West Windsor cable board up and running

Canceled meetings and pleas for members are no longer prime time

By: Molly Petrilla
   WEST WINDSOR — After a series of canceled meetings and repeated pleas for new membership, the township’s Cable TV Advisory Board is ready for its close-up.
   In October, the board met for the first time in several months and formally welcomed four new members — Lisa Potter, Fred Quenzer, Michael Huey and Meena Mishra.
   Since then, the board has begun to outline its vision for Comcast Channel 27, which is shared by the township and the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District.
   "Right now, this (group) is like a brand-new baby," said George Gati, who last month was elected chairman of the board. "But this baby’s just crawling, and we need to be running."
   He added, "We need to get funding. We need to get manpower. That’s what we’re working on right now."
   At their meeting Thursday, board members discussed these issues and will soon begin to solicit volunteers to "help build the station," Mr. Gati said. "They would be camera people, editors, interviewers," he added. "People to help (Station Manager) Jamie Watson because he’s just one person."
   In addition, Mr. Gati said the board will seek funding from the township to buy new equipment and pay for other expenses, though it has not yet decided how much money it needs.
   "We’re working on coming up with a number right now," he added.
   Board members also discussed Comcast’s recent decision to remove NBC 10 from its basic cable lineup and offer it only on a 200-level digital channel — a change that could force some residents to subscribe to a more expensive cable package, board members said.
   Despite the heavy rain that evening, one resident came to the meeting to ask the board what could be done about the situation, and Mr. Gati asked Mr. Huey to investigate.
   "We want answers and we want to know legally what (the board) can or cannot do," he said. "We need to get to the bottom of these fees and we need to know if this could be the first of many."
   In a recent interview, Mr. Gati said the station will place a heavy emphasis on programming of interest to West Windsor residents that is not available on major network stations.
   More specifically, he said it should offer educational programs, broadcast government meetings and debates and publicize information about the township’s redevelopment project.
   The chairman recently paired with township officials for a program on the flu and another on leaf collection — two programs he said were both timely and useful.
   But Mr. Gati said he also realizes the board’s visions may take time to become realities, since its primary purpose is to offer advice to the mayor and council.
   As he explained, "We make our recommendations and then we have to wait for the administration and the council to step up to the plate."