ACCESS TV GIVES CLOSE LOOK AT CITY GTV6 DRUMS UP INTEREST IN SAFETY, PLANS, POLITICS.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

GLENDALE - City Manager Jim Starbird knew that people were tuning in to Glendale's government-access channel when he walked up to the counter at a Glendale bank 10 years ago and the teller greeted him by name.

What started out in 1995 as a channel that aired City Council and redevelopment agency meetings two days a week has evolved into one of the leading government access channels in California, airing 37 meetings a month and 11 regular programs, seven days a week.

``You don't see this in every community ... but people that I bump into will comment on our performance, how people behaved, what they said,'' said Starbird, who found himself an unwitting local celebrity. ``I just think there is a very large number of people that have access to council meetings and what goes on in the city that wouldn't have without GTV6.''

The team behind four Emmys for local programming is gearing up to bring more innovative programming to Glendale viewers.

Already, the city reaches out to residents with popular shows including ``The Dog House,'' a pet adoption program, as well as ``Behind the Badge,'' a live call-in show that allows viewers a peek into the Glendale Police Department.

Other shows offer information on topics as varied as senior citizen issues to code enforcement.

In recent years, the city has developed more last-minute programs in response to news events.

In the wake of the deadly Metrolink train derailment on Jan 26, ``Behind the Badge'' featured fire and police chiefs answering viewers' questions on the incident. The show included behind-the-scenes video footage of the crash site.

City officials believe the consistent programming on topics of interest has elevated community involvement in local politics.

For example, more than 30,000 of the 85,000 registered voters participated in the September special election to determine the fate of the controversial Americana at Brand outdoor mall project - a significant turnout that city officials attribute partly to GTV6.

Former Mayor Larry Zarian, who had one of the first shows on GTV6, ``Larry Zarian's Forum,'' which he still runs on public access, said the show has mobilized residents.

``The end result is what we have now - the public's involvement. Had it not been for television, I do not believe we would have had a referendum and we wouldn't have had some of the major involvements in hillside development, among other issues,'' he said. ``People are more informed and the public is more demanding to improve Glendale and it creates better quality leaders because you know the eyes of the public are on you.''

It's not just anecdotal evidence that suggests the channel that reaches 47,000 households in Glendale - not including areas of Burbank, La Crescenta and La Caada Flintridge - is being watched.

Although there are no ratings for government access channels, results of a 2001 survey polling 401 residents revealed that a surprisingly large number of people were tuning in. For example, 58 percent of those polled said they watched at least once a month and 70 percent of the viewers said they watched a City Council meeting during the past year, said city spokesman Ritch Wells said.

That viewership does translate into citizens getting involved when local issues arise, said Tracy Westen, CEO of the Center for Governmental Studies and adjunct professor of communications law at the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

Westen, who also chairs a group that provides partial funding for Los Angeles' Channel 35, said cities like Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks also have successful and effective programming.

Santa Monica, for example, had a channel dedicated to around-the-clock election information, with candidate statements, ballot measure videos and debate coverage.

And government access channels will continue to grow as cities become more comfortable with the technology and begin to play with different formats, he said.

``Media is exploding in terms of technology and cities are beginning to be pulled along,'' Westen said. ``And citizens are increasingly media-savvy and are beginning to ask for and suggest things to do.''

Tor Seemann, GTV6's broadcast manager, who is widely acknowledged as the source of the channel's sophisticated programming, said operators plan to make GTV6 even more technologically advanced and accessible to viewers.

Two immediate goals include having video streaming to put Channel 6 on the Internet and to have video on demand, so people will be able to access online video of past meetings.

``It all comes down to being a conduit from the community to City Hall,'' Seemann said. ``Everybody these days is talking about transparency in government and this is sort of their window into municipal government in their community.''

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 3) Glendale Assistant City Attorney Lucy Varpetian has a microphone pinned to her jacket, right, before being interviewed on GTV6. Left, Robert Townsend works in the control room during interviews of Varpetian and former Mayor Eileen Givens.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer