Through the Looking Glass

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Review Magazine - Politics

Through the Looking Glass - Part II

Bay3TV serves up government access to Bay Area

By: Mark R. Leffler

Bay City Manager James Palenik

Photo by MRL

Decades ago the legendary smoke filled rooms of area political bosses hosted the deal making sessions that ran the local political machines. But today government access television cuts through the smoke and jeers to deliver a relatively unfiltered look at local government.

In Bay City, Bay3TV serves this function. A joint effort funded by the Bay City Public Schools, Bay City and Bay County, the station has delivered local government and school programming since 1996.

According to the school system's web site, "Bay3TV has done many interviews concerning Bay City, to name a few: Commission meetings, the Fireworks Festival, the Pig Gig, and the Fire Department."

The site also lists county-related programming, including Animal Control, Health Department, Civic Arena, Road Commission, Historical Museum,, Bay County Commission meetings and much more.

City Manager Jim Palenick notes that Bay3TV also features shows and press conferences dealing with controversial issues. He points to a recent meeting that discussed a proposed hotel conference center.

The City Commission and County Commission meetings are televised live and repeated several times. School Board meetings are also shown. Palenick sees no disadvantages to outweigh the significant advantages of allowing the public to view the process of local government.

James A. Griffiths, Director of Community Services for Bay City Public Schools, who helps oversee the station's operation, is also a strong supporter of televised meetings. "The same people who showed up regularly to speak at the meetings came before" meetings were televised. He doesn't feel the camera attracts belligerent residents, an issue that played a role in Saginaw City Council's decision, later reversed, to pull the plug on Council telecasts. Second Ward Commissioner Colin Hintz appreciates "the ability to go back and check what happened and what was said. I have gone back to the recorded tapes of meetings several times to clarify what was presented and the discussion word for word. "

The written minutes of the meeting are "Action Minutes" and only discuss the item spoken on, who spoke and the way each elected official voted. The video recording of everything else has proven to be priceless in later meetings when questions arise as to what happened and what was said."

Hintz also feels that local government benefits from "the feeling given to elected officials that they are being watch by more people than can be fit into the meeting hall. Many times I've heard comments from other elected officials, "Watch what you say and do in front of the camera." It helps keep honest people honest."

"I've taken the idea that people are watching to heart. I am trying to involve the people watching by discussing the city's business in front of the camera. I have taken some heat from my fellow commissioners and mayor for this. Yet, I believe if an elected body doesn't hide anything from the community they are elected to represent, that elected body will have nothing to fear. In fact the whole idea of the Michigan Open Meetings Act is that much of the city government's business is to be done in the open. I strongly believe in this ideal."

Charter Communications is not a partner, but provides Bay3TV "with the capabilities to broadcast to the community. Charter gives assistance, equipment and technical services to the station when needed.

Bay3TV is run from facilities provided by the Bay City Public Schools at 910 North Walnut Street in Bay City. It boasts an impressive control room/editing suite with Panasonic DVCPRO editing equipment, a Panasonic WJMX-50 digital switcher, wave form monitor and vector scope, and a Trinity editing and digital effects system (Shameless plug disguised cleverly as an author's note: the same system the author uses to edit "BOOKMARKS" at QTV Quality Public Broadcasting 19&35.)

Next door is an office converted into a three-camera studio used primarily for talk shows and "Math Homework Live", a popular local program where viewers call in with questions and vie for daily prizes. The math show is hosted by Troy Mason and is seen Monday and Wednesday during the school year.

Mark R. Leffler in the Bay3TV Studio

Photo by MRL

Talk shows are produced employing a Panasonic ADJ-700 Digital Camera, a Panasonic 5100 DVCPRO camcorder, and a SONY Hi-8. A retractable projector screen-style blue screen is used to chroma key backgrounds (the same technique that allows TV weathermen to appear in front of magically changing weather maps).

Funding for the station is provided by $25,000 budgeted both by the city and the county. The public schools contribute another $25,000 to $30,000 annually in in-kind facilities and services. The station is run by the school system.

David L. Rogers managed the station in its early years before moving from the area. Currently Video Technician Harold Beauchamp operates the station. The initial equipment used to start the station was purchased from $15,000 provided by Bresnan Communications.

The school system also benefits from the station. As the web site notes,

"With BAY3TV, the Bay City Public Schools can reach more than just their

students in their classrooms. The viewers get a chance to see many

goings-on of the schools of which they might not otherwise be aware."

Programs cited as evidence of this are School Board Meetings, Bay City

Central and Bay City Western basketball, wrestling, football, and

volleyball games, honors assemblies, commencement ceremonies, the Bay

Arenac Skill Center, a School Candidates Forum, play promos, charity

assemblies, choir concerts, jazz concerts, and Academic Track meets.

The City Commission meetings are televised live Mondays and are covered with one camera. The county meetings are done with two cameras because of special requirements of the room where the meetings are held. School board meetings are shot with one camera also.

The station also operated a message board system and produces and shows promotional spots for Bay Metro Transit, Bay Health Systems and the Bay City Libraries. Each organization budgets $15,000 in return for the services provided by Bay3TV. Bay Health Systems produces its own show seen on the station. This arrangement helps the financially strapped station, which costs approximately $75,000 to $80,000 to operate annually.

This is the second part of a series exploring government access television in the Tri-Cities. Part I discussed SGTV12 in Saginaw and Michigan Government Television in Lansing. Part III will look at Midland's government access in the next issue of Review. Readers may contact Mark Leffler at MRLeff78@aol.com with questions or feedback. For more information about local government access in your area call your local cable television provider.

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