County Allowed To Sell Cable TV Ad Spots -- If It's Careful

COUNTY ALLOWED TO SELL CABLE TV ADS SPOTS -- IF IT'S CAREFUL
[SOURCE: Tampa Tribune, AUTHOR: Richard Mullins rmullins@tampatrib.com]
In a drive to raise revenue, Hillsborough County (Florida) commissioners are pondering ways to sell commercials during the cable TV broadcasts of their meetings, similar to the sponsorships that companies like General Motors Corp. and State Farm Insurance buy on public broadcasting TV shows. The move would mark a first for Hillsborough County. Part of the issue is the cost to run the station itself. HTV, as the station is called, has 21 employees and a budget this year of $1.9 million, including a one-time $500,000 project to upgrade to digital TV equipment. The bulk of that money goes to televise meetings of the commission, the Tampa Port Authority, Planning Commission, land use meetings and other public information events. Where the TV advertisement idea goes could take an important turn, when commissioners receive a legal study that says the county can go ahead and sell TV spots as long as they aren't "commercials" that show product prices or comparisons with competing brands.
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