Pocatello’s community access channel will shut down in October
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POCATELLO – Since February 28, 1977, Pocatello’s community access TV channel has given residents a voice on the airwaves.
But on October 1, the channel will be going off the air.
The channel currently airs on Cable One channel 64 and streams online. Logan McDougall, a spokesman for the city, tells EastIdahoNews.com the city council voted last week to close down the channel due, in part, to a decrease in use. There are only about 10 to 12 people that still place stuff on the channel, McDougall said.
“We’ve noticed a decrease in use over the years as YouTube has gained in popularity,” McDougall says.
Programming for the channel is produced by the city’s Video Services Department. McDougall says video services will be dissolved in connection with this closure. The department’s two other channels, Government Access Channel 56 and Educational Access Channel 60, will continue operating after the closure.
“Staff and city leadership looked at many different options to protect government transparency,” McDougall says.
The city’s original franchise agreement with the cable company required them to make the channel space available. A local nonprofit, Portneuf Valley Community Access, is in the process of taking over the channel’s operation.
“We are in the process of setting up a 501c3 to continue this service that has been a staple in our community for over 40 years,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “We will be working very hard with the city to make the transition happen as smoothly as possible.”
The nonprofit says one of their primary goals is to get as much community voice as possible to help shape a public access channel for everyone.
DVD copies of the channel’s programming can be purchased from the Video Services Department. The department can be reached at (208) 234-6280. Prepaid DVD and other media orders will be available for pickup at the department until September 28.