Volunteers Wanted for Public Access TV in Lower Connecticut River Valley

REGIONAL - Residents and teachers in the nine-town region are being asked to step up to the plate and help increase the amount of public, educational, and governmental programming shown on cable television.

Robert Mathis, Chairman of the Comcast Cable Television Advisory Board and Westbrook resident, said the medium provides a great opportunity to connect residents with their town governments, schools, and communities.

In the lower Connecticut River Valley, Comcast provides cable service to the towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Durham, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.

From their cable bill, the estimated 23,000 subscribers pay approximately $6.30 a year that goes toward public access.

Both state and federal governments require cable companies to provide public access for subscribers.

Mathis recently attended the Jan. 10 Westbrook Leadership meeting and recommended that more town meetings should be videotaped and broadcast to help convey a positive image for this shoreline town whose image was tarnished after the former First Selectman was arrested twice.

In order to do this, Mathis is encouraging residents to form a group of volunteers that would take free training courses at the public access studio at 21 East Main Street in Clinton.

Westbrook First Selectman Noel Bishop said he supports that recommendation since several residents have approached him specifically requesting that meetings be broadcast since they work in the evenings or have family commitments.

Bishop hopes volunteers will come forward so that meetings of some of the more "high-profile" boards and commissions can be shown on public access television.

In Bishop's opinion, those could include town meetings as well as meetings of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Planning Commission, Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission.

Those interested in receiving the training should contact coordinator Dan Matteson at 860-669-9417.

That course, Mathis said, is open to all residents and helps them gain the knowledge necessary to produce shows in the studio or rent out one of three sets of remote video equipment for recording of meetings or events.

Public access and governmental access programming is broadcast on Comcast Cable Channel 19.

Deep River Board of Selectmen meetings and special town meetings have been broadcast on the channel in the past along with meetings held in Chester.

Public access includes television shows hosted by residents and special events or programs produced by community organizations which include non-profit organizations like churches and clubs.

Comcast broadcasts educational programming on channel 18 and a television studio at the Haddam-Killingworth High School in Killingworth allows students to produce the show "Shoreline Idol" along with news programs.

Mathis said the high school's television studio is one of the most comprehensive studios in any high school in the country.

Other schools in the nine town region record school sports games, special assemblies, and musical productions and they are aired on this channel.

Additionally, the station aired a "Meet the Candidates" which allowed students to interview Board of Selectmen candidates in several towns.

Mathis encouraged the Westbrook Board of Education to recommend the Board of Selectmen nominate one of their members to sit on the Cable Television Advisory Board.

Each town is allowed three representatives, Mathis said, explaining that two are residents of the town and one represents the Board of Education.

When the board was setup, Clinton was allowed a fourth representative from the library since it had the largest library in the area at that time.

In total, the board only has 10 members and 18 vacancies since some of the smaller towns in the area have no residents representing them on the board.

According to the board's annual report, members work closely with Comcast employees at the Clinton public access studio and ensure it is available and meets the needs of the community.

Residents who have complaints, suggestions, or comments about their Comcast Cable can approach board members or attend meetings.

Mathis said that Cable Television Advisory Board meetings are open to the public and this year will be held on Jan. 29, Mar. 25, May 27, Jul. 29, Sept. 30, and Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. in Conference Room A of the Mulvey Municipal Center in Westbrook.