Wausau Area Public Access Channels

At the end of this month, the Wausau area’s free public access and local government cable TV channels will go dark and stop broadcasting unless funding can be raised. The blackout will keep area residents from seeing a daily stream of regional government meetings, religious services, public forums and community events. The city of Wausau has cut funding for the channels in the midst of a dispute with Charter Cable TV over who is responsible for the payments, as a new state law raises questions about whether any public access channels in Wisconsin will survive. This Thursday, January 7th, Route 51 looks into the broader issues behind the local dispute with John Jordan, Wausau Area Public Access Coordinator, and Mary Cardona, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Association of Public Education Government Channels.