Off the air? to the gay man and the radical conservative

That is exactly what is happenings in Napa Ca.
Register Staff Writer KEVIN COURTNEYreported in the Napa Register Saturday, August 28, 2004 that...
The prospect of a policy regulating politics on public access television has three Napa City Council candidates crying foul.

These candidates have weekly public affairs shows on cable Channel 28 that could be taken off the air if the station required a political blackout before the city election next March.

"That would restrict what public access is all about, which is free speech," said Vincent "Grasshopper" Blake, a veteran of cable TV who launched his two-hour show, "Grasshopper 4 Mayor," last December.

Blake's Wednesday night show follows "Wine Country Happenings" hosted by Chris Edwards, who started his show earlier this year at about the time he announced he would run for council. When he ran unsuccessfully two years ago, he did not have a TV show.

The candidate with the longest-running Channel 28 current events show is Councilman Harry Martin, who wants to replace Ed Henderson as mayor. His Monday night show, "Napa Sentinel Live," is named for his weekly newspaper.

Dan Monez, the station's new executive director, said he is researching how other public access stations handle political content, especially at election time. Channel 28 does not have a policy, he said.

"The assumption that we're going to kick everybody off the air is premature," said Monez, who expects to give policy options to his board of directors on Sept. 9.

Monez said he was getting legal opinions and talking to other station managers. Some stations, particularly those run by cities, prohibit political content altogether, he said.

Stations run by nonprofits, such as Channel 28, tend to be more flexible, he said.

"I want to be fair to everyone," Monez said Friday. "I don't want the station to be accused of being a bully pulpit for people with (political) shows."

Blake said he encourages his viewers to call in with comments about news of the day. While the name of his show declares his political ambitions, "I talk about everything under the sun. The callers dictate where the show will go."

"I'll give my opinion where it's necessary and tell them where I fall on the issues," Blake said.

Instead of considering restricting candidates at election time, the station should be looking for ways to get more candidates on the air, Blake said.

Martin said Channel 28 has a tradition of shows hosted by candidates. In addition to his "Napa Sentinel Live," Mayor Henderson, former Councilwoman JoAnn Busenbark and Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd have all had shows, he said.

"It's not really politics for me," said Martin. "It's just that I'm there."

His shows typically feature other community leaders, including fellow council members and competing candidates, in an interview format, he said.

Martin downplayed the political benefit of being seen on community access television for an hour each week. "I've got the newspaper. I've got the council. The name recognition is there," he said.

Dee Cuney, a council candidate who once had her own show, "Letters to the Editor," said she would like to keep Channel 28 as accessible to the public as possible.

"I think that is why public access was created. It's a chance for people who can't get big media to have a chance," she said.

When she ran for council two years ago, Cuney said, she gave up her show. It was too much work and not terribly beneficial to her candidacy, she decided.

"Everyone should be able to have a show whether you're a candidate or a soccer mom," Cuney said.

In a protest e-mail to Monez, Edwards said any regulation of candidates would put the station on the "slippery slope of censorship." Regulation of religious programming could occur next, he said.

After consulting a lawyer, Edwards provided Monez with two pages of legal precedents that indicated that curbing candidates would not be a good idea.

"I will work with other potentially censored individuals, if necessary, and use whatever tools are at my disposal to ensure free speech remains alive and well in Napa," Edwards wrote.

Register efforts to reach Edwards on Friday were unsuccessful.

Monez said the prospect of a dozen council candidate having a weekly live show would be difficult. The station's two "live" nights are fully booked with political and non-political shows. It might require bumping one of the taped shows, he said.

Monez said he would give his board options and legal opinions on Sept. 9.

"I told Chris that whatever we come up with will be grounded in legal principle and fair to the community," he said.

Now the rest of the story. The real issue behind the discussion of censorship is a Radical Conservative named Harry Martin which owns his own media source called the Napa Sentinel and Napa's first Openely Gay Candidate for City Council are leading the polls. The Napa City Council consists of 4 Republicans who would not stand for these two getting on council so an oppenent went and screamed foul with the local public access station and asked that their two shows and the shows for any potential candidates be blacked out after the filing date passes. Time will tell how the board will decide but is Napa really going to turn its head to censorship or will the gay guy Chris Edwards keep his show Wine Country Happenings-Live every Wednesday night. Stay tuned as the story developes...