(K2 Television and K2 Radio -- 1030 AM -- are separate businesses. Despite having identical call letters, the two outlets are owned and operated separately.)

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The Casper City Council will consider a proposal by the former news director at K2 Television to create a public access television channel in the city.

"A station about Casper, for Casper and based in Casper that seeks to help the city by informing, educating, empowering and promoting our city," Mark Hyman told the council at its regular meeting on Tuesday.

The proposed nonprofit station would use no city funds, only private donations, sponsorships and grants, and have no commercials, Hyman said.

"I think it can help the city," Hyman said. "I hope you'll join me; I hope you'll give me that work session."

Hyman already does local news through his "Casper 1 TV at a Higher Elevation."

Council member Steve Cathey later recommended it be placed on the agenda for Oct. 13. Work sessions are informal and no official action can be taken at them.

Cathey and other council members liked what Hyman proposed.

Bob Hopkins said he's known Hyman for a while and watched him coach young reporters at K2 Television and would like to hear his proposal. "I think we're clear that we don't have money to spend on this."

Ray Pacheco and Mike Huber expressed their disappointment with recent changes in local news coverage.

Huber recounted hearing an interview on NPR of a journalist who wrote a book about the decline of local news media and how that has negatively affected communities.

He recalled when every television and radio station had a news department to cover the city council, the school district and the county commission, he said.

"That is no more; the local news is just nonexistent anymore," Huber said. "Anything that the city could do to try to support getting back to where we have meaningful local news would be a really, really good thing."

Charlie Powell talked with Hyman earlier about concerns with the Federal Communications Commission about a local access channel and costs associated with that.

Hyman responded that he's been researching that. "I think we have some answers."

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