Long Beach to Unveil New Cable Programming

Gone are the drab chairs and historic photos that greeted viewers of Long Beach’s decidedly low-budget cable programming. From now on, they will be treated to a pine-accented, sofa-outfitted set designed to foster a feeling of community.

Today, live at 4:30 p.m., subscribers get their first peek at the city’s new cable television programming: HTTV, or Home Town Television.

Producers plan to keep the regular City Council replays and Mayor Beverly O’Neill’s talk shows, but they want to add new segments that will turn channel 21 into a venue for local cultural events and on-the-spot features on local personalities.

It’s about time, said Sherry Blohm, the city’s manager of video communications, adding: a city with a population of 425,000 deserves its own cable programming. It could also help the city break out from the shadow of Los Angeles, she said.

Today’s premiere will include interviews of various city officials, including O’Neill and members of the City Council. Those interviews will be preceded by obligatory ribbon cutting ceremony.

In contrast to the bright, new second-story studio, the city’s former cable “set” was buried in the basement of City Hall and had little room to host talk shows, said city spokesman Greg Davy.

“ ‘Set’ is a kind word” for the old studio, he said.

But $150,000 of new equipment should change that. Most of the new technology was paid for out of a 2-year-old sales agreement with CVI Cable Industries.