Islip official seeks TV-politics ban

An Islip town council member wants a ban on using the town's government access channel for political campaigns.

Councilman John Edwards said he would offer a resolution at the board's Oct. 25 meeting to make explicit in town policy that the channel cannot be used for political purposes.

It follows a letter he wrote to Cablevision Oct. 3, requesting it cease airing "Exploring Islip with Trish Bergin."

During the recurring half-hour program, Trish Bergin Weichbrodt, a Republican councilwoman and former anchor with Cablevision's News 12 Long Island, interviews Tom Croci, the GOP candidate for Islip supervisor. Croci, whose race will be decided next month, provides biographical information and lays out his campaign platform.

In his letter, Edwards, a Democrat, describes the program as a political campaign "infomercial," inappropriate for airing on the channel. It could result, he said, in the channel being "completely pirated" by similar programs, corrupting the channel's "true intent," to provide the public with "untarnished government and community programming."

Bergin said she sees nothing wrong with the show and encouraged Edwards to produce a program interviewing incumbent Democratic Supervisor Phil Nolan.

She said she spoke to Cablevision's head of government affairs, Joan Gilroy, about introducing Croci to Islip residents beforehand and was told "it doesn't violate anything regarding the governmental access channel -- so I went ahead with it."

Gilroy, on vacation, was unavailable for comment.

Jim Maiella, spokesman for Cablevision, said the company is reviewing Edwards' letter, but its role is to run programming provided by town officials under federal and state laws that ban discrimination and commercial content. "To the extent there is any confusion over rules governing use of the channel or insufficient rules, the town has clear authority to take action to address the situation or to assume administration of the channel itself," he said.

Islip spokesman Kevin Bonner said the town's public information office handles all town- and government-related programming. "We passed a resolution to get each of the town programs that air now -- the town board meetings and the local events show, 'Spotlight Islip.' The rest of the airtime on the channel is under Cablevision's discretion," he said.

Bergin said she produced the show independently and delivered it to Cablevision, which owns Newsday. It was not channeled through the town's public information office. Edwards' resolution would require elected officials or employees to provide notice to the office.

"Political advocacy is not government programming," Edwards said. Under Cablevision's 2008 franchise agreement, he said, the channel amounts to town property, which makes the Bergin-Croci presentation inappropriate. "We have an ethics code which prohibits the use of town property for personal or political gain by any town officer or employee," he said.

Other towns' policies

SOUTHAMPTON has an appointed arbitrator and director of its SEA-TV channel and only noncommercial, nonpolitical coverage and events are covered. The director decides content and has the right to refuse shows.

BROOKHAVEN broadcasts only programming that relates to the business of town government. As a public service to residents, sessions of the State Assembly, Suffolk County's "Money Watch," Cablevision's "Meet the Leaders" and coverage of town-sponsored events also air. All programming is reviewed by the Department of Public Information.

HUNTINGTON allows only town-sponsored events such

as news conferences, event calendars and town meetings to be aired.

RIVERHEAD uses its channel exclusively for government purposes, taping and showing town board meetings, school board meetings and shows taped by county or state officials.

SHELTER ISLAND airs town board meetings and work sessions and shows public meetings such as town budget discussions.

SMITHTOWN broadcasts public meetings and spotlights town operations; also runs programs on community events such as concerts. Director of public safety John Valentine and staff review all programs before they air. "We would just not allow any political programming," he said.

-- Carl MacGowan, Stacey Altherr, Patrick Whittle, Deborah Morris, Mitchell Freedman