The Buncombe County Commissioners’ meeting would have been short and sweet tonight if people hadn’t kept drifting in the door to voice their support for public access TV. Apparently, the executive director called station producers to a meeting Memorial Day and said the outfit would have to close down in August because it has run out of money. The $300,000 reserve fund evaporated. The commissioners were caught off guard by the public comment. According to one source, an announcement was on its way to the city, but not the county.
Monday’s meeting appeared a thinly-veiled attempt to rile the producers into begging the commissioners for more money. Some present were under the impression that the City of Asheville had approved funding in addition to the PEG moneys the station receives from them. This does not appear to be so.
To date, three board members have been removed. They say it is for requesting records. The bylaws have been rewritten. Now, producers and board members are wondering if the lack of response to their pleas for justice is government’s way of censoring them.
