[StBernard] Parish Government TV Station

[Westley Annis]

Parish Government TV Station

January 24 , 2006

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Channel 18 parish government TV station now broadcasting in Chalmette; can
be seen as far as Kenner, Slidell and West Bank.


St. Bernard Parish government is now operating a non-commercial broadcast
television station on Channel 18, known as WBXN-18, which will provide
information about government services and can be seen about as far as Kenner
and Slidell and has good reception on the West Bank.

Although the parish's cable access channel on the Cox Communications system
was destroyed by the hurricane, "we have now established an over the air
broadcasting channel to more effectively provide timely communications to
our residents,'' St. Bernard Parish President Henry "Junior'' Rodriguez
said.

St. Bernard residents who haven't been able to move back into the parish but
are living within the New Orleans area can see Channel 18 on a regular
broadcast television set, the same kind that can be used to watch Channels
4, 6, 8, 12, 26 and 54, Rodriguez said.

He said it is hoped there will be live broadcasts in the near future in
which the public can engage in dialogue with parish officials.

Known as the St. Bernard Community Station, Channel 18, went on the air Jan.
20 under the direction of Ken Winters, director of government access for St.
Bernard Parish government.

The station's purpose is to "inform the public of the government's progress
and the re-building of St. Bernard,'' Winters said.

It will provide governmental information including services available to
assist people affected by the hurricane, he said.

The station is now in Phase 1, providing graphics and information without
sound, recycling every 10-15 minutes 24 hours a day, Winters said. In Phase
2, he said, there will be live programming such as call-ins by viewers and
interaction by e-mail.

Also,Winters said, at some point there will be streaming on the parish
government website, www.sbpg.net, so that there is interaction on the site.

CBS/Viacom, UPN and Cox Communications have all donated services to get the
St. Bernard station running, using a broadcast tower in Algiers, Winters
said.

The station is low power and the signal fades out at about Kenner and
Slidell but can be picked up well on the West Bank, Winters said.