Community-access TV plan offered by Brewery Arts Center

The Brewery Arts Center has created a detailed plan for operating Carson City's community-access television system beginning July 1.

It would like to raise $275,000 to pay for equipment, office supplies and a host of other startup necessities for programming on cable channels 10 and 26.

Supervisors will decide today whether to begin negotiations with the BAC to provide the service.

BAC is seeking $183,000 from the city and Charter Communications. The rest of the money would come from grants, donations and other sources.

The city, however, only has $110,000 available for the provider, and won't know whether more money will be available until it renews its cable television contract with Charter Communications, said Mayor Marv Teixeira.

The organization plans to offer classes in broadcast arts and do on-site commercial television production, said John Procaccini, BAC's executive director.

The television area would be in the basement of the Performance Hall, the former St. Teresa's Catholic Church building.

"It's going to be big job," said Michael Furlong, who would serve as the operation's general manager. "It's going to be a ground-up operation."

Furlong has a background in communications that includes previous work in local community television and vast experience in audio and video editing.

Other issues that need to be addressed include establishing operations, procedures, and "coming up with ideas for programming," by examining the community's rich history and current concerns. The system also needs a name because it probably won't be called BACTV, Furlong said.

The arts center will need to be provided with a physical connection that will allow them to send out programming too, he said.

Those involved with the endeavor emphasize that while BAC may consider the access channels part of their organization, its operation will be for benefit of the community, not to advertise the arts and cultural center, Furlong said.

The city's overall cable contract with St. Louis-based Charter Communications ran out in July 2002. Charter has been operating the cable system without a long-term agreement, while it and the city have been trying to create a new agreement that includes better customer service and financial help in providing the access channels.

Carson Access Television Foundation's contract with the city wasn't renewed. It ended Dec. 31. CATF aired a pornographic film by mistake in February 2004, and CATF's executive director was convicted of embezzling nearly $500,000 from 1999 to 2003 from the foundation.

Sierra Nevada Cable Access Television, SNCAT, took over Jan. 1, and its contract ends June 30. SNCAT was invited to bid on the long-term contract but declined, according to the city.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.

If you go

What: Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting

When: 8:30 a.m. today

Where: Sierra Room of the Community Center, 851 E. William St.

Call: 887-2100