By Anthony McCartney of The Tampa Tribune

After two decades of broadcasting, a pair of Tampa television stations say they’re in danger of losing their local flavor.

Budget cuts threaten Hillsborough County’s annual stipends to The Education Channel and Tampa Bay Community Network/Speak Up Tampa Bay, a combined $874,433

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If the local government is either going to subsidize a cable provider or limit competition, the public must have reasonable access (and appropriate, relevant funding) to broadcast uncensored, non-commerical programming.

If the public wants to pay for it by donating, that is fine. But taxpayers should not made be paying for this.  All the waste in government . No wonder why My Taxes are so High let alone the unequitable we tax property owners in this state.

If we deny the public at large access to at least some of the cable channels, then we are left with local government deciding programming content - via the exclusive cable contracts - in our community.

Good riddance to public access shows. They are not only a waste of public funding. The only people that get access to them are self serving ego driven maniacs with their own agendas. Besides. Does anyone really watch those shows?

JamesD - 21 September 2007 03:01 PM

Good riddance to public access shows. They are not only a waste of public funding. The only people that get access to them are self serving ego driven maniacs with their own agendas. Besides. Does anyone really watch those shows?

As much of a good point Steve made, I have to say the programs are so bad that its really a waste of money. It shows the level of stupidity we as a society have become...and our local and national politics are a reflection of what we have become. The left is too far left and the right have gone too far right, so those with some intelligence are stuck in the middle. As the big wheels turn......Democratic congress and a republican white house are both guilty of serving their lobbyist and big business/money contributors and all logic is going right out the window. Does anyone else see this or am I alone?