01:38 PM CST on Wednesday, November 30, 2005

By Carolyn Campbell / 11 News

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Houston’s public access channel got a lot of attention this year because of graphic video, and now the company who runs the channel is under fire.

KHOU-TV

Mayor Bill White will ask City Council on Wednesday to consider new proposals regarding MediaSource.

MediaSource may have to change the way it does business to stay on the air.

On Wednesday, the Houston City Council tabled a vote on new regulations for the city’s public access channel.

Most of the shows aired on the channel are not controversial, but a show featuring naked woman dancing aired five months ago.

The show set off a firestorm in City Council, so Mayor Bill White asked City Council on Wednesday to consider a revamped contract that will require MediaSource staffers to review any potentially obscene or indecent shows before they air.

MediaSource has operated the channel since the mid-1980s, some of its board members have questioned whether pre-screening programs amount to a violation of First Amendment rights.

Under the mayor’s proposed plan, MediaSource staffers could ask a judge to decide if a program meets the often elusive definition of obscenity.

Mayor White also asked council members to approve several replacements for MediaSource board members, including University of Houston professor Garth Jowett.

MediaSource is funded through cable subscriber fees that are then administered by the city.