Starting today, S.C. residents and reporters will be able to tune in to ETV’s South Carolina Channel once a week for a live, interactive news conference with House Speaker David Wilkins.

But Democrats say the setup amounts to the public broadcaster giving the House’s top Republican a platform to promote his agenda.

The 30-minute program, sponsored by ETV and the S.C. Press Association, is part of ETV’s coverage of the legislative session, broadcast on Time Warner digital Channel 802.

The idea behind Wilkins’ news conference is to give journalists and viewers — especially those in far-flung counties — a chance to learn about events that might affect their communities.

Reporters can watch the news conference at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and ask questions by phone.

Democrats say they are glad ETV is covering the State House, but they want equal time. Those watching the broadcast might not get a balanced picture of State House events from a representative of just one party, they argue.

“If they want to give an unbiased and fair (picture) of what’s going on in the State House, they would have both parties represented,” said House Democratic leader Harry Ott, D-Calhoun.

ETV president and CEO Moss Bresnahan said ETV officials have been talking for a few weeks about how to add response from Democrats or others. They plan to allow Democrats to watch Wilkins and tape a response to be broadcast at a later time. Wilkins also could invite other officials on the show, including Democrats.

Ott says that’s not equal treatment. Reporters will have to tune in again to hear his side, and the broadcast won’t be interactive. He said the first time he talked to ETV about giving a response was Monday, the same day reporters began asking whether Democrats would be included.

The Democrats’ response will be a segment of ETV’s State House broadcast — not part of the program co-sponsored by the press association, a group that includes The State and more than 86 S.C. newspapers.

Association executive director Bill Rogers said the purpose of the news conference is to give reporters access to Wilkins.

“This is not about politics; it’s about the flow of information from the leader of the House.”