Many people lament the failure of television to live up to its potential since it became a regular item in American homes in the mid-1950s. But an announcement this week gives hope that it still can become a useful tool.

Late-night viewing on some channels is not for the Sunday school crowd. Reality television has become popular with millions, but it has yet to prove that it has a redeeming value.

This week though, Gov. Mark Sanford, Time Warner Cable and the South Carolina Cable Television Association announced they will air an hour long live cable program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday

The program will connect "our citizenry with the democratic process, bringing the halls of government into living rooms in each community throughout the state," said Bud Tibshrany, vice president of public affairs for Time Warner Cable.

Indeed, he is correct. The principle and strength of democracy is citizen self-governance. In order to exercise one's obligations, citizens must be informed as to the important issues of the day. They can do that through newspapers, magazines and all too infrequently television.

Newton Minow, former FCC chief, in his "Vast Wasteland" speech before the National Association of Broadcasters in 1961 set a tone that suggested a lack of responsibility by television broadcasters to air cultural content, to balance crass entertainment with a wider variety of opinions and viewpoints, and to serve the local community as a public service in exchange for their public licenses, according to Charles M. Firestone, executive director of the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program. Little did Minow know what today's television would bring.

But this hour long program Thursday has the potential to remind citizens of their civic responsibility, as well as inform a growing segment of the residents who are uninformed about the operation of state government and issues facing elected officials.

In the meantime, residents can contact the governor on the program by calling 1-800-277-3881 or e-mailing cablescetv.org.