LEGISLATURE: A possible rerun of Christy/LCTV debate

Christy show still topic of debate among county lawmakers

By Mark Scheer/scheerm@gnnewspaper.com

Democrats in the Niagara County Legislature are standing by a resolution that asks representatives from LCTV’s Board of Directors to reinstate the weekly call-in program “Legislative Journal” and its long-time volunteer host, Tom Christy.

Their Republican counterparts may opt to drop the issue altogether next week.

Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, said his resolution concerning the future of the cancelled program and its host will once again be offered up for consideration during the next legislative session scheduled for Tuesday. The measure asks county lawmakers to go on record in support of the program and asks City of Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker, Town of Lockport Supervisor Marc Smith and members of the Lockport Town Council to join the county in urging representatives from LCTV’s Board of Directors to reinstate the program with Christy, who has served as its volunteer host for the 10 years.

Last week, members of the Legislature’s Republican-led Majority denied Democrats’ request to bring the proposal to the floor for a vote. GOP leaders instead suggested the adoption of a resolution encouraging LCTV officials to offer a government-focused show with a similar call-in format while stopping short of telling them which host to hire for the job.

While LCTV officials have said the decision had less to do with Christy than it did a change in the direction of programming on the station’s government access channel, Virtuoso said the actions of Republican lawmakers suggest otherwise.

“We are for free speech,” Virtuoso said. “We know that (Tom Christy) was pulled off that show for the questions he was asking and they don’t like that.”

“Legislative Journal” was cancelled after its long-time producer Richard Zapp announced that he was no longer interested in producing the program. Christy contends he was victimized by certain members of LCTV’s board for allowing callers to his program to challenge elected officials on various issues of public concern.

Legislature Chairman Bill Ross, C-Wheatfield, insisted his partners in the GOP had nothing personal against Christy, but rather felt it was not the Legislature’s place to set personnel decisions for the LCTV board. They did, however, feel it was important to support the concept of the program which gave residents a chance to talk one-on-one with elected leaders during a three-hour, live call-in session every Thursday.

“We feel that “Legislative Journal” is a good program and should go on because it gives us an opportunity to promote what’s going on with local government,” he said.

While suggesting that Christy’s on-air behavior prompted complaints from viewers and made it difficult to find elected officials willing to appear on his program, LCTV officials insisted the program’s cancellation was Zapp’s and Zapp’s alone. They have since moved forward with plans to replace “Legislative Journal” with a new program called “Access to Government” which will appear in the time slot formerly occupied by Christy on LCTV’s governmental channel, Channel 22. Ross said he has agreed to appear as a guest on the new program.

In light of the LCTV board’s decision to move forward with essentially a new version of “Legislative Journal,” Ross said he’s prepared to pull the GOP’s resolution concerning the now-defunct program.

“I’m not sure that it is even necessary and I’m not going to put something up there that isn’t necessary,” he said. “Why put it up, if it isn’t necessary?”

Rally planned in support of Christy

A group of residents backed by a free speech organization called “Infringement” are preparing to make it known just how necessary they believe the issue involving Tom Christy and LCTV has become.

Members of the group known as Niagara-Lockport Infringement have scheduled a rally in support of “Legislative Journal” and Christy. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Daily Grind Coffee Shop at 21 Main St. in Lockport. A notice advertising the rally notes that group members will move on to the “bastion of political discourse” known as the Niagara County Legislative chambers in time for the Legislature’s meeting at 7 p.m.