Public-access TV now profane, still crappy

Here's another example of your tax dollars at "work," but hopefully not for long:

The Houston City Council postponed funding for a cable public-access channel Wednesday amid debate about whether it would be censorship for the city to limit programming that one councilwoman labeled "obscene." The decision delays about $800,000 for the channel -- a public forum allowing anyone to host a show -- until a council committee holds a hearing within two weeks. At issue, Councilwoman Addie Wiseman said, is what she described as a profanity-laced comedy routine that aired during a recent early-morning broadcast on the channel, called Houston MediaSource.

For the record, public-access television is bad. I mean really, really bad. How bad, you ask? So bad that even people who make their living on it refuse to watch it:

Shows aren't viewed before they air, said Patti Garlinghouse, the channel's executive director, because the purpose is to promote and encourage free speech. Garlinghouse said she doesn't know whether any programming includes nudity. She said she doesn't watch because it's not her job to judge the content.

Yep. Public-access television sucks. Except for this show.