CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Mailing a questionnaire randomly to about 50 people here is the next step for the town’s Cable TV Public Access Channel Committee.

The eight-member committee is developing the questionnaire to see what people are thinking about public access television, its chairman, John McCatherin, said Thursday.

Questions center on whether people would watch a public channel, and if so, what type of programming they would watch. They’re also asked if they would volunteer or make a contribution, if the channel should be run as a nonprofit or for-profit, and how should it be funded. The last question, McCatherin said, is if they believe there is a need for the channel.

Formed last month to present options, including whether the town wants to operate a public access channel, committee members realized that they won’t be ready to bring information to the March town meeting, Town Manager Dave Cota said Thursday. They want to take time to assess options and interest, then present recommendations at a future town meeting.

The committee was created to see if the public access television station should be made more public or remain in the control of the company providing cable TV service.

For more than 20 years, viewers in Kingfield, Carrabassett Valley and Eustis have had WSKI-TV 17 as part of their cable lineup.

The town didn’t operate the channel, Cota said, but it was designated as the town’s public access channel by Time Warner, the newest cable provider.

Legislation passed by the federal government in 1984 requires cable TV companies to provide a free cable channel to each community so people, schools and town government can broadcast information, said Scott Hogg. Hogg voiced concern earlier this year about “the town being in violation of the cable franchise agreement and the station breaking laws mandated by the federal government.”

Discussions between WSKI-TV 17 operator Snowfields Productions and Time Warner resulted in a private agreement between the two, a station representative said Thursday.

Cota was asked by selectmen to send a letter to Time Warner giving up channel 17 in exchange for channel 22 as the town’s public access channel, he said. That created the opportunity for WSKI-TV 17 to negotiate with Time Warner to continue with that channel.

Meanwhile, to fulfill its mission to provide options, the committee has been learning about community access television by interviewing people at other stations to see how they operate.

Committee members contacted eight to 10 stations, including some in communities similar to Carrabassett Valley, said McCatherin. Possibilities include broadcasting municipal meetings, sporting events, locally produced movies and student films, cooking shows, and creative classes.

The questionnaire results will be reviewed at the March 3 committee meeting, McCatherin said, then sent to residents.

Along with McCatherin, members of the committee are Clem Begin, Hogg, Sherri Tripp, Karen Campbell, David Chalmers, Richard Rose and Steve Pierce.