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CityLine: October 13, 2000

Greer: Council's Cable Proposal "A Policy," not attempt at "censorship."

Councilman calls proposal a step towards "good government."

Policy would exclude partisan presentations on matters before the Council on Channel 72. Does not apply to Public Access or School Channels.

Mayor's Office: Legality of resolution scrutinized by Legal Department.

Interviews by WPCNR News:

Councilperson Robert Greer told WPCNR this week that the proposed cable television resolution that makes the Common Council the controlling agency over the City of White Plains cable channel was not an attempt at council censorship of Channel 72 content. Greer characterized the draft proposal as an attempt to formulate a "policy" for program content on the channel, which presently has no mission or content guidelines.

"It's just oversight," Greer told WPCNR. "a draft of a policy statement for cable TV: It's not an attempt to censor. We were upset the Mayor reacted the way he did. It is really about good government: what should and should be (on the government channel)."

Grows out of New York Hospital News Conference

Greer said that Mayor Joseph Delfino "caught a good deal of flak" when the Mayor's Office televised the New York Presbyterian Hospital news conference (November, 1999) announcing the Hospital's Millennium Plan for their property.

Greer reports that one of the intents of the new policy is to set guidelines for televising programs and events involving information on proposals. Greer pointed out that the Millennium Plan at the time was an issue that eventually would come before the Council, and that the appearance of the Mayor, had the effect of endorsing the plan.

Councilperson Greer said the Policy is designed to set standards by which public information is presented on Channel 72. Greer felt that such programs as the Hospital news conference could be presented under the new policy, but city officials expressing their points of view like the Mayor should be "edited out," or other opposition organizations offered "equal time."

When the New York Presbyterian Hospital program was presented, Concerned Citizens for Open Space did not ask for equal time to present their reaction of the plan, according to Alan Teck, President of CCOS. He said they did not ask because he felt the Mayor's Office controlled Channel 72, and that the Mayor would not have granted them equal time.

Policy Guidelines grow out of concern about partisan programs,
Mayor's refusal to televise Board of Legislators hearings in prime time.

Greer said he and other members of the Common Council had been working on the policy for a number of months, and had not presented the policy to date, because they wanted to research how other cities handled their government access channel. He said the research had indicated that "most cities" did not have a formal policy,

Another concern was that the Mayor has refused to televise the bimonthly meetings of the Westchester County Board of Legislators on the White Plains Channel 72 in prime time, Greer said. The County Board meetings are presented on tape on Thursday afternoons at 3:30 PM on Channel 71, the White Plains Public Access Channel.

"Willing to explore with Mayor."
Legality of policy placement on agenda being reviewed.

Greer said the Cable Policy resolution "is basically a draft we submitted. I gave the Mayor a 'heads-up' on it, that we wanted it on the (November Common Council) agenda and had submitted it to the legal department for review. We're willing to explore the policy with the Mayor, I told him what was in the policy and he responded. This was not a political attempt on our part and he chose not to believe that."

George Gretsas, the Mayor's Executive Officer, told WPCNR Thursday evening that the City Corporation Council is reviewing the cable television policy draft, to determine if it can be legally implemented in relation to the present city cable television contract and the City Charter. A legal opinion has not been rendered yet.

Gretsas said he doubted whether the Mayor would refuse to put Cable Television Policy on the November agenda, since such a resolution could be introduced during the Common Council meeting anyway.

Key points of policy

Mr. Greer has provided a copy of the Draft White Plains Government Access Cable Television Policy to WPCNR. The following are the key points of the policy.

1. The Programming Policy prohibits "point-of-view programming," requires "balance:

Programming Policy: It is the purpose of the Government Access Cable Channel to provide direct information to the residents of White Plains about the operations and deliberations of the Common Council and City departments. The Government Cable Channel, while a voice for the Common Council, is not intended as a mechanism for building support for a particular candidate or candidates for political office or for a particular point of view regarding pending or potentially pending legislative action. Televised informational meetings must take special care to provide balanced points of view.

Announcements for authorized municipal events or events directly or otherwise determined to be of significant municipal interest shall be allowed. Public service announcements for events and programs which have some City sponsorship or involvement shall also be allowed.

2. Draft stipulates both Common Council and County Legislators coverage on city channel:

In the area of "Operational Procedures," the Draft policy authorizes continuation of live cablecasts of Common Council meetings; tape-delayed cablecasts of Government-sponsored public meetings; cablecasts of taped Common Council meetings and Westchester County Board of Legislators meetings; programming of "other entities related to government facilities, services or operation, if appropriate;" and billboard information services about city operations, with non-government organizations and individual billboards being "encouraged" to use the Public Access Channel 71.

3. Common Council authorized as "reviewing authority" with power to pull programs.

Under the heading, "Reviewing Authority," the resolution makes the Common Council "the reviewing authority for the White Plains Government Access Cable Television Policy. The recommended remedy for any violation of this policy is the cancellation of the telecast in question."

The Draft stipulates under "Access Policy," that all regular Common Council meetings and Board of Legislator meetings be broadcast in prime time 6 PM to 9 PM Monday through Thursday, with "Meetings related to government committees, boards and commissions may be cablecast at the request or by permission of the presiding officer..."

4. Private individuals, organizations must appear on Channel 71.

Another important stipulation prohibits private individuals and organizations from appearing on the City Channel: "Requests for access to the Government Cable Channel by persons other than bona fide municipal officials or administrators will be referred to Public Access Channel 71."

WPCNR will make available the entire Draft Policy to any readers requesting it.

Public Access Channel not affected.

The other two cable channels in the city, Channel 71 and Channel 73, carry public access programming and Board of Education programming. The Draft Policy only applies to content on Channel 72, the City Government Channel.

Channel 71 is administered by the White Plains Cable Television Access Commission, under the leadership of Fredric Strauss, Production Specialist.

The channel provides seven days of programming of local origin with virtually all prime time slots filled from 5:30 PM to 11 PM each night of the week. For a copy of the Public Access Programming Schedule, contact WPCNR by e-mail.

Reported by John Bailey for WPCNR from interviews with Robert Greer, Fredric Strauss, and George Gretsas. A copy of the Draft Policy is available from WPCNR by e-mail, for anyone wishing a copy of it. Simply write WPCNR@aol.com for a copy. If you would like a copy of the Public Access Programming Schedule, write WPCNR@aol.com

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