D.C. Council Asserts Control Over Channel 13
As LL first broke yesterday, the D.C. Council is embroiled in a dispute with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty over control of Channel 13---the District's public access channel devoted to airing council proceedings.
The dispute is rooted in last Thursday's 'open deposition' of Peaceoholics co-founder Ronald Moten---an unorthodox proceeding, to be sure. As a deposition, Councilmembers Mary Cheh and Phil Mendelson requested that the television recording not be aired on Channel 13.
Long story short, the proceeding has been aired repeatedly since. That led the D.C. Council today to take up emergency legislation saying that it has exclusive control over the content of Channel 13.
In brief comments prior to the vote, both Cheh and Mendelson said that the executive branch had exerted influence on the Office of Cable Television, and its director, Eric Richardson. Mendelson, in fact, said that Richardson "was specifically directed by the highest member of the executive branch to run this tape and run it again."
"We are a separate branch of government," Cheh said. "We must maintain our own integrity."
The measure was approved by acclamation.
Afterward, Attorney General Peter Nickles handed LL a memo he'd written outlining objections to the council bill. "I am concerned that this new legislation (and its resulting affects) will hurt the cable-related interests of the District and its residents, rather than...advance these important interests." Further, he points out that the law "would enable the Council to censor or withhold critical information from the public" and "will likely result is less-open access to Council hearings."
In an interview, Nickles said the legislation is "very troublesome in terms of the latitude it gives the council and what it portends."
"They can conduct investigations pursuant to their own rules, but they ought not use cable TV," he says. "I don't think the executive or the council should be able to use public airwaves and control what goes on those public airwaves."
Nickles' argument to LL is essentially that the council can do what it want regarding investigations, as long as it doesn't involve cable TV. Asked if the council had requested OCT to not record the testimony ahead of time, Nickles says that "would be improper."
It's an odd argument, seeing as the council, until recently, held hearings and meetings in rooms without video recording equipment---and considering that the dissemination and control of information is an integral part of conducting investigations. In any case, the effects may be overstated, seeing as this is the first time in over 20 years of government-run public access television that a separation-of-powers argument has arisen, at least to anyone's memory. (That, of course, is a fact that cuts both ways: Why do you need legislation for just one incident? Or why not clarify an informal relationship that's worked well until now?)
But Nickles may have a point here, considering the council's fumbling attempt to rebottle the Moten genie: "I think if the council or executive wants to have a secret process, there are lots of ways to do it," he says. "Particularly, you don't do it after the fact."
Nickles says his next step is to look at the District's cable contracts, to see if the council action interferes with any provisions therein.
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Linked From: July 1st, 2009Goodbye, Mother Harriette: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper
11:24 am[...] CASE YOU MISSED IT—”How Harriette Walters Made Up For Her Crimes; “D.C. Council Asserts Control Over Channel 13; “Civil Gang Injunctions Again Foiled by D.C. Council“; “Superior Court Judge [...]
6:10 pm
“I don’t think the executive or the council should be able to use public airwaves and control what goes on those public airwaves.”
So Nickles is opposed to the executive controlling what goes on those airwaves? Does that mean he doesn't think Fenty should be making scheduling decisions by ordering the repeated broadcast of a particular tape?
I don't really understand what that statement means anyway. Should Channel 13 be a separate branch of government, so that it's not controlled by the mayor or the council? Should it be able to broadcast closed council proceedings? Should it be eliminated entirely?
8:00 am
CM Cheh showed an immense amount of restraint during this deposition. I was taken aback by the accusations and tone from RMoten.
It is a shame OCT is put into this situation; it is a source for government news--press conferences, hearings, etc. We have an independent tv station-DCTV. The executive and legislative branches need an impartial mediator or a timeout.
8:24 am
Dear Executive and Legislative branch, Since this power struggle started, it has been an disgrace to our city. I really believe that and think that when people around the country see how you are behaving they are disappointed and ashamed that these are the issues that you want to follow. It's hard to believe anyone elected to office would behave in such a manner, but this type of behavior has continued to happen over and over again since you have been in office.
Instead of whining about how no one has shown you enough respect, granted you request, or grumbling that it is this person's fault, he said this, she said that, I have a better idea what you could do with your time! You could get over yourself and really save our schools, balance the budget, work of the crime issues, assure that we don't have any other Harriette Walters in the government and make DC the city that the residents want and desire. Perhaps, make it the place that you promised during you campaigns.
MOVE ON AND MOVE ON NOW!
P.S. Also, the Citypaper should be renamed the Dead Horse if they want to keep beating these dead stories that no other news outlet is interested in covering.
10:16 am
I agree with what A Very Concerned City wrote completely. LL plays the instigator in this case however. By asking the AG questions of this nature, it fuels the 1000th LLD subscriber, and causes more "story" when there isn't one as of yet. Many DC Citizens tire of this bickering. So much so that political apathy seems to be the solution. The vigor at which one used to listen to Fenty and Gray has faded. Don't know if that is due to too much coverage or too much conflict. Either way, it's time to CHANGE THE CHANNEL...metaphorically and literally.
12:06 pm
CHEH & MENDELSON TO YOU BOTH I SAY BRAVO! BRAVO! MISUSE OF DC TAX DOLLARS SHOULD BE QUESTIONED...EVEN IF IT IS BY A FRIEND OF THE MAYOR.