The educational-governmental (E-G) television channel, which began broadcasting in May, is currently available to Lake County Comcast subscribers on Channel 22. Leesburg Assistant City Manager Jim Perry, who spearheaded efforts in launching the channel, hopes that it will also air on Bright House and Florida Cable to reach residents all over Lake County.
Perry says, "Catch 22!"
”We’re calling the new channel ‘Lakefront TV,’ Perry said. “I want to present all the great things about Lake County. This is truly the good life and that’s the story that needs to be told,’ he said. The project is a cooperative effort between Lake-Sumter Community College, Lake County government, and the City of Leesburg. “We will have information from all 14 cities in the county, plus the elected Constitutional Officers, the schools and county government,’ he said.
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This channel is running on the City of Leesburg’s fiber optic broadband system. The transmission goes via fiber from City Hall to COMCAST and then is sent to cable subscribers on their system. Perry sees this as an opportunity to connect all of Lake County for the first time. “We are hoping that the other cable systems in Lake County will have an interest in providing this informational, non-commercial programming to their customers.” The Bright House Network serving Clermont and Florida Cable in Astatula will both be offered the signal, Perry said.
The channel shows a county-wide events calendar, facts about Lake County’s municipalities and information on elected officials and their offices. Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather system provides area weather updates and three-day forecasts on the bottom of the screen. Perry programs the text-based channel from his office, which is possible because of Leesburg’s existing fiber optic network connecting City Hall and Comcast. |
“I can type something into my computer, send it to the Aavelin digital signage system and it appears on television in a couple of seconds,” he said.
Perry has utilized the Aavelin by MagicBox as the master control for his system. He can trigger MPEG2 video from the Adtec Edje hard drive system or roll tape on one of two S-VHS decks, all through the automation of the Aavelin.
Perry and Leesburg City Manager Ron Stock realized the need for a local television station last year when Hurricane Jeanne roared through Lake County. “Stations in Orlando and Daytona Beach were concentrating on local stories,” Stock said. “We couldn’t even get the media to cover our press conferences. We needed to find a way to communicate with the citizens, and this channel will allow us to do that.”
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Perry discovered that the franchise agreement between Comcast and the county allowed for another E-G channel in addition to Lake-Sumter Community College’s TV station on channel 13. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Perry, who helped produce NewsMakers and Forum as publisher of The Daily Commercial. “The channel focuses on the positive aspects of Lake County and our quality of life here.”
He hopes to form a partnership with L-SCC’s television station. During a disaster, Perry will have the capability to instantly broadcast the Emergency Operating Center (EOC) on both channels. “If we’re hit by a tornado or hurricane I could flip a switch and residents can be informed about what’s going on,” he said. “We just have to obtain the necessary equipment to achieve that.”
County Commissioner Bob Pool said the channel would be very beneficial to residents in south Lake County. “Right now, they receive very little information about what’s going on in other parts of the county. This is a very unique service, and I have no doubt people in south Lake County would be thrilled to have it. |
