My community is starting a PEG TV channel (Public/Educational/Goverment), also called CATV (Community Access TV). The channel is supplied free by the cable company, and the town has to pay for the equipment and provide the content.
Content could be broken down into these categories:
[ul][li]Taped video shows[]Live shows[]PSA’s (Public Service Announcements)Still images which will be shown either behind the PSAs as a graphic, or standalone[/ul][/li]The PSAs will run continuously in rotation between video shows.
CNN we are not; we’re a very small community and economy is paramount.
So we’re looking for ideas. What kind of stuff is aired on your local CATV channel(s)?
And of those, which do you find the most interesting, useful, or viewable? Which is the least?
Ads? Commercial ads? If that is truly a community access channel, I don’t see how that is possible, unless the standards are different in your neck of the woods.
Same here. Mostly still shots of local restaurants and business in town and such.
Sometimes there are notices of local importance “It’s November - No parking on the streets from now until April”, “Anyone not wearing a helmet in the hockey rink will be expelled”. and local road closings and stuff.
The only thing worth watching is the pictures of the puppies and kittens up for adoption at the local animal shelter.
Interesting. I’m surprised no one has mentioned videos of government meetings; a nearby community records and airs both city and county board meetings and sometimes a few committees, not to mention local events like parades, festivals and ceremonies.
We get alot of national shows that were obviously made for other CATV that our local community groups import and use as “theirs”:
A Rabbi discusses stuff with two people (this is from Chicago I think)
A really odd Atheist with a conspiratorial bent (I believe he is from long Island)
A “religious” man who uses scripture to promote ideas that are so far right that he is closer to Hitler than to Tom Delay (I mean this) – he is out of NC I think
Lyndon Larouch speeches/info sessions
“Truly” local:
The City Council Meetings of local juridictions and the County
Community College Dance troupes
Homework – where Elementary kids call in and ask for help with Math homework from County Teachers troops
The odd High School Musical
What burns me up just a bit (like I REALLY care :
The Cable Company themselves have a CATV show that shows thier community involvement. For example, say a Lions club has an event and the Cable Corop kicked in $500, you can expect to see the Grand Puba show up on CATV _ Acble and flack the event & thank the Cable company all in the name of a good cause — & I am sure meeting some cable regs about good citizenship
Thanks for the link, Troy. Who woulda thunk such shows like “The Bug Girl Show,” “The Mr. Stinky Show,” “Haight Free TV,” “Laufau Malou o Samoa,” and “Killing My Lobster on Kable” even existed? Although, this being San Francisco, I shouldn’t be surprised.
I noticed a lack of government events on that channel 29. Could there be another channel in SF that is devoted to it? In a nearby communty to us, there are 4 PEG channels; goverment, schools, community access (general), and a tourist channel, yet this community is a fraction of the size of SF.
And Jimmmy, there certainly are shows produced nationally (globally?) that stations can use for fillers – health shows, things like “Shirley Temple, America’s Sweetheart,” and even one the U.S. Army does called “Army Newswatch,” a blatant piece of propaganda.
It doesn’t sound like this kind of entertainment is highly revered or appreciated, at least by the respondents to this thread so far. Anyone out there actually think that PEG TV is a good thing?
It’s a great theoretical idea. I also like County/City Council re-runs that can only help demystify govt process, inform & increase involvement.
In practice it has left a bit to be desired. It is hard to think of any community voices that would not be heard if it went away. With so much of it advertising, not local and to a certain extent silly – maybe forcing Cable Corp to spend the $$$ by upping it’s support & donation to community groups rather than make air time available would help local communities more.
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