Public Access: A Relic in the YouTube Age
People don't get that Public Access TV is a dinosaur of the last century and the last thing we need to do is have a government funded and run channel for psychics, strippers and slide shows. Rick Orlov reports that Council Members Bill Rosendahl and Dennis Zine are advocating to retain this relic in the YouTube age. That's fine if the cable company wants to do it but please don't use my taxes to indulge the egos of wannabe television stars.
Public Access TV is a dinosaur of the last century.
Also a correction to Orlov's story: He said that Rosendahl hosted a public access show before his election; this is not the case. Rosendahl's Week In Review and public affairs specials on Century later Adelphia Cable was a production of the cable company and part of his role as an executive with the cable company. It's not cable access but an example of good corporate citizenship and was high quality programming.
Labels: bill rosendahl, dennis zine, public access, rick orlov
Posted by Michael Higby @ 12/05/2008 04:00:00 AM
5 Comments:
If public access TV is a relic in the YouTube era, then ALL programming on TV is a relic. If you don't need public access TV because of YouTube, then you don't need NBC prime time line up being broadcast either. Just put it on YouTube.
But whether you want to spend tax money on public access is another issue.
ZD -
That is true to a point and yes the main issue is whether or not we spend tax money on it.
The difference between NBC and public access though is that the purpose of NBC is to provide entertainment programming (including their news programs) and make a profit for the company. The purpose of public access is to provide a forum for the community.
YouTube has proven that it CAN very effectively provide a forum for the community. Unlike a public access show on cable, YouTube clips can be quickly distributed via blogs, websites, email, etc. to a far greater audience and they often wind up on programs on cable and broadcast TV outlets. I think it's very rare when a public access TV show does and it's almost always something stupid to make fun of public access.
YouTube videos are often stupid too, however their use for political purposes, etc. is far reaching and I think has more impact than any public access show (especially the PowerPoint slide shows Time Warner runs on my public access channel for like 3/4 of the day).
yeah, but still!
The Information Technology Agency recommended that the city maintain full or partial funding for three channels:
LA CityView 35, the government channel which broadcasts City Council and other meetings;
an “electronic billboard” channel that scrolls information;
LA36, a public access channel run by a non-profit corporation that raises about a third of its annual budget on its own and broadcasts concerts, high school sporting events and other programming.
A fourth channel would be programmed by the University of California system, which plans to provide its own funding.
If the fourth channel is worth millions of dollars, why is it going to UCLA? Why not USC or CSUN? Is there another LA Back Room Story we are not aware of?
If there is another back room story we don't know about, it more than likely has to do with the "electronic billboard" that is scrolling across the screen.
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