Porn flick on Carson public TV causes stir

Carson City's public-access TV operators thought they were airing a show about a local boxing match during prime time Friday night. But instead viewers saw a porn movie.

A mislabeled tape submitted by a regular contributing producer Gary Ashby caused Charter Communications to pull the station off the air for 12 hours.

Ashby told members of the Cable Access Television Board on Tuesday he was very sorry the tape appeared, and that he did not know how his tape could have been switched with a porn tape.

He learned of the incident on Tuesday afternoon after being out of town for three days.

"I take full responsibility for the tape," Ashby told board members Tuesday. "I don't know how, but someone got my tape and recorded over it or replaced one of my tapes."

Ashby was placed on three months' probation by the board and instructed to turn in a written report on his investigation into where the porn tape came from. In addition, station personnel will review Ashby's tapes.

"He was very contrite," said board president Tom Baker. "He said someone had gotten into his tapes."

Judging from the label on the tape Ashby turned in, station workers expected to show viewers one of his regular boxing productions, said technical operation director Patrick Dixon. They loaded it into the machine and left for the night. The tape was labeled "A Bout in Northern Nevada."

Station officials didn't realize what happened until the next morning, after the station was pulled off the air by Charter Communications.

"Our operating rules and procedures do not allow us to preview tapes," Dixon said. "We are required to play it. It played, and apparently it was some kind of mix-up and mistake."

A Carson City couple expected to find the usual homemade local show about fishing or sports Friday night, but instead they came across the porn movie and couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I'm no prude, but ... in all the years, I've never encountered anything like this," said Grace Houle. "I'm just curious as to why that occurred."

Houle and other callers to the station were concerned, and wondered how the sexually explicit program was allowed at a time of night when children could be watching.

Charter Communications pulled the station off the air for 12 hours after a viewer complained. Dixon said he reviewed the tape and said it looked like a commercial film. The station got a phone message the next morning, but no one called the station's emergency cell phone numbers to have it stopped, Dixon said.

"It was certainly a mistake, and we don't censor our stuff," said Peter Smith, Carson Access Television Foundation Board vice president. "We rely on producers to bring us the stuff."

Policy at the public station allows locally produced programs about religious ministries, local youth sports, outdoor shows and just about anything people want to broadcast - excluding pornography.

The station receives $110,000 a year from the city to operate and broadcast its public meetings on its second channel, Channel 26. The money comes directly from Charter cable customers, who pay 5 percent of their bill to cover the city franchise fees.

The nonprofit operation also receives grant funding, yearly dues by members and support from the community, Smith said.

An apology was posted on the station's bulletin board following the mix-up. The station is not expecting sanctions by Charter Communications as a result.

"We're trying to make amends as quick as we can," Dixon said. "The producer will be punished."

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.