Area Cablevision to keep C-Span network coverage Area Cablevision has reversed its position on dropping the C-Span satel lite network when it expands its pro gramming day on April 1. C-Span (Cable Satellite Public Af fairs Network), which broadcasts proceedings from the U.S. House of Representatives as well as informa tional programs concerning the fed eral government, has been carried on the same channel as the USA satellite entertainment network. That meant cable systems such as Area were able to use only one of their channel allotments for the two services. But C-Span, which is run by a non profit corporation governed by cable systems, was limited to the daytime hours under that arrangement. So the decision was made to break that scheduling affiliation and expand to a 16-hour broacast day. That was espe cially necessary since the C-Span is expected to gain access to the Senate in the near future. That presented a problem for cable operators around the country already running out of space on their channel band due to the wealth of program ming networks available to those ca ble systems. As a result, Area offi cials had planned to pass on the new C-Span, citing low viewer interest and lack of channel space as the reasons. But they have had a change of heart. “We got a few calls — I would guess they amounted to 50 contacts of one sort or another," said Peter Hitt, Area general manager. The calls came from subscribers following this column's announcement of the TV in focus Dave Montoro Times-Unlon Television Editor planned C-Span demise in Jackson ville. “Frankly, we’ve decided to keep it on. We’re probably going to put it on our government access channel [21]. That seems to be the place for it. “Actually, 50 calls with as large a subscriber base as we have [almost 55,000] is not many calls. However C- Span does have the plans to expand its hours and get the Senate proceed ings. It is kind of a unique service the cable industry can provide. So we probably can fit it in government ac cess except for a few spots where lo cal government would supercede it. We’re not so strapped for channel space that we have to dump it. It is worthy of support even though the in terest is limited." Hitt is quite correct in his words of E raise for C-Span, one of thd few roadcast operations that is doing anything substantial to make the fed eral government less mysterious and more relevant to the average citizen. And Hitt and Area Cablevision de serve praise of their own for recog nizing that value and responding to (See CHANNEL 4, Page D-7)