CANFIELD Council OKs $35,000 to start up TV station

By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- City council has taken the first step toward establishing a community television station operated by the Canfield schools.
On Wednesday, council approved an ordinance to make a one-time payment of $35,000 to the schools to operate the station. The money will come from the annual franchise fee Armstrong Cable pays to the city.
The fee is equal to 3 percent of the revenue Armstrong collected in the city. Last year, that was $24,000. Money from the fee had been placed in the city general fund.
"This is a good use for the money and allows the city to have a greater access to the public," city Manager Charles Tieche said.
Tieche added the city has yet to finalize the details of its contract with the schools. He said if the contract is signed and the schools fail to get the station up and running, council will work to get its money back.
Tieche said council hopes the station will broadcast community events and concerts, a community bulletin board, emergency and public service announcements, and training videos for police and firefighters. Council hasn't indicated that it will televise its meetings on the station, Tieche said. That would make the station similar to Channel 19 in Austintown, which also is operated by the schools.
Canfield Schools Superintendent Dante Zambrini said the channel would be operated by students in a broadcasting class established last year. Tieche said the schools need $35,000 to pay for equipment that will connect the station to Armstrong Cable and that will allow the students to televise remote broadcasts.
He said council wasn't sure how the station would pay for its operations in the future.
Zambrini said the school board would discuss the station at its December meeting. He stressed that "nothing is definitive."
Council also approved an ordinance to pay Foust Construction of Girard $625,000 for safety improvements to East Main Street between the city's green and Hillside Drive. The improvements will include work on the curbs and lights on the street.
The city will fund 69 percent of the project using a state Issue II grant. Tieche said he expects work on the project to begin before the end of this year.
hill@vindy.com