The Daily Journal from Vineland, New Jersey • 34

Feb. 20. mi i -i 11 TV 65 Hopes to Send Signal Across South Jersey Soon By DAVID ENSCOE If even thing goes according to schedule. South Jersey very own television station. WRBV Channel 65, will begin broadcasting from its studio in Vim-land on March 31 But if past experiences are an indication, things still may not go according to schedule Donald McMeans.

President of Renaissance Broadcasting originally predicted Channel 65 would be on the air by March Ihhh. but an endless string of problems have delayed the planned opening by more than a year First was the problem of financing the construction of the studio, which is currently nearmg completion at a site on north Delsea dr and the cost of sophist icated television equipment The bulk of the money. $.1 75 million, came through a loan from the Girard Bank in Philadelphia Renaissance obtained another $17 million from the tedt'ral department of Housing and I'rhan Development, in the form of a lou interest loan payable to the city of Vineland over four years Upon opening. Renaissance would then receive SH million over 10 years by leasing the station for nightime programming to YAomet co lnc a pay television company The first indication of trouble came in July last year McMeans reported government red tape had delayed the station's progress, and as a result the cost of equip ment and construction had soared So McMeans asked for. and received, an extension of the loan payback period from the Vim-land Citv Council McMeans also was able to increase the loan from Girard Bank from i 75 million to $4 75 million With the payback period lengthened and the additonal capital in hand.

McMeans confidently predicted the station would open in early fall But the problems were just beginning The company's plans to erect a l.uoofoot transmitting tower in Waterford Township were marked by delays and controversy from the start A site adjacent to the Channel 23 tower received conditional appro al from the state Pinelands Com mission, but after Renaissance engineers cleared a swath of woods to take soil test borings, the lepartment of Environmental Protection decided the sile was unsuitable Renaissance was ordered to replant the site and find another one A nearby site was eventually approved by the state, but before' even preliminary tests could he taken, a group of angry Waterford Township residents blocked the bulldozers Meantime, Waterford Township filed a court action against Renaissance, charging the company had not obtained the necessary local permits to construe! a tower Renaissace ultimately won the court battles, but while workmen hurried to prepare the site for the tower construction In-fore winter set Waterford Township was filing an a)Hal Shortly alter the start of the new year, the appeal was upheld, and Renaissance was ordered to seek local building ermits Renaissance has appealed that decision, and has been conditionally permited to continue with the work on the tower pending the appeal, but should the courts deny the appeal, the company would he subject to thousands of dollars worth of fines imposed by the township, and could be forced to tear the tower down Depsite the uncertainty of the situation. McMeans is optimistic he .11 be vindicated by the courts, and that Channel 65 ill be on the air by the end of March 1-gal fees and added delays which depleted company funds ill force the station to open ith a reduced crew of atwut 60 employees. McMeans says, but by the end of the ear he hopes to employ as many as 150 workers and to offer South Jersey comprehensive news and social issue programming to spice up a heavy diet of syndicated reruns and movies McMeans had originally hoped to obtain network affiliation with ABC, but when that idea failed, the additional financing necessary to operate was obtained by setting up a leasing ageement with Womet-co The arrangement calls for Renaissance to broadcast reruns, movies, and local news programming on Channel 65 from 8 am. until 7pm, when Wometco will lake over Wometco ill broadcast a selection of first run movies and live sjHirts events until 2am for customers who subscribe to the service For Vineland. the opening of the new station should be a double blessing In addition to serving as the home base of South Jersey's own television station, the loan obtained by Renaissance through III I) is payable to the city That means that Vineland ill have an extra SI 7 million plus interest to add to its budget over the eight-year payback period County to Hold Line On Spending in 1981 TO SEND SIGNAL OVER SOUTH JERSEY Studios for Channel 65 are being constructed on Brown with it tower to be located in Waterford Twp.

The commercial TV station, which is being built at a cost of 15.000. will send out a signal that can be picked up anywhere in South Jersey (Times Journal photo) UIORKIflG TOGETHER FOR PROGRE We're all part of a whole. Community. Growth. Progress.

As a member of the community, we can help you help yourself. Let's get together to discuss a savings program that's best suited to your future growth, progress, community. We can do it 640 82 148.401 Assets T79.76 ir 118.951 FlfSt Mortgage Loans iqV 100.00' rate Sold on I Owned OFFICERS Sydnry Lr vin of the BoarJ Lronard Tillman President Helen S. Keen I'kTr-Prrwtrnf Grace J. Raftaelli Sn-rrUry Donna D.

Tate Anfant Secrrtary E. Roper Jones Tmsurrr Creenblatt It oi 271.17 153,689.64 and in BanKS--- DepfeCiat.on l2l9947390.W -asn and Equ.pn"' Office HecOtS TOTAL A'- cia 423.62 1 4 250 00 Liabilities none 1 IHKItTORS Ml hr un io Rrurr II l.triiNk VtNl l.trmblilt Kiiart Jint. I i 4. irmp K. RiMt RuUiMilf rA 1101.00 Srtgage Finance Agency since the present structure is inef icient to heat The county has already cleared out the second floor of the old hospital, reported Fisher.

"The Alcoholism Treatment Department has Urn relocated to trailers near Cumberland Manor and the Enrichment Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is now in a preexisting CFT building in Car mel The move saved thousands and thousands of dollars, according to the Freeholder Director, in just utility costs alone The moves descntied by Fisher are not mandated hut are a "part of the county 's attempt to handle utility costs that are going through the roof, and to cut down total spending in the long run." he said Another important occurrence in IWii which will continue to affect Cumberland County residents for a long time, said Fisher, was the disastrous storm which leveled homes along the Delaware Bay shore last Fall "Although it was a terrible tra gedy for homeowners along the Bay. we are thankful thai no fatal ities resulted." he said "We owe a lot to the t' Coast Guard, the fire and rescue units, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, thepn vate citizens who helped and especially our County Emergency enter Everyone should be proud of how the entire county acted during this disaster We acted quickly and we acted properly," Fisher said "The state government should also tie commended for fast action in declaring the stricken areas di saslers These things can sometimes drag on and on Luckily this was not the cave The Small Business Administration approved disaster status for Atlantic. Cape May, Cumberland and Salem Counties, thus allowing eligible home owners and farm owners to apply for loans up to a maximum of Also a highlight of imo for the freebooter board was the signing of a three year contract with 6uo county employees After 10 months of sometimes tense negotiations, the contract was approved and ratified by District 65. 1'nited Auto Workers In some counties, negotiations are carried on every year, but with the three year con-trad Cumberland County can pay attention to other business for awhile Fisher said District 65 represents employees at the county hospital. County-Manor, library, road Apartment, health department, security force and clerical personnel "All in all we can look forward to a productive year in Cumberland County however this must be done with minimal spending." Director Fisher said e'll just have to pull together all the resources we have the county and get through this difficult period It wtm't be the first time and it probably won't the last" he concluded.

22U.32l BRIlKiEToN The Cumberland County Board Freeholders will not initiate new spending pro grams in Wl nor add to existing ones, announced Freeholder li-rector Charles Fisher "This Board is essentially a lis cally conservative laxly which be lieves in living wifhin its budget," explained Fisher "The fact that we have tx-en able to hold the tax rate level or reduce it fr eight consecutive years." he added, "spells this out clearly The major problem, as the freeholder director M-es it. is that the state legislature, the courts and the administrative agencies of the state government are continually imposing new responsibilities upon county government but not providing the financial resources to carry them out Some of the mandates the state has ordered county governments to carry out in the last few years have included J1NS centers for ju veniles in need of suervision. criminal justice planning pro grams, solid waste disposal facili ties, expanded mental health clinics, as well as a number of oth er court related services The state has not provided any additional funding for these new programs "The state also has left to the counties the decision whether to provide long term medical facilities for the chronically ill and aged The freeholders in Cumlw-r land County believe they must meet the needs of the people in these categories But." admits Fisher, "this is a minority opinion among freeholder boards around the state Cumberland, he pointed out. is one of only six counties with an accredited treatment center for the mentally disturbed "Our County Hospital meets every medical standard except one And that is the building itself," said Director Fisher The County Hospital as built in the last century but the treatment facilities it offers are among the newest in psychiatric and mental health practices "We think we now have the problem with the County Hospital structure under control." said Fisher No new admissions are being accepted to the psychiatric hospital and the old building is scheduled to be closed by June 12. he said "Those patients who are qual if ied to go into a nursing home ill go to tumtierland Manor, the county facilitiy A W-unit addition will be added to the Manor and should be completed so that the old hospital can be closed." Fishier explained Fisher expressed optimism for a Joint venture between the Bridge ton Hospital and the County Guidance Center to provide care for acute cases He Mid that the skyrocketing cost of fuel oil alone will provide Justification for the new addition powed Funds iiinc i QT3 .51 i labilities Otner 00 504.162.72 ,5.

Retained Earning, i on iTtFS t4ml Sjvwf. i lam Iwrimf Carpontiam iind Hum Lota fUak I rnAri Surt Lm(W at Stnnp AaotMbaat nrf Swnf lfm CwtarUad fmim tf OathmUmi Cmmtj Bm4 4 Mian TOTAL ciirl P-" 'home p-'iU: wlir- AH r.Q Ml mi nr" i i 11 i THE SAVINGS CORNER 6th Street and Landis Avenue, Vineland.