Your Community Access Television’s proposal is leading the pack that wants to oversee Benton’s public access television channel, but the race is by no means over.
In a meeting Thursday night of the City Council’s Community Services Committee, five council members voted to recommend the YCAT proposal to the council when it meets Dec. 14.
Of the nine council members present when the vote was taken, two opposed the YCAT plan and two abstained, but those abstentions count as “no” votes, according to City Attorney Brent Houston. One of the affirmative votes came from the chairman, Alderman Charles Cunningham, who voted to break the 4-4 tie.
The 10th council member, Alderman Brad Moore, had left to attend his daughter’s school concert, so he did not vote.
Alderman Joe Lee Richards, who voted against choosing YCAT, had recommended that the city “get out of the television business altogether and give the channel back to Charter Communications.”
Richards said it was time for the channel “to go dark” because of the dissension it has caused.
Voting for Richards’ motion to this effect were Richards and Alderman David Sparks.
Wes Buchanan, who is heading up the newly formed YCAT, outlined the organization’s plan in the meeting.
YCAT was formed recently by former members of Benton Community Access Association, which has overseen the city’s community access television program since its inception seven years ago.
The YCAT proposal notes that it would receive administrative and operational control of the channel for one year with the express understanding that YCAT will adhere to all applicable FCC rules and regulations and other applicable governing authority rules.
Buchanan proposed that YCAT record and tape-delay broadcast of City Council meetings on the public access channel at the continuing rate of $450 per month. That amount has been the fee paid to Benton Community Access Association.
The amount the organization would charge wasn’t acceptable to Alderman Doug Stracener, who proposed a $300 monthly fee, but Cunningham explained that the terms of the agreement should be worked out by the council and the organization. The committee’s function, he said, was simply to make a recommendation of a proposal or to recommend none of the choices presented thus far.
Johnny McMahan, who heads BCAA, presented a revised proposal in which the organization offered to film and rebroadcast City Council meetings on the public access channel for free; and Holloway’s Production Co. offered a $350 monthly rate for one year. Reese Holloway, owner of the company, said he was not proposing operating Channel 12 or an additional educational/governmental channel.
Neither proposal drew council support.
All of the aldermen voted against the city’s proposal to create a public facilities board or commission to oversee the channel. On the advice of Houston, that proposal was discussed before consideration was given to proposals from YCAT, BCAA or Holloway’s Production Co.
If the aldermen had approved the city’s recommendation, then the public facilities body would have been charged with the responsibility to review the other proposals, Houston said.
The city’s proposal was developed by Lamont Cornwell, Benton’s community and economic development director.
According to Buchanan, YCAT would broadcast from the space previously occupied by Channel 95, which is the studio located on the second floor of the Courier building. He said the organization would have the ability to present live broadcasts from this site.
“Once YCAT is fully solvent, any necessary upgrades will be made to YCAT equipment in order to better serve the public access television viewing area,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan said the organization would maintain a balanced budget and submit a financial report for quarterly review by its board of directors and a yearly report by a CPA, either by review or audit.
He said YCAT programs would be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, with the following preference:
•Regular scheduled series.
•Premier showing of a new locally produced show.
•Subsequent showing of a new locally produced show.
•Premier showing of a new imported show.
•YCAT promotion.
•Requested replay.
•Other programming.
Buchanan said programs may be shown as frequently as the following:
•Weekly series programs, five times per week.
•Biweekly series programs, three times per week for two weeks.
•Monthly series programs, one time per week for four weeks.
•Monthly series programs, one time per week for four weeks.
•New locally produced programs, five times per week for four weeks.
•New imported programs, up to three times per week for one week.
•Replays of previously shown programs, three times per week for one week.
•Short takes or YCAT promotions, five times per day.
Buchanan said one program per requester per week will be allowed for imported programming.
“Anyone submitting a program for playback must submit a playback request form before the program is scheduled,” he noted.
The form include statements assigning responsibility for the content of the program to the producer or provider, he said.
“The form must be completed and signed by the program producer,” he added.
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