IRVINE : Cable Television Changeover to Cost City ‘Insight’ Into County Culture, Politics

A cable television program that brought the county’s cultural and political life to Irvine residents on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. will go off the air tonight after four years of programming.

“Insight: Orange County” was one of the first shows produced by the former Community Cablevision, which was acquired by Dimension Cable in September, 1992. Operations of the two companies were consolidated in May and the show has been reduced to re-runs in recent months, since Dimension’s Newport Beach production offices were moved to San Juan Capistrano.

frey will remain in office until 1996, which is when Bankhead’s term would have ended.

Irvine resident Jerry Lasensky, 55, executive producer and host of “Insight: Orange County,” is lobbying to keep his show on cable Channel 3. The show reaches residents in Irvine and parts of Tustin and Newport Beach.

Dimension has offered to loan Lasensky equipment to tape his show for community access programming, but Lasensky says the show’s quality would suffer without cable company backing.

Dimension Cable public affairs manager Carol Starcevic said Lasensky’s show does not qualify for production assistance. “His show falls into the public access definition,” Starcevic said.

Lasensky has taken viewers inside county museums and arts institutions and featured interviews with county political and business leaders.