EMMITSBURG,
Md. – Mayor James Hoover wants to be Emmitsburg's Oprah
Winfrey.
Hoover
asked the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners for permission
to broadcast a monthly 30-minute television show on the
town's cable station 99. Hoover would produce the show and
then replay is a few times each month.
"It
would highlight a lot of different things going on around
town and … emphasize some of the town's positive nature,"
Hoover said.
Hoover
already hosts a radio show on the Mount St. Mary's University
radio station WMTB 89.9 each Sunday night at 7 p.m. The
university allows Hoover to use the campus station as a
public service and it allows students experience producing
a radio show.
"This
is another tool, another avenue to provide some open public
information and do it in a positive way," Hoover said.
The
mayor was a guest multiple times on the Community Spotlight
show that used to be on cable channel 10. He has been considering
hosting his own television show since he first talked about
it last year to The Dispatch.
The
town already broadcasts its commissioner meetings live and
then rebroadcasts them on Tuesday and Thursday.
The
commissioners had questions about whether opposing views
would be allowed to be aired and whether opposing candidates
would need to be allowed to access if the Hoover decides
to run for re-election.
"I
also don't want to get us shot in the tail by somebody saying
why's he [Hoover] on there and I can't be on there,"
said Commission President Chris Staiger.
Hoover
said his intention wasn't to venture into controversial
topics, but he said he would ask for the opinion of the
town's attorney John Clapp to see if there were any issues
the town would need to consider if Hoover was allowed to
broadcast the show on the town's cable channel.
The
commissioners plan to discuss the issue further at the Nov.
5 town meeting.
