Save CAN TV While it's Worth Saving
Stone's plan for the city's cable access is practical and necessary, at least in the short term

Chicago Journal
Published June 24, 2004
[Our Views]

Fiftieth Ward Alderman Bernard Stone's plan for alternative funding for CAN TV is a good one. Under the proposal, funding for the public access station would come directly from city coffers, amounting to one-fifth the total collected each year in cable franchise taxes.

Last week, City Council's Finance Committee approved the idea, with, somewhat surprisingly, hundreds of CAN TV supporters on hand in the Council Chambers to cheer the news. Judging from the turnout, citizens really do care about continued public access to the airwaves.

The proposal now goes to the Budget Committee, where it will face tougher scrutiny by hard-line number crunchers. Mayor Richard M. Daley has thus far been reluctant to throw his support behind the plan, noting that it may be a quick fix but won't solve funding for CAN TV in the long term and may just drain dollars from other crucial city programs as the demand for cable decreases in favor of satellite TV.

The Mayor and the Aldermen are right to be concerned about CAN TV's long-term solvency. Finding additional money to fund the station should be a priority. In the meantime, however, to keep the station strong and solvent in the next few years, the city should implement Stone's plan. Otherwise, in the time it takes for the city to come up with the perfect solution, the station will wither on the vine and there won't be anything to save.

back to top