The West Wing may be in reruns, but many Butler and Warren residents can tune in to politics of a more local bent year-round.

        Butler's West Chester and Liberty and Warren's Mason, Deerfield and Lebanon are among area communities that televise trustee and city council meetings on public-access television. Lebanon, which operates its own cable TV system, even televises its planning commission meetings.

        “It makes for a very informed voter because they can see their officials in action,” says Pat Stern, executive director of the Intercommunity Cable Regulatory Commission, which helps member communities with public-access programming.

        Neither Butler nor Warren residents can see their county commissioners in action, however, unless they attend meetings, as neither body has invited in TV cameras.

        Warren Commissioner Pat South says the idea has never come up, but she wouldn't be opposed to it. A resident of Lebanon, she appreciates being able to catch City Council meetings on TV.

        Ms. Stern, for her part, says the ICRC would be happy to help more communities “go Hollywood”(or at least public access): “It's strictly up to the governing body.”

        Several cable systems operate in Warren and Butler, but Ms. Stern says they share meeting coverage.

        Butler Commissioner Mike Fox raised the idea of televising commissioners' meetings when he took office several years ago, but his two counterparts worried TV could encourage audience members to make speeches or be disruptive.

        Still, West Chester Trustee Catherine Stoker — an advocate of the idea — says televising the commissioners' twice-weekly meetings could help ensure an open process.

        Many residents say they like being able to see and hear their public officials with a flick of the remote control. Mason resident John Mays, a faithful viewer of City Council meetings, says he even watches other communities' meetings, “to see what they're doing that Mason could learn from.”

        In other TV news: A bigger topic of political conversation lately has been what shouldn't be on television.

        That provided for some light moments at a Lebanon City Council work session last week. Councilman Norm Dreyer broached the question of whether the city's cable system runs afoul of Citizens for Community Values and the Warren County prosecutor. (Like most commercial cable operators, the city offers several risqui pay-per-view channels.)

        Council members soon were beginning each comment with disclaimers of “I haven't watched that programming, but from what I hear . . .” The meeting “got a little humorous as to who was and who wasn't” watching, Mr. Dreyer says.

— Steve Eder

        Tips and comments on Butler and Warren politics may be relayed to reporter Cindi Andrews via phone, 755-4157, or e-mail: candrews@enquirer.com.

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