Open government advocates and legislators urged General Assembly leaders Thursday to begin televising floor sessions and committees, even though one key chamber leader believes it's too expensive to begin this year.

Of the 10 largest states by population, North Carolina is the only one that provides no daily television broadcasts of its sessions, according to recent data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

With financial pressures at newspapers leading to smaller staffs, showing lawmakers at work on the Internet or regular TV would help the public and all media outlets keep better tabs on these leaders, who make decisions on billions of dollars, speakers at a Legislative Building news conference said.

"Transparency is cheaper, more effective and consistent with the core principles of democracy that built this state and country, and we need it now more than ever," said Connie Book, director of the Elon University Sunshine Center. The center, started in 2007, works closely with the North Carolina Open Government Coalition.

The Legislature currently posts audio from the House and Senate floor and two committee rooms on its Web site. The House recently began recording that audio and posting past sessions on the site.

Young voters living in a world of YouTube and easy access to video should be able to find proceedings on the Internet, said Jane Pinsky, executive director of the Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform.

"The General Assembly of North Carolina could be the best reality show ever," Pinsky said.

A House committee meeting at the request of House Speaker Joe Hackney recommended in December that live video be posted on the Internet of the chamber's daily sessions and some committee meetings.

Hackney, who was out of town Thursday, wholeheartedly supports televising sessions, spokesman Bill Holmes said. But Hackney believes it's too expensive to start this year given the state's worsening fiscal situation.

The House panel estimated the costs of getting video on the Web alone at $1.3 million, with recurring costs of $500,000. That would include purchasing high-grade cameras, installing other equipment and paying for staff and Internet connections. Costs would rise further for distribution to cable or broadcast channels.

"He doesn't think it's the right time to spend a few million dollars," Holmes said. "People are losing their jobs and having their salaries cut. We need to respect that."

The Senate hasn't studied the issue, but its Democratic leaders have said they're interested in the television idea.

Citizens throughout the state can watch video of county commissioners, school board members and city councils, but not the 170-member General Assembly, said Sen. Eddie Goodall, R-Union, who has filed a bill to further study the feasibility of video.

"People in the state want to know what is behind the curtain," Goodall said. "State government is a little bit like a black hole."