Knightdale contracts with Wendell and Zebulon to operate the channel that serves eastern Wake County.

Knightdale Town Manager Gary McConkey said the money to build the station will come from state grants that provide capital and operation expenses of public access channels.

He said the studio would be small — about 800 square feet.

“The main thing we need is to be able to film somewhere other than the Knightdale Chamber Council,” McConkey said. “The problem with that is you can’t control the light coming in the building and the sound.”

McConkey also said the equipment is stored under a stairwell at Town Hall.

“Sometimes we have to move the equipment two or three times,” he said. “It’s rough on the equipment. We’re going to have to do something else”

The channel receives about $65,000 a year from the state Public Education and Government community access channel fund, he said.

The operation also receives money from EMC, a nonprofit established by the legislature to bring broadband to rural areas of the state.

The studio will cost $123,000. McConkey said the town will borrow money for it, and pay the debt back with the grant money.

An request to hire an architect to draw up plans for the studio was on the council’s consent agenda for its March 2 meeting that was canceled due to the snow storm.

Council members will vote on the proposal at its March 18 meeting.

East Wake TV broadcasts Knightdale and Wendell town board meetings. McConkey said plans are to broadcast Zebulon’s by April.

The station has an array of programming from the three towns’ events to parades and festivals to talk shows with town officials. There is a history show, a medical information show, news and power points with community news and public service announcements.

McConkey said for two years, the channel has received more money from the state than any other public access in North Carolina.

“We’re very aggressive in getting this money,” he said. “And we have good grant applications.”