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Show Who Pays for Television? Television, like many other problems, has had its tips and downs in Iron County and more particularly in Cedar City, and the question has developed into a problem of who is going to finance TV in this area. Pressures from many sources have been put on the Iron County Commissioners to take a hand in the matter to the extent of financing and maintaining a booster station sta-tion in the area near Beaver. But, should it be the responsibility of the commission to bring television to the people of this area? We don't believe be-lieve that it is. The commission has already pointed out that until such time as booster operations are legalized they cannot and should not get involved in any type of television, because be-cause at the present time the booster type operation is deemed illegal. It is also pointed out that some of the commissions com-missions in the state are already paying for and maintaining maintain-ing television booster stations, with Sevier County as an example. But because Sevier County disregards the legality legal-ity of the operation is it any reason to propose that Iron County do the same? Delving into the problem still further, it is indicated and proposed that money for maintaining the booster station sta-tion should come from the recreational fund of the county, because it is the only logical fund with which the county, could even begin to operate such an activity. The use of this money would drastically reduce the amount appropriated appro-priated to the communities for recreation use and would delay other worthwhile programs that should be taken care of in the near future. An example, the development of the Wood's Ranch campground will have to depend on money from the county recreation fund to develop roads into this area before any other work can be accomplished. An adoption of the television program on a recreational basis would delay this project, already delayed too long, for an indefinite period of time. i Another argument against the commission taking over televsion is the question of what portion of the county population would the project benefit. Parowan and Paragonah didn't wait for the rest of us in the county, they went ahead and developed their own signal out of money contributed basicially by those interested in watching TV. They now are receiving a fins signal and have hooked up to a power line to further improve the continued reception in that area. If the county takes over, what happens in Parowan and Paragonah? To us the question is a basic one. Who should pay the bill for television? The answer is just as basic. Those who are viewing television. The television committee under the direction of Haze Hunter has come upon a plan that is certainly being accepted ac-cepted by those who want television, in asking for a monthly contribution and establishing a means of making collections on the committments thereby furnishing a method whereby the viewer is paying the bill for tele-sion. tele-sion. Leadership on this committee, particularly during the organizational stage, has been commendable and once the program is established can probably be handled by a full time employee responsible to the committee to maintain the signal. Let's let those who want television, and we are among them, pay for television and let the County Commission direct its efforts to already established projects. |