Cable access channel criticized for airing
Berg beheading
News
8 Austin | June 18 2004
Austin Community Television
received a handful of calls Wednesday night from viewers complaining about
violent content.
The beheading video of Nicholas Berg aired in its entirety
continuously from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. during a live program on channel 10.
George Wooley was the program's producer. He said he was
trying to illustrate the divided nature of media.
"Innocent civilians and Americans are being horribly
treated and that needs to be shown to the American public. I don't know
why the dominant media fails to do that, but they do, so I felt compelled
to do it myself," he said.
Viewers questioned why the violent images were allowed
to air during primetime hours.
"This is a freedom of expression facility, so there's
no control over the content of the programs," ACTV executive director
John Villarreal said.
According to the ACTV contract, as long as the content
doesn't break local, state and federal law, it can air on the channel.
The city of Austin gives ACTV a place to operate but has
no editorial control.
The only people who have editorial control are the individuals
who put together their own shows.
"We don't comment on their content, but they take
full responsibility for what they put on the air," Villarreal said.
So if an individual's program leads to an obscenity lawsuit,
the producer is responsible, not ACTV or the city.
ACTV administrators said the benefits of offering a free
media outlet to all Austin citizens outweigh the potential problems that
may come along with it.
"We don't want to have the liability of judging the
nature of a program," said Rondella Hawkins of the city of Austin Telecommunications
Department
Wooley said he doesn't regret airing the video on live
TV.
"I'm not ashamed of the pictures I've been able to
show to make my point,” he said.
ACTV producers are required to register their contact information
so that viewer complaints can be directed to them.
ACTV is funded by cable subscribers who pay a 35 cent monthly
fee.
They declined comment for this story.
News 8 Austin tried to get reaction from city leaders,
but questioned council members had not seen the program and declined comment.
