Clipped from US, Iowa, Ottumwa, Ottumwa Courier, March 30, 1985
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By SARA BACHTELL Courier staff writerIt’s been a slow process getting TV42 operational, admits general manager Paul Vaughn.“Starting from scratch,” he says, “is a monumental task.”But the low-power station, located on the top floor of Parkview Plaza, has come a long way since it hit the airwaves five months ago. Several local programs have been added, bringing that total to eight, Vaughn says by way of example.One of the most recent additions is “Kids and Stuff,” a show featuring local kids with hostesses Coleen De-nefe and Joyce Warren. Different games are demonstrated, Vaughn says, and moral lessons are taught. The Ottumwa YWCA and the Wa-llo County Extension Service also ve shows periodically, he notes. Local news, weather and sports have always been part the programming.The rest of the air time — the station is one the air from 7 a.m. to II p.m. daily — is filled with old movies, All-Star Westling and television shows.Good programing is one thing, but getting people to watch the program is another, Vaughn says. “Distribution is the problem,” he says. “You’ve got a good product and can’t distribute it.”To get the station, viewers must connect UHF antenna to their televisions and find 42 on the UHF dial. Many viewers don’t know how to get the channel, and others think their cable needs to be unhooked before the channel can be reached. (Itdoesn’t.)To alleviate the problem Vaughn has been working on two options:• Getting TV42 onto the Ottumwa Cablevision’s basic package. This would mean one of the channels on basic cable would be eliminated, Vaughn says. Those negotiations are continuing.• Move from a low-power station to a full-power station (or change Channel 42 to Channel 15). This would mean an investment in more equipment, including a different transmitter, Vaughn says. However,Paul Vaughnbecause full-power stations have a “must-go” status on cable systems, Cablevision would be required tocarry it.Neither option has been finalized, Vaughn emphasizes.TV42 is owned by the Low Power Television Development Corporation, headed by Richard Hutcheson III. It employs 10 full-time and three part-time people.An advantage TV42 has over network programing is its flexibility, Vaughn says, adding that he can easily schedule a public affairs program at the last minute without the hassles of bumping a network show.“Our local productions look better every week,” Vaughn says.A broadcast journalism graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia, Vaughn recently completed a business administration degree at Iowa Wesleyan College.Before coming to TV42, Vaughn worked for KTVO/Kirksville/Ottum-wa for 11 years.“This is where we want to be,” he says. “This is Southeast Iowa and that’s all we want to worry about.” TV42, he adds, can also be reached in Albia, Fairfield and Oskaloosa.
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