Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Column

Election debate on city TV? Radical!

By HOWARD TROXLER
Published August 28, 2007

The city of St. Petersburg, like many local governments, has its own television station. WSPF-TV is carried on Channel 15 on cable, Channel 35 over the air.

Like most government stations, St. Petersburg's carries meetings of the City Council and other public proceedings, which is a fine thing.

The channel carries lots of other useful information, such as tips on how to be green and so forth.

But WSPF-TV also does one other thing that all government TV stations do: It glorifies the government.

You want more airtime for Mayor Rick Baker, because, you know, he just doesn't get enough?

Are you eager to see your City Council member at more ribbon-cuttings and such, yakking into a microphone?

If so, WSPF-TV is for you.

But now an interesting question has come up.

There's a City Council election going on. Not many people are paying attention. Some are worried that there could be a record low turnout.

So various groups, including the city's Council of Neighborhood Associations and the League of Women Voters, propose to stage a debate.

Nothing unusual there. Birds sing. Otters swim. The League of Women Voters holds debates.

Those folks got together and said: Hey! Let's ask the city to put our debate on the city's television channel!

To which the city replied instantly: "Why, of course! We are absolutely delighted to help inform the citizens!"

No, wait, I am kidding.

Some members of the City Council liked it, but others approached the idea with roughly the same enthusiasm as if we were talking about turning over an hour or two to Fidel Castro. They have referred the matter to a committee, which meets Thursday at City Hall.

It is not an overtly offensive idea. The city is not taking sides in an election. It is not providing unequal time to one party or candidate. Some cities, such as Clearwater and Largo, already air debates.

I suppose that the Bromeliad Society or the Pave the Manatees Club might squawk that the city did not give airtime to its own debate as well.

One answer would be to create a mechanism - a citizens advisory committee or something - to run the debate in a neutral way, inviting all comers and all groups.

Or, not to be too wacky here, the city could just air any group's debate that met a list of standards.

What better use of a city TV channel than airing debates of candidates for, you know, the City Council?

Besides, it takes gall for the city to claim to be worried about getting too involved in electoral politics.

The city didn't think boo about using its water bills in the spring to tell residents precisely which way to vote on a bunch of county charter amendments. This is apple-pie stuff by comparison.

The only drawback is that WSPF-TV might have to pre-empt a couple of City Council ribbon cuttings or one of the mayor's speeches.

That would be a bitter sacrifice, but democracy sometimes requires it.

* * *

If it's Tuesday, it's Live Chat day on TroxBlog. From noon to 1 p.m. I'll be responding to questions and comments about current events in Florida and the Tampa Bay area.

Just click on the "Blogs" link at www.tampabay.com, or use the address blogs.tampabay.com/troxler.

[Last modified August 27, 2007, 23:37:22]