BAC, city to start talking about community-access TV

The Brewery Arts Center will begin negotiating with Carson City to provide community-access television services.

Supervisors approved the move during their meeting Thursday, and assured the nonprofit arts and cultural center the city would be supportive - even if finances only allowed minimal programming to start, such as televising meetings of boards, committees and commissions.

The BAC would like to raise $275,000 to startup programming on cable channels 10 and 26, and would like to receive $183,000 from the city and Charter Communications to begin operating the system for one year beginning July 1, said arts center Executive Director John Procaccini. The rest of the money would come from such sources as grants and donations.

Carson City, however, only has $110,000 available. Whether more money will be available won't be known until the city renews its cable television contract with Charter Communications.

Talks with Charter have been ongoing since mid-2002, and an agreement may not be reached until new federal legislation concerning the cable industry is created, said City Manager Linda Ritter.

So many changes are in the works, she said, trying to craft an agreement satisfying both parties has been like trying to strike "a moving target."

The arts center plans to offer classes in broadcast arts and do on-site commercial television production, Procaccini said.

"We believe we can deliver and exceed your expectations," Procaccini told supervisors.

"The channel has the opportunity to go to the moon," said Mayor Marv Teixeira.

Sierra Nevada Cable Access Television, SNCAT, took over Jan. 1, and its contract ends June 30. Carson Access Television Foundation's contract with the city wasn't renewed. It ended Dec. 31.

In other business:

• The supervisors approved a street-name change on the north end of the city. A short section of Broadleaf Lane will be renamed Silver Oak Lane from North Carson Street to the Carson City Freeway.

A traffic signal is planned for what will be known as the North Carson and Silver Oak intersection, according to Larry Werner, city engineer. The street-name change will follow and is at least a year away because of required traffic studies, he said.

Also being renamed is nearby Ivy Baldwin Circle, to GS Richards Boulevard. The current GS Richards feeds into Ivy Baldwin, and the change will allow for one continuous street name.

• Supervisors approved an agreement with the Carson City School District to allow school safety officers to prepare, sign and serve citations to people violating city municipal codes while on school property. It aims primarily at parking problems on campuses.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.