New Chairman Appointed For Cable TV Committee

A new chaHTñfme fífeih "] three years, has been appointed for the city's Cablecasting Commission. Mayor James Stephenson will also ask City Council Monday night to approve his appointment of two new . rhissioners. Alma Smith, the only original member of the threeyear-old commission, has been appointed to lead the five-member body. She was applointed to a five-year term in 1971. She is a producer in the broadcasting service at I the U-M televisión center. Louis Belcher had been chairman since December. He I was ' appointed by Stephenson I to the commission in August 1 1973 to fill the unexpired term I of James Johnson. Belcher resigned after he was elected to City Council this week. Stephenson has selected Mark Ouimet, manager of the Collins Shop, to take Belcher's place on the commission. The Mayor has also selected Brian Connelly, who operates an advertising agency here, to replace David Sinclair, whose I term has expired. Ouimet's term will go to 1977 while Connelly will serve a full term I until 1979. Sinclair's appointI ment to fill the unexpired I term of Charles Donahue I caused controversy on the I City Council at that time beI cause former Mayor Robert I Harris invoked a rule in the I city code that allows the mayI or to fill an unexpired term I without councü's approval, I after council had voted 7 tó 4 I against the appointment. Smith said the commission will continue in the direction which has been established in public access channels. She also said in thé near future the commission, city officials and company should gèt together to tighten the Cable TV ordinance since there are quite a lot of ambiguities and there has been constant haggling with the company. One of the ambiguities has been the guestion of who establishes the rules for the public access channels, the new chairman said. "We hope to resolve the problem if the company accepts the proposal for the combination of the public access fac'ilities of the commission and the company. There are several reasons for the problems with the public access channels, Smith said. She said the company has had the objectionable policy of holding the ownership of tapes. Secondly there is the conflict between the two sets of rules, the new chairman said. And thirdly there is the problem of money to run public access, she said. If the commission assumed operation of the public access channels it would be eligible for funds from various foundations, Smith said. On 'ariother point the new chairman said she would like to see City Council eliminated as an appeal body for commission decisions since the city is one of the parties in the contract with the company in the franchise agreement. "We need ta define a better hearing and appeal procedure." Another procedure which needs to be defined is that for the company submitting records and reports, Smith said. "This has always been a point of contention." Much of the information the company said it could not provide during the commission's consideration of a sliding scale rate will be needed for the company's presentation in a request for a rate hike at a public hearing April 24, she said. _