Community Access Television (CATV)

What We Do:

CATV is the local PEG (Public, Educational and Governmental) access station for Le Sueur and Henderson. Our daily programming includes shows about sports, school activities, local government, and events. For your convenience we also feature a community bulletin board of announcements, activities, and events.

Public Access (PEG TV) allows you "Freedom of Speech" to express your ideas, share your knowledge, explore cultures, entertain, inform, persuade, and encourage citizen participation in community life. PEG TV is an open forum for the transmission of ideas and information. Air time, equipment and training are provided free of charge to area residents interested in producing material for PEG TV.

CATV was established in 1985 to encourage and promote the use of PEG TV and to oversee the usage of it's associated resources and facilities. CATV reaches a viewer base of over 1,400 homes in the Le Sueur and Henderson area.

Channel 8 displays the Community Bulletin Board information. Its function is to provide non-profit, non-commercial, groups with a means to inform cable television subscribers of various events, services, and/or activities in the Le Sueur and Henderson area. The City of Le Sueur itself uses the Bulletin Board to inform citizens of City information. CATV channel 8 is only available for viewing by cable subscribers.

Channel 7 broadcasts the pre-taped programming including local government meetings (i.e., City Council meetings), sports events, other school activities, church services, and creative productions. Free access to video production equipment, edit facilities, and air time are provided to persons interested in delivering non-commercial messages to their community via television. The programs can be either originally produced or acquired programs, submitted by authorized community users. When no programming is running, the Bulletin Board Information is duplicated on this channel. CATV channel 7 is only available for viewing by cable subscribers.

Citizens, institutions, community groups and organizations and religious groups currently provide produced programs. By airing information about the community, including local government, we encourage citizens to become active participants in their community.

How We Do it:

Staff & Equipment:
Le Sueur-Henderson CATV is a non-profit organization. One part-time coordinator handles the day-to-day operations. Camera technicians are available to videotape Le Sueur and Henderson City Council Meetings. An elected Cable Commission Board of Directors, consisting of two Henderson representatives and five Le Sueur representatives, oversees CATV operations and handles any grievances.

Our broadcast and production facility is currently located in the Le Sueur Community Center. There are no fees to citizens who use the equipment to produce programming for public access television.

PEG TV is supported primarily through franchise fees received from the cities of Le Sueur and Henderson. Mediacom (or any cable service provider) must pay a franchise fee to the Cities of Le Sueur and Henderson for their access to public right-of-ways, in order to install cable throughout the City. This is what the 5% Franchise Fee item on your monthly cable billing refers to.

Additional funding comes from donations and sponsorship fees from area businesses.

Educational Services:
CATV staff members provide training on our video production (video taping and editing) equipment to enable residents to produce programming.

Other Services & Benefits:
Any area resident may use the facilities and equipment to produce programming of their own design. We only ask that they follow the guidelines set forth in our Manual for TV Access Users, available at the studio. We will provide free airtime, equipment and training. Diversity, creativity and new ideas are encouraged. There is no charge to use the facilities. In addition, we offer tape duplication of programs that are broadcast.

Those using our equipment and facilities must organize their own crew and are responsible for the content of any programming they produce. The original copy of all programs becomes the property of CATV.

How You Can Help:

CATV depends on community involvement. Some ways residents can help are:

  • Non-profit or not-for-profit organizations or individuals may submit information about community events, activities, or announcements for the Community Bulletin Board.
  • Attend Cable Commission meetings and present ideas.
  • Videotape community events. CATV does not tape events; we rely on residents to provide the videotapes of the events we show on channel 7.
  • Produce programming that is new and creative.

Le Sueur-Henderson Cable Commission:

The Le Sueur-Henderson Cable Commission Board of Directors consist of two Henderson and five Le Sueur representatives, each serving a minimum of two years. The Cable Commission are appointed by the Le Sueur and Henderson City Council to:

  • Coordinate, administer, improve and oversee all aspects of operations of local Public Access

  • Makes sure the community is provided with the best service through our Franchise Ordinance

  • Uphold our Franchise Ordinance with Mediacom

  • Report back to the cities of Le Sueur and Henderson as needed.

Le Sueur Representatives:

   Patrick Goggin
   Buz Purdy
   Pauline Wieland
   Sandra Schultz
   Mark Huntington

Henderson Representatives:

   Pat Steckman
   Paul Menne

If you have any questions, concerns, comments or unresolved issues with Mediacom, please contact a Cable Commission representative or call our CATV office. If you would like to be a part of the Cable Commission, please contact your city office.

Contact Us: 

CATV Public Access Television
821 East Ferry Street
Le Sueur, MN 56058

Cathy Johnson, Director
Phone:  (507) 665-4412 / Fax:  (507) 665-2367
Email:  catv7_8@mchsi.com