:57 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
About half of the 80k budget is for one full time employee, and a good chunk of the other half is for rent to the City which seems unnecessary, as well as MIS services and some other fees that really could be cut as well without having to eliminate the entire community resource.
Heather in Caledonia
9:08 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Thanks, RacineNews. I can see retaining one employee to do the work of recording, editing, and uploading city meetings. I'm assuming Chase has more invested in this program than most of us and I've suggested on the JT site that maybe setting up a non-profit that would help community groups do broadcasting might be a better way to go. He mentions that he's tried to donate a large sum of money to CAR25, so that would maybe be enough to get off the ground.
I think the gov't should be in the business of broadcasting their meetings (or arranging for them to be broadcast), but not providing broadcasting services for the community. I just don't think that's a needed service the government should be providing.
Caledonia Retiree
6:13 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I don't know about CAR25 but the nine years I spent paying through the nose for cable TV (1991-2000), the "access" channels were a joke. A few kids practicing to be "directors", boring government meetings, but most of the time stupid scrolling data. Of course, Time-Ripoff gives a 5% "franchise fee" to the local municipality and is required by the FCC to have "public access" channels so maybe this nonsense will continue. Fortunately, I switched to DirecTV 12 years ago and no longer have such channels in my lineup.
GearHead
9:51 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
CAR25? Didn't watch it on TImeW, now I can't watch it on DirectTV. Am I missing something? Have to agree with Rees. (blushing!)
Rees Roberts
11:39 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Gearhead agrees with me on something? I'm shocked. No wonder he is blushing. Good seeing you the other night at the Mt. Pleasant meeting.
Urban Pioneer
4:40 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
While I have enjoyed watching some programs and even participating on programs on Car25. I still think it's time for the City to get it's fingers off of this product. If some of these locals want to make their own product and raise non-profit dollars to operate it I'd be happy to help with that.