When Athens residents tune in to Channel 15, they can see a variety of things relating to the city, but what most don't know is that The Government Channel does more than just broadcast the latest Athens City Council meeting.
We are more than a TV station
said Scott Thompson, program director. That's not something people realize. People don't know about all the behind-the-scenes stuff we do. We help the community stay informed of what the city is doing and things going on.
In addition to broadcasting the council twice a month, the channel also televises the mayor's press conferences and Zoning Board, Planning Commission and Shade Tree Commission meetings. The channel also broadcasts a daily newscast, public service announcements and boil order and street closings alerts, Thompson said.
City organizations do not have to pay to broadcast their meetings on the channel because the channel and the groups all receive money from the city's general fund, he said.
The channel, which operates from the East Washington Street city building, doesn't have a rating system that tells administrators how many people view the channel, said Thompson, adding that they mostly rely on viewer feedback.
There's more people that watch than you think he said. The phone will ring off the hook when we have audio difficulties or we're delayed.
The channel is funded through a general fund with the city's network administrator and council, but it does not have a specific budget, said Council Clerk Debbie Walker.
Thompson receives an annual salary of $42,494, and he works with part-time employees who make a total annual salary of $15,000. Three or four people operate cameras every meeting.
No one (part-time) works more than 20 hours a week Thompson said. He also said the channel has one work-study employee and occasionally has interns from Ohio University and Hocking College.
Senior Lynn Walsh, a broadcast journalism major at OU, started working as a reporter for The Government Channel her freshman year through the work-study program. She said she appears in programs, such as her news updates, which show how council issues affect students.
A lot of it takes place outside
Walsh said of most of her reporting now. I interview council members and people around the city.
Her work with The Government Channel has been enjoyable, Walsh said.
It's been a good experience
she said. It's been great for me.
Channel workers have also partnered with the Athens Community Center and the Department of Parks and Recreation to develop a DVD kiosk in the center. The kiosk, located at the entrance, would provide information about services in the center that day, Thompson said.
The channel works with the network maintenance for all of the city's Web sites and is developing a new phone system for the city, Thompson said. Operators at the channel also make videotapes to help out with safety and employee training. -
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