Public access

TV gains

momentum

Morgan broadcasts

council meetings live

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Public access television channels are becoming more user-friendly in area communities.

The cable access channel in New Ulm has been broadcasting city council and school board meetings live for decades. Some area communities are now beginning to follow suit.

New Ulm's two cable television providers, Time Warner and NU Telecom also broadcast local church services and religious programming. Delayed broadcast programming includes everything from the U.S. Highway 14 Corridor Project video to basketball games and the Minnesota Twins Caravan visit to New Ulm.

Brian Gramentz, New Ulm city manager, would like to see more city government meetings on cable television. By franchise agreement, New Ulm's cable providers are required only to broadcast city council meetings.

If the City of New Ulm wanted to put things like the planning commission and park board on cable television, videotaping would be the city's responsibility.

"It would cost money, but the plus side is the cable company has the equipment," Gramentz said. "We'd have to pay somebody to tape the meetings or find somebody willing to donate the time. Right now, the city probably has many financial needs with higher priority."

A high school or college video club might like to get the broadcast experience, Gramentz said. City meetings are always open to the public, he added.

Gramentz's parents, who live in Springfield, which is served by NU Telecom, tune their television to the cable broadcast of New Ulm City Council meetings.

"This (NU Telecom's broadcast of the meetings in area communities) gives New Ulm more of a regional influence and could give people in Springfield and other outlying communities new ideas," Gramentz said.

Meanwhile, Springfield Community Access Channel 8 is broadcasting the Jan. 12, 2004, public meeting about investing in the proposed Springfield Microtel motel project at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

New Ulm Telecom added electronic capabilities to the community's cable system a few years ago, according to Springfield City Manager Mac Tilberg. Customers can plug their VHS tapes into their VCRs and program times to record broadcast public interest events like high school basketball games, musical and theatrical events.

If cable clients desire, they can download items like videos and digital photos of things like their last fishing trip or their calendars into the Channel 8 system that will broadcast them in Springfield.

Springfield has live video feed capability, Tilberg said.

Morgan City Council meetings are shown live on Channel 3 to local cable customers. Tapes of the meeting are available for checkout at the Morgan Public Library. Local church services are also televised.

Sleepy Eye is served by Mediacom and Sleepy Eye Telephone Co. which offers cable television through the phone line.

City Manager Mark Kober said the City of Sleepy Eye would need a hard line connection linking it with the community channel through Sleepy Eye Public School.

The capability to accept live video from camera to equipment would cost about $8,000, Kober said.

Several years ago, citizens petitioned the City of Sleepy Eye to broadcast meetings. No action was taken.

However, he noted that council meeting minutes and agendas and a variety of other information is available on the City of Sleepy Eye web site.