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The County Commission votes, in effect, to give the public access station until July 4 to adhere to its contract.
By BILL VARIAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 16, 2002
TAMPA -- A sexually explicit public access television show may not be obscene, but Hillsborough commissioners say the county-funded station still violated its contract by airing it.
Commissioners on Wednesday reaffirmed their earlier position that station operators failed to properly police a March production of The Happy Show, a call-in program featuring raunchy talk and nude women.
The 5-2 vote came a week after State Attorney Mark Ober ruled that the show did not violate obscenity laws. The vote also came against a backdrop of contentious public hearings Wednesday, with dueling groups urging commissioners either to drop the matter or cut station funding altogether.
Instead, the commission's stance all but ensures that the politically charged debate over obscenity and public access television will continue well into the election season. The vote effectively gives the station until the July 4 holiday to fix several alleged contract violations.
DemocratCommissioners Pat Frank and Jan Platt opposed the stand. But Frank then joined the majority in a vote directing county attorneys to meet with station operators to see if they can devise a remedy.
"I think they made a gesture that they wanted to resolve the issue," said Louise Thompson, president of the board of directors for Speak Up Tampa Bay, a nonprofit agency that operates the station. "I think it's a good sign that they want to sit down and work this out."
Commissioner Ronda Storms, who represents eastern Hillsborough County, began the debate over The Happy Show after she received a citizen complaint about the March 5 episode. The show featured host and producer Charles Perkins posing as a reformed pimp dressed as a nun and included footage of a nude woman, with closeup views of her genitalia.
Storms referred the complaint to Ober, asking him to convene a grand jury to determine if the show violated obscenity laws. She subsequently charged that the show also violated a station contract with the county.
Storms contends the show failed to include required mature audience warnings and that Perkins failed to identify himself in credits. She also charges that he failed to secure releases for people and music used on the show.
Storms was quiet for much of the debate Wednesday. But dozens of citizens weighed in during two separate hearings.
"We object to our taxes being used for public access TV," said Terry Kemple of Brandon, who helped organize a group calling itself "No Taxes for Public Access."
Kemple presented commissioners with what he said were letters from 3,500 people collected over the past week. All supported Storms.
Other speakers said commissioners are threatening to harm a number of innocent producers of shows who provide laudable programming, including church and civic groups.
Marketing consultant Jacqui Knight said the commission's course was like putting a dog down because it has fleas.
The debate spilled into the hallways outside the commission chambers, with advocates on both sides pointing fingers at each other.
Shirley Gregory, who has a show on public access called Pathways that promotes various community causes, asked station opponent Carol Crumpler how she could support hurting worthwhile programs.
"Because the garbage is coming in with you," said Crumpler of Brandon.
Perkins, The Happy Show producer, did not attend Wednesday's meeting.