Wilmington panel selects new public access TV station operator in passionate competition

Wilmington officials on Monday recommended a new operator for the city's public access television channel, sparking outcry from older community members who lobbied hard for the current operator to stay.

The city's cable, video and telecommunications commission voted in favor of the news site DeTV to be the next operator of Comcast Channel 28, one of three channels the cable company makes available for the city as part of its agreement to provide cable in Wilmington.

The proposal, which still requires full City Council approval, would take the channel out of the hands of the nonprofit Leased Access Producers Association (LAPA) when its contract runs out March 31.

The third-party operator that runs the channel leases airtime to members of the public who want to broadcast a show and can sell advertisements to make revenue.

The bids of LAPA and DeTV for the new contract involved an impassioned competition between older and younger generations of Wilmington residents. 

Commission members said DeTV's founder, Ivan Thomas, impressed them with his vision of positive programming about Wilmington and his capabilities with newer broadcasting technologies and social media. Some were concerned that he lacked the business experience to run the station. 

LAPA had that experience, commissioners said, but they found the programming ideas stale. LAPA's producers and board members objected to that suggestion and defended their reputation for being a decades-old institution for free expression in the black community, particularly among older residents.

"Those people in those high-rises watch Comcast," said Jakim Mohammed, a LAPA supporter who hosts a show on the channel, during a commission meeting Jan. 24.

Many of LAPA's supporters took issue with Thomas' emphasis on positive programming, accusing him of wanting to censor shows that might be critical or negative about Wilmington. DeTV's website boasts "100% positive news" about Delaware.

The conflict was also personal, as Thomas had been involved with LAPA's board before submitting his own bid for the contract.

Thomas defended himself in an emotional speech.

"All I wanted to do was show this city as the best that I believed it could be," he said tearfully. "I did it because I love Wilmington."

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The commission was scheduled to make a decision during the January meeting but commissioners discovered both bids lacked the full paperwork required, so a vote was delayed until Monday.

In particular, DeTV's proposal lacked business licensing information, leading to outcry by members of LAPA that the competing bid should be disqualified.

Council spokesman Leon Tucker said the bids were both certified by the city's procurement division. It was not clear how the bid made it past the procurement division without a business license. Both operators submitted completed paperwork by Monday's meeting. 

After the vote, Angela Harris, a LAPA board member, accused the city commissioners of "a blatant misuse of power" in allowing time for the candidate they favored to get their paperwork straight.

LAPA was formed about a decade ago to advocate for the continued inclusion of live programming in the city's agreements with Comcast. 

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"The only reason why they would want to shut it down is that people come to the station and express disapproval of the current administration," Harris said.

Thomas said charges of potential censorship are exaggerated. He said if he is awarded the bid he will comply with all Federal Communications Commission rules and welcome anyone to submit shows to the channel. 

He said he's most looking forward to having a "youth-led voice" at the station and training local communications students in broadcast production. Younger community members spoke in favor of DeTV and its focus on newer platforms.

The city's cable, video and telecommunications commission consists of City Council President Hanifa Shabazz; council members Rysheema Dixon, Yolanda McCoy and Zanthia Oliver; council chief of staff Marchelle Basnight; public works commissioner Kelly Williams; city auditor Terence Williams; law department designee Matthew Warren and John Rago, Mayor Mike Purzycki's deputy chief of staff for policy and communications. 

All but Dixon and McCoy voted in favor of DeTV.

Thomas also has a contract to produce videos with the city's "Wilmington Love" public relations campaign, but that contract is with the campaign's private backers and not the city directly, Rago said.

Contact Jeanne Kuang at jkuang@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2476. Follow her on Twitter at @JeanneKuang.