• Tampa Tribune via TradingMarkets.com, Friday, February 8, 2008 11:15 AM

Tampa Bay could soon have another TV station competing for local advertising money, but with twist -- this one will be run by the local government. As part of a revenue-raising drive, Hillsborough County commissioners are thinking of selling commercials during cable TV broadcasts of their meetings, a la the sponsorships that some companies buy on public broadcasting programming.

Hillsborough County broadcasts its meetings, seminars and other shows on an exclusive cable TV channel. But part of the reason is the cost of running the station, known as HTV. It has 21 employees and a $1.9 million budget this year and the bulk of that money goes to televise meetings of the commission, the Tampa Port Authority, Planning Commission, land use meetings and other public information events. Commissioners are set to get a legal opinion that the county can go ahead and sell TV time as long as it doesn't show product prices or comparisons with competing brands.

But the channel exists only due to agreements with carriers Bright House and Verizon to sell cable TV in the area that give the county its own TV channel in exchange. Under its terms, though, "under no circumstances will commercial advertising be permitted" on the county's channel. But a loophole says the county may accept monetary donations for recognizing "donors and sponsors."

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