City Council Pulls Plug On TV At Forum

Despite cries of censorship, the Spokane City Council narrowly voted Monday to take its public forum off the air.

Council members voted 4-3 to keep the half-hour, free-form discussion at the beginning of meetings but remove TV cameras.

“We are not abridging anyone’s free speech. … We are not changing the democratic process,” said Councilwoman Roberta Greene.

“We are still providing access to the council prior to the meeting, which is what we promised to do.”

Greene drafted the resolution favored by colleagues Orville Barnes, Phyllis Homes and Mike Brewer.

Mayor Jack Geraghty and Councilmen Jeff Colliton and Chris Anderson opposed the plan.

“I wish to see it left on television,” Geraghty said. “It is sometimes uncomfortable and there often are comedic elements to it, … but the public forum ought to be televised.”

Partially appeasing forum fans, the council voted unanimously to hold four televised “town hall” meetings each year.

In July, the council moved the forum from the end of meetings to the beginning in hopes of increasing public input. It also decided to televise the previously unaired forum.

Since then, the council has called the combination a dismal failure which attracted only a few people who came back repeatedly with the same threats, gripes and tirades.

, DataTimes