Think about how invaluable it would be to have a cable channel dedicated to the Town of Christiansburg.
It's not that hard to imagine. Pulaski, Radford and Blacksburg all have one. The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meetings are also rebroadcast on Blacksburg's WTOB Cable Channel 2. Blacksburg's system is well established and includes online streaming options, too, complementing a sophisticated web site and email list server.
Residents of Christiansburg who have cable service can view Pulaski and Radford announcements, but cannot see anything about their own town government (including on a rudimentary web site) or those county meetings.
Remember cable is a franchise, with the provider paying a fee to the locality for a service area. Generally, this means an exclusive cable service area, without having to compete for customers. This means Christiansburg residents either go without and use rabbit ears, contract for satellite service or use whatever cable company has the franchise serving their address.
The Code of Virginia Section 15.2-2108 regulates cable franchises in the Commonwealth, and Section 58.1-662 explains how the related taxes are apportioned back to localities. Look at your cable bill, focus on the state taxes, and multiply by approximately 60% of the Virginia population to get an idea of the amounts involved. Then toss in franchise fees.
Through the franchise fee paid to the town, and through the taxes added onto your cable bill, haven't citizens of Christiansburg already contributed to paying for a "WTOC" when they choose to purchase cable service?
Ask why -- with years of foot-dragging on a functional web site, the absence of providing public meeting materials to attendees, and a recent renovation of the town hall which omitted even a basic sound system -- a Christiansburg resident is the only one who has bothered to record and make available public meetings? Establishing a "Christiansburg" cable channel has been brought up before town council in the past, with it being left unaddressed as something the cable companies have total control over.
One would think this is the responsibility of the local government, which wants to ensure its citizens are well informed and highly involved in democracy. Especially when that government is already generating revenue from cable franchises fees and cable taxes, and other communication or utility taxes.
Word is the town's revamped web site will be launched by the end of this month. This promises to be a good start in the right direction.
One would think the next immediate task for town council would be to ensure Christiansburg residents can also view all public announcements, meetings, safety alerts and special event notices via the internet or television (including the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meetings), and that this service is also provided by town leaders instead of only a citizen advocate. The town's failure to embrace today's technology can give the appearance of deliberately discouraging citizen involvement.