TV or not TV? Vernon council and candidate debate broadcasting meetings

Vernon - Democratic Party council candidate Jeff Blank thinks Vernon Township Council meetings should be televised on a public access channel, and several other Vernon residents have expressed similar sentiments. “If we had a better informed electorate, the people would make better decisions. People need to be given all the facts,” Blank observed. “West Milford and Warwick’s council meetings are on the air. I called WVT and the manager there said the station would broadcast the meetings absolutely free of charge.” At a recent council meeting, Township Manager Don Teolis responded to Blank by saying that only 18 out of New Jersey’s more than 522 municipalities televise their council meetings. “Televising council meetings is a big commitment for a cable company. They have to keep up with schedules, time changes, cancellations, just like the rest of the press does,” Teolis said. “Are you aware that there are areas in Vernon that have no cable service? Significant segments of Vernon’s population have satellite dishes, and they wouldn’t be able to view the council meetings if we did broadcast them on cable.” Two cable television companies now serve Vernon, WVT Communications and Cablevision IO. Don Snoop, WVT Communications video manager, confirmed that Blank had talked with him about televising township council meetings. “We probably could televise the meetings,” Snoop said. “We don’t charge townships anything for the service, which involves a one-camera set up. Sometimes we send a camera operator, other times the township uses their own photographer or someone from a local school’s communications department.” Cablevision did not return telephone calls from The Advertiser-News. Blank said that a good portion of the town would be able to get and see a broadcast by WVT. “Are you are going to say no to doing this, just because everyone in the whole town wouldn’t be able to view it?” Blank asked. “I understand that you are saying that something is better than nothing,” responded Mayor Ira Weiner. “But if we broadcast the meetings through only one cable provider, someone is going to say that it’s not fair. What’s more, I can’t imagine someone spending his time to see us yak around. But any cable company that wants to come can come right now — they’re invited and it’s a public meeting. “They don’t come because there’s no money in it.” Deputy Mayor Jane Morrison said that newspaper reporters come to the meetings because they want to report on what’s happening, and cable companies have the same right. “Could televising the meetings be part of our communications strategy? If so how should we do it properly,” Morrison added. “We can extend an invitation to the cable companies, saying we’d like them to come and provide this service. Then it would be up to them,” concluded Weiner.