Public Access Television

[curtoid]

For awhile in the 1980s and 1990s, it seemed like the last area of local televsion was public, or community, access stations - more and more of the affiliates began running infomercials or cost-cutting package syndicated crap.

They are still around, but you never hear about them too much. I know that guy from "E!" ("Michael Whassanamey") and Tom Green both graduted from access, but I am concerned that with satelite dishes, and local community budget crunches, that access stations may be on the way out.

Any good access stations/shows in your area? Anything cool you remember seeing in the past?

These people who take the time to produce access shows remind me of the internet; there is the freedom to do what they want, but no one is paying you for it.

[KOP]

[Bill From Yorktown]

I don't have any stations to add, but your comment about the internet is dead on - I think that's where a lot of the "talent" has gone these days - any idiot with a webcam and a dsl or better connection can do more than what used to be done on public access. If you skip the live broadcast options, they can also knock together their own "shows" on a pc and stream them, or upload for posting.

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