Islip bans 'partisan' shows on TV channel

After a heated debate, Islip's town board split along party lines Tuesday to establish a policy banning partisan programming on the town's governmental access channel.

It will now be "inappropriate and a misuse of town resources for the governmental access channel to include partisan political programming or advocacy of any kind," according to the resolution, which passed 3-2.

The resolution was brought by councilman John Edwards, a Democrat, after Republican councilwoman Trish Bergin Weichbrodt produced a program featuring Tom Croci, the GOP candidate for town supervisor.

The policy means material to be aired on the town's governmental access channel must be submitted for screening to the town's public information office.

Edwards, speaking in favor of his measure, acknowledged the town needs to further develop a process for administering the channel.

But Bergin said she did not think her show, "Exploring Islip with Trish Bergin," was partisan. It features a 30-minute conversation in which Croci lays out his election platform.

In voting against the policy, along with fellow Republican councilman Steve Flotteron, she said if the town's public information office assumes responsibility for the programming it would, in essence, be controlled by the office of the supervisor -- presently Phil Nolan, a Democrat.

It was not clear Tuesday night when or if the daily program would be removed from the air.

A spokesman for Cablevision -- Newsday's parent company -- said it is reviewing the resolution and awaiting further direction from the town.

"As we have previously said, the Town has the authority to enact rules to determine what content can appear on its government access channel, and to assume administration of the channel, itself," Cablevision's Jim Maiella said in an emailed statement.

Islip Town secured three access channels -- the government one, a public access channel and an education channel for school districts -- when it entered a franchise with Cablevision in 2008.