Public-access causes controversy
Ah, the wonder of it all. When cable TV began to string strands around the nation, the control of it went to the local level, where fees were set and channels were set aside for educational, government, and public programming.
The public-access channel has always caused some kind of controversy because it must air all sorts of programming rather than enjoy the control found when a channel is a privately owned business.
You may remember when Johnny Carson created a character wearing a plaid jacket with an ear-flapped hat to match “representing” the fringe elements that fill California public access channels. His send-ups were great comedy and really harmless, but they pointed to the obvious truth that for every cause, every concern, and every nutty idea there is a spokesperson somewhere.
The best one I remember is when a group of gays demanded to air a program for them late night once a week. Viacom complied with the law but some members of the Metro Council spoke darkly —and behind closed doors—about how Viacom needed council support at renewal time.
The intimidations failed, of course, with Viacom’s management pointing out that that the channel was devoted to free speech and its intrusion could be construed as censorship.
Today, at Tampa, Fla. and Eugene, Ore. there’re interesting dramas being played out that haven’t made the Associated Press wires in some time. It’s the use of government funding to shut down public-access channels over the content being aired and if there ever was a Supreme Court case building, this could be one.
The Hillsborough County commissioners voted to shut down Speak Up Tampa Bay Public Access Television, Inc.—a nonprofit organization that runs the government-owned Public Television Access Center—by pulling its $335,000 budget.
The county claimed it was because of a budget crunch. Speak Up officials claimed it was over content. Apparently, the channel ran “The Happy Show” which included a sexual image. A commissioner, Rhoda Storms, turned the tape over to the Attorney General, who said no laws were broken.
A federal judge ruled that the ACLU-filed lawsuit was worthy and that the channel should be funded until a full court hearing could be held.
However, the saga isn’t as promising at Eugene. Eugene and Lane County officials cut a total of $15,000 from its Community Television of Lane County public-access channel. The focus of the battle is over a show, “Cascadia Alive”, which has been running for 7 years. It’s the anarchists who’ve infuriated the council. One recent show caused the Secret Service to inquire after a music video depicting President Bush with a gun to his head was run. In the Age of Patriot I and the planned Patriot II and national unease, it’s quite understandable that those charged with protecting the president were troubled.
There’s another side to this that is just as important. Many access-channels produce high quality local programs every day. One such channel, in California, was featured on “Bill Moyers NOW” and showed some 65 shows produced across the year.
Noteworthy was the diversity of the programs, offered on many languages, addressing immigrant concerns, offering advice and counsel to them, as well as shows exploring areas of concern.
This kind of programming is absent from all of American commercial TV today.
Oh, sure, there is a special aired here or there but it’s always sponsored. But for an access-channel to flower and develop at the level shown in Moyers’ show gives vivid proof to how unfulfilled the promise these channels still hold.
At a time when the Federal Communications Commission is pushing low-power TV, the great-untapped potential of access TV is still there for the asking.
(Ed Kimbrell is a professor in MTSU’s School of Journalism.)