Community

The Future of Local Public Access Television Stations

Published

9 years ago

October 10, 2016

In this era of global and social media, you can get a taste of what’s going on in every corner of the world. However, some of the best happenings are right in your own backyard; local government, local sports and school activities and everyday interesting people and events in your city.

Coverage of all this activity keeps people informed and entertained where they live. Public access television has historically been a viable way to provide communities with non-mainstream programming.

To support local programming The Cable Communications Act of 1984 was created, giving a local town or city government, the authority to require a cable operator to provide television channels that are designated for Public, Educational and Government use, called “PEG” for short.

The number of designated stations, their funding and who will run them is listed in a 10-15 year franchise agreement, between the cable provider and the locale that is usually negotiated through a series of public meetings.

Also a franchise fee, which by law can be no greater than 5 percent of the television portion of your monthly cable bill, provides the funding for PEG channels.

Beginning in the 1980s, cable providers usually built, equipped and managed the studio while training local residents on how to utilize equipment and produce their own shows.

In general, local residents did not have much input into the day-to-day operation of PEG stations and in the New England states, a couple of mergers and buyouts negatively impacted local PEG stations.

In the mid-2000s, many of the 10-15 year franchise agreements were coming up for renewal. At the time, Comcast made it clear that it wanted to put the day –to-day operation of PEG channels and local access studios into the hands of the local community.

As part of the renewal contract, the PEGs were required to establish the station as a non-profit organization in order to operate. The franchise fee that Comcast collected would then be sent directly to the cities for the support of the PEG non-profit.

By being an independent non-profit, PEGS now operated with a board of directors and the flexibility to quickly make decisions regarding viewership and membership, without the longer processes in dealing with the local government.

A prime example of a successful public access television station is San Francisco’s KQED, which was overseen by the government but transitioned into non-profit leadership.

A weekly formula of covering an event one week and airing it the next week is what many PEGs follow when videotaping on-location local youth sports, concerts and other community events.

Locals seeing locals on television usually peaks the interest of even more aspiring producers.

Oakland has two educational channels KDOL TV and a government channel KTOP but No Public Access channel.

According to Bishop, J.E. Watkins, Founder/CEO of OWH Studios, (Overcomers With Hope Studios), a local 501c3 television production studio that trains at risk youth, young adults and veterans in Television/Broadcast Digital Arts Media, Oakland is missing a huge opportunity that is not being utilized.

“Funding is earmarked for PEG stations,” said Watkins. “Why doesn’t Oakland have a public access channel?” Watkins also says there is an annual budget in the City of Oakland that is not used each year for a public access television station.

Watkins states he has been asking the question of the City of Oakland and council members for several years now as he has built a first class state of the art broadcast ready studio in West Oakland in the historic Marcus Garvey Building.

“With donated state of the art 2K and 4K equipment, students are trained on the latest technology available to create broadcast quality programming for air right now at OWH,” he said. “This creates jobs and opportunity for people living right here.”

With a robust training program, modern equipment, and a community of dedicated volunteers, Watkins feels OWH is well prepared to fill the public access void in Oakland. With his team of industry professional producers, directors, videographers and a library of locally produced shows to air, he hopes his dream of expanding opportunity in Oakland’s media and exposure to the world can be fulfilled.

Part II of this article will focus on OWH Studios, the lives it has transformed with its training program and the need for a public access channel in Oakland.

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

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Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

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“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

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Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”