When Community Access Television makes its pitch to the Mandan City Commission about televising meetings, it will be more about forming a partnership with Bismarck than numbers of cameras and when the reruns will air.

On Tuesday, CATV's Mary Van Sickle will respond to the Mandan City Commission's request for a proposal to cablecast commission meetings. But what Van Sickle will present is an opportunity for Mandan to join with Bismarck in funding of CATV.

"It's really very simple, the bottom line, it's a proposal for a partnership between Bismarck and Mandan to take over overall operation of CATV," Van Sickle said.

"For 21 years, Bismarck has been providing funding. Citizens of Mandan haven't been treated any differently than those of Bismarck. They receive the channel and have used the services. CATV has never made a distinction of the people we serve. But it's time to move on, and it's time for this discussion."

CATV's funding has come from the 5 percent franchise fee the city of Bismarck receives from the cable provider, Midcontinent. Van Sickle estimates CATV gets between 35 percent and 40 percent of that franchise fee for operations.

"The franchise fee is not paid by the cable operator but by the cable subscribers," Van Sickle said. "About 29,000 homes get cable channels; that's a pretty big audience."

What CATV will be asking is for Mandan to assume about 20 percent of CATV's operating budget, or just under $55,000 annually, while Bismarck's responsibility will be reduced from 100 percent to 80 percent. CATV will provide staff and distribution of Mandan meetings. Mandan also will have representation on CATV's board of directors, which now numbers nine, and on the various CATV committees. Mandan will continue to receive the same services it has from CATV.

This comes at a good time, according to Van Sickle. CATV is nearly ready to begin broadcasting of a second channel. Cable channel 2 will soon join the existing channel 12 with CATV programming.

One of the two channels will be dedicated to public affairs shows, primarily government meetings. CATV shows meetings for the city of Bismarck, Burleigh County, Bismarck School District and most recently the Bismarck Park District.

The Mandan City Commission has shown interest over the past three years to have its meetings broadcast. Van Sickle estimated it will cost about $34,000 to outfit the Mandan City Commission room with equipment similar to Bismarck's Tom Baker Meeting Room. It's a cost that will have to be paid by the city if they want to broadcast its meetings, Van Sickle said.

Mandan city administrator Jim Neubauer said he has been talking with Van Sickle for nearly three years about televising the meetings, and he also believes it's time the commission consider partnering with Bismarck. The cable franchise fee Mandan receives goes into the general fund.

Neubauer said he thinks the commission will look favorably at the proposal, but since the 2008 budget is already dedicated, it will be a matter of finding the money. One course of action could be to find the funds for outfitting the commission room from this year's budget and then begin funding CATV in 2009.

To broadcast the meetings on CATV means much more than just setting up some cameras, according to Van Sickle. There have to be operators for live broadcasts, people to handle tapes for rebroadcast and maintenance of CATV's existing infrastructure.

Over the past few months, CATV has invested about $30,000 in upgrading its equipment and preparing to launch its second channel. CATV employs three full-timers, four part-timers and has volunteers who help out.

Along with the addition of cable channel 2, CATV will be Web streaming the new public affairs channel; adding video on demand as it stores programs such as commission meetings and other local programming; and redesigns its Web site to accommodate the new public affairs channel and the video on demand feature.

Van Sickle's intentions are to partner Bismarck and Mandan through CATV and get the Mandan commission meetings broadcast. She doesn't want to confuse the issue by enjoining Morton County, the Mandan School District and Mandan Park District. Van Sickle said she thinks that once the Mandan site is set up, the other jurisdictions will make their own decision on whether to have their meetings on CATV.

The public affairs channel should be operational in the next few months, but a lot will depend on what the Mandan City Commission decides, Van Sickle said.

CATV is a nonprofit organization and commercial free, which means finding funding is difficult. Many of the organizations CATV works with also are nonprofit and are looking to raise money with CATV's help.

"I know this is going to be a big step financially for Mandan. But what value can you place on an informed citizenry?"Van Sickle asked. "We don't really consider ourselves a TV station or a news channel. We're a public service operation. We feel it is in the best interest of the community to have Mandan and Bismarck partner in the overall operation of the community television channels and facility."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)