An emotional debate about free speech and hate propaganda ended Wednesday night in a decision to keep Naperville's cable access television station free of censorship.
Roughly 50 people packed the meeting of the Naperville Community Television board of directors, who faced public scrutiny over a controversial program on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Some residents complained a taped speech that aired in April sympathized with Palestinian suicide bombers, and they asked the station to delay similar shows so a rebuttal could be aired at the same time.
But other residents criticized that suggestion as an infringement on their right to free speech.
The debate came to a head Wednesday night when the NCTV board voted to add a second disclaimer to all of the programs it runs. The disclaimer, which notes the program is the sole responsibility of its producer, will run at the end of every show.
The board rejected as unworkable the proposal to offer community groups a chance to prepare rebuttals to controversial shows.
"We tried to give this a shot. It didn't work," said board member Greg Shugar, who said he was offended by the speech but believes it should run. "It's too burdensome to come up with a policy to air programs like this only with an immediate rebuttal."
NCTV staff members review all tapes that are submitted for technical quality, but not potentially controversial content. The board decided not to impose that additional scrutiny; instead a disclaimer will go on all shows.
Board member Jay Johnson said it's the responsibility of residents who disagree with programs aired on NCTV to learn how to produce their own shows.
"For a few dollars you can be a member of this station," Johnson said. "That's the true public access you can have. That's how you can get information out."
The board also voted to form an ad hoc committee composed of NCTV members to review the station's policies and propose ways to get more diverse views on the air.
Board President David Miller said residents suggested many good ideas during Wednesday's debate for the committee to consider.
Resident Marc Swetlitz said NCTV should not assess diversity by individual programs, but should work harder to present diverse views on controversial issues over time.
That means recruiting opposing viewpoints and limiting the exposure of any single group, he said.
Others suggested showing controversial programs late at night, and for a limited number of times.
But some suggested NCTV shouldn't air those programs at all. Rabbi Avrohom Wolowik said the speech that aired in April was too offensive.
"Although we should not limit free speech, this does not mean that tax dollars should pay for questionable material," he said. "Let's not give murderers a voice."
Others in the audience said they didn't find the speech offensive. Daoud Nabhan, a Palestinian-American, said it's important for Naperville residents to see all sides of the issue.
"The humiliations the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians must be told to the people of Naperville," Nabhan said. "The people of Naperville are very intelligent. They're smart ... they know fact from fiction."
A number of residents said any attempt to delay a program from airing represents a prior restraint on free speech.
One of those residents, Mary Knightwright, worries that anyone who questions a program could have it removed from the schedule.
"NCTV is not a debate club," she said. "Your current rules are sufficient."
Miller said he hopes to form the ad hoc committee soon so that it could prepare a report to the board by September.
