WPCNR MEDIA RADAR. By John F. Bailey. February 7, 2006: White Plains Public Access Television reports to WPCNR this morning that the three hour black out of White Plains channels 75, 76 and 77 was caused by laser failure in the Cablevision equipment that sends the Public Access signal from their studios at 4 Martine Avenue to Cablevision. Jim Kenny, Executive Director of the White Plains Public Access told WPCNR the laser failure was discovered at about 6 P.M. Monday evening. Cablevision technicians arrived to replace the laser component, and programming  was restored by 9 P.M. to all three channels,

The laser outage denied Mayor Joseph Delfino of  a prime time audience for his State of the City speech he delivered last night. One effect of this was that City Commissioners and insiders were forced to observe the Common Council proceedings from the Common Council Chamber floor, instead of the poshly appointed Mayor's Conference Room where they watch the television feed from Channel 76, providing their own running commentary on the course of events.

Kenny had no specific information on why the laser failed. He said the Common Council meeting Monday evening was videotaped and would be shown in its entirety nightly on the White Plains Government Access Channel 75, "The Voice of White Plains," beginning at 7 P.M.