ST. LOUIS • Mayor Francis Slay wants to cut the city’s municipal cable station’s cord.
But other city leaders aren’t ready to do away with the station, which broadcasts Board of Aldermen meetings and generally positive shows focused on city wards — and their elected representatives.
The television station, known as STL-TV, has become a flashpoint in an unfolding budget debate over freeing up money for more police. Slay has persistently framed the argument: cops or cable.
The three-person Board of Estimate and Apportionment — made up of Slay, Comproller Darlene Green and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed — recently rejected Slay’s budget amendment to cut the station’s $900,000 funding by two-thirds. The mayor proposed diverting $650,000 of the money to the police department in order to pay for 13 new cops.
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“When I go to neighborhood meetings I never hear anyone say, ‘Hey, I saw a good show on STL-TV,’ †Slay said.
Green and Reed maintain that some city residents like the station, and that money for police can be found elsewhere. But Slay is stepping up his attacks, tweeting: “The daily bill for the city’s cable TV station is $2,465.75. Worth it?†In another tweet, he provided a link to the station’s programming lineup and asked: “Do you see anything that couldn’t be streamed or on YouTube?â€
Slay can take his plea to the Board of Aldermen under city rules. It’s unclear, however, whether the board will cut out what has been friendly ground for its members.
The station airs flattering profiles of aldermen as part of its “In Your Ward†series. The show seeks to keep residents updated on “changes and improvements†in various wards.
One episode starts: “With two restored bridges, several profitable businesses, new modern homes and exciting plans for Tilles Park, the 23rd Ward is growing at a rapid pace and Alderman Joe Vaccaro couldn’t be happier.â€
Another: “You hear words like ‘eclectic’ and ‘international’ when describing the South Grand area. It’s definitely alive with excitement, and no one knows it better than 15th Ward Alderwoman Jennifer Florida.â€
The channel recently aired Slay’s inauguration, and it broadcasts shows on the mayor’s Spirit Award winners, downtown development and police awards ceremonies.
Eighth Ward Alderman Stephen Conway said the station’s visibility wasn’t as strong since it was moved higher up on the cable dial. The station, which used to be available on Channel 10, is now available only on Charter (channel 992) or AT&T (channel 99). Programming is available online at .
“People used to recognize you in grocery stores from watching it, but that doesn’t happen as much any more,†Conway said.
Andre Holman, the station’s video production manager, declined to comment and has referred all questions to the mayor.
Slay says the station, known as STL-TV, gets so few viewers that its small audience can’t be measured. The station is funded by license fees paid to the city by Charter Cable and AT&T Uverse. In 2012, the city received about $2.5 million from the cable companies.
Municipal stations sprouted up across the country in the 1980s as cable television grew. Cities found it a great way to showcase their communities and reach residents with important messages.
The 7,000-resident city of Black Jack, for example, operates its own station called the Gateway Television News. It offers a regional focus and can be seen in homes across ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, where it airs the weekly county council meetings.
The ºüÀêÊÓƵ television station, which has 11 full-time employees, also airs educational, government and community news programs along with shows for older adults, Spanish-speakers and people from Bosnia.
Slay has proposed using some of the remaining funding to stream the Board of Aldermen meetings online. Online streaming has grown in popularity as more and more Americans use an Internet connection instead of a cable connection to watch video.
Lewis Reed maintains that the channel is an important communication tool and that it’s important to keep the programming available to cable subscribers.
“Not everyone has the Internet. Many people just have basic cable,†said Reed, who acknowledges that the channel is difficult to find.
“We have to promote how people get access to it,†Reed said.
Reed noted that the station also does videos for the police department.
On Friday, Reed announced that the aldermanic Ways and Means committee would hold evening meetings seeking public input about the city budget on May 14 and 15. He said residents could make comments about anything in the budget, including STL-TV. And, Reed said, he hopes the station’s cameras are there to air them.
