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from: Monroe Times

Local TV could go dark
Published Monday, December 3, 2007 11:28:56 AM Central Time

By Jim Winter

newseditor@
themonroetimes.com

MONROE -- Earlier this month, the state Senate passed a cable competition bill. The Assembly passed the bill before that.

Once the legislature comes up with a unified bill, Gov. Jim Doyle will have to sign it into law. He generally supports the bill.

Lawmakers in support of the bill said it will result in increased competition and lower rates.

The bill does away with local cable TV franchise agreements in place since the 1970s.

Advocates for local public access, educational and government channels also opposed the bill. They said those channels that are known for broadcasting city council and school board meetings and other community gatherings will have a harder time surviving under the new structure that doesn't have guaranteed fees to fund them.

The City of Brodhead received about $25,000 from Charter last year for its franchise fee.

City Clerk Nancy J. Schoeller said the money goes into a general fund with a portion of it going to help maintain two public access channels, one for the city and one for the school.

If the city loses the money, Schoeller said, it won't ask residents to support the channels, which may mean their demise.

Under the bill, local cable deals would remain in effect for three years.

In New Glarus, the village has started making preparations for the loss of income with the bill's passage. The village's cable committee met Nov. 26 to discuss options to increase the budget over the next three years in order to support the access channel when the time comes.

Village Administrator Nic Owens said New Glarus receives $16,000 for its one channel, and has requested a second. The village uses $4,000 to support the channel and the rest is put in the budget's general fund.

Like Brodhead and New Glarus, Monroe receives funding from Charter, about 5 percent of the franchise fee, according to City Administrator Mark Vahlsing. Last year, the city received about $101,000. It put the money in the general fund to cover any public access channel costs.

Darlington City Clerk Phil Risseeuw said the city gets 3 percent for its franchise fee, or about $8,394 last year. The city, however, has no local access channels.

Schoeller said the majority of time on Brodhead's city and school channels are used for static announcements, although events are sometimes broadcast on the school channel.

In New Glarus, school activities dominate the one channel. The district broadcasts sporting events and concerts on the station.

In Monroe, Vahlsing said neither channel broadcasts video.

-- Times reporters Brian Gray and Tere Dunlap
contributed to this story