The advisory committees to Burlington Telecom made the appropriate decision by unanimously recommending that the city-owned cable provider retain Al-Jazeera English in its channel lineup.

The joint resolution by the Burlington Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the Cable Advisory Council points out that the arguments against Al-Jazeera were mostly based on second-hand information, rather than on direct experience with the network.

Given the absence of hard evidence of Al-Jazeera's promoting terrorism or engaging in hate speech, the objections to the network seem based largely on an image of the network driven by the opponents' ideology.

Although it receives no tax dollars, Burlington Telecom is a city department. A municipal entity shutting off access to a news source for ideological reasons comes uncomfortably close to government censorship. There would be similar concerns if Burlington Telecom chose to deny a request to carry a specific channel based on political beliefs.

On the other hand, those who find Al-Jazeera English objectionable always have the option of turning to a different channel, shutting off the TV or not subscribing to Burlington Telecom. Subscribers must already pay extra for the package that includes Al-Jazeera, clearly marking it as optional programming.

In the argument between more information and less, those advocating for freer access must be given the upper hand even if they are in the minority. To do otherwise would call for proof of a real threat to the public interest. In the case of Al-Jazeera, a majority of those testifying publicly called for retaining the channel on Burlington Telecom.

Anyone who pays attention to the news knows that there is no shortage of ugliness in the world. That this country is the target of some of that venom during a time of war -- especially one that has been cast by some as a religious conflict -- should come as no surprise.

The value of our system is that we are allowed to gather information from a wide range of sources with various points of view to make up our own minds about issues. That we allow, even encourage, this exercise in a time of war speaks to the strength of our public institutions.

The advisory committees took another important step this week by declaring they would also review the process by which Burlington Telecom chooses channels to be added or dropped from its line up. Given the current controversy, there is clearly a need to clarify how programming decisions are made.

The issue has already generated a remarkable public debate. The advisory committees managed the discussion well, encouraging people to speak out but keeping the process remarkably civil given the explosive and emotional nature of the issue.

That openness must continue as the managers of Burlington Telecom make their final decision on carrying Al-Jazeera.