How Can They Put THAT on TV?
Community Access Media and Technology Centers, also known as Public Access Television Stations, perhaps represent the truest ideals of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, commonly referred to as your Right to Free Speech. More appropriately, it should be termed to your right to protected speech, as there are some things one can and cannot do or say in the media. This article explores just a few of the many and complicated issues we wrestle with on a regular basis in the media.
From its beginnings in the foothills of Pennsylvania in the late 70's the cable television industry grew at a rapid pace and was soon being requested in our cities and towns for it reliable and higher quality signals than broadcast towers could deliver. The Cable Act of 1984 gave municipalities the rights to the airwaves (or the 'telephone' poles) within their borders, known in our business as the Right of Way. This federal regulation allows the city to collect up to 5% of the cable company's revenues in order to create a local, cable organization who could provide a local voice in the affairs of the community. Like many towns and cities across the U.S., a private, non-profit organization was created here in Lowell to teach our residents, municipal agencies and non-profit organizations how to use television equipment in order to create programming to share with the rest of the community. The individual and organizations who create these shows are solely responsible for the content of their programming. The access organization may not pre-screen programming as that violates the Constitution in the form of "Prior Restraint." LTC does, however check the tape (now DVD disc) for technical considerations and there are policies and procedures our members must agree to abide by or forfeit their opportunities in the organization.
So if some of 'our' programs look like they were created by amateurs... they were! But what of highly controversial programs of shows which contain nudity? There ought to be a law for that! There is and it is the same free speech provision we have outlined.
It may come as surprise to learn that that organizations like the K.K.K. have a long running cable access program that is seen in other parts of the country. Numerous attempts to stifle this program have been rebuffed by the Supreme Court. In fact, the NAACP supported keeping the program on the air, for they reasoned correctly, that if you take their show off the air, you are also taking away the NAACP's right to create their own, counter-opinioned programming. Interesting twist. Residents of a Massachusetts city are currently outraged that a Islamic Fundalmentalist is on the air there. But what about the naked ladies on your channel? Obscene programming is not allowed, but the Supreme Court says that "obscene" is defined by "community standards." For many years there have been not one, but two newscasts in New York City whose female anchors read the news topless. No big deal in NYC, but just try that here and see what happens. Community standards differ from community to community. Taken to its logical (illogical?) conclusion, it isn't obscene until it's been seen. There is a provision known as the "Safe Harbor" time slot. Programming which meets certain criteria may be carried only after certain hours of the day and we strongly enforce such when we are aware of such. Programming which violates any state or federal law is also not permitted. By the way, the recent sightings of a "naked lady" on LTC were actually a famous painting by William Adolfe Beugeareu (1865– 1925) of the Roman Goddess of Love, Venus de Milo at play with Cupid at her side. A little goofy to call it a "naked lady."
So think of your community television station as a cross between the YMCA and your public library. You pay a (very low) annual membership and you have access to the equipment, training and resources. The staff(s) are there to assist you, but can't do the work for you. And like the books on the shelves that some find offensive, the library doesn't write them, it merely makes them available– the same is true of LTC programming. You however, the viewer, hold the strongest weapon against shows you don't wish to see... the remote! But we are an advocate that "more" speech in a democracy beats stifled speech every day. And controversial programming, while an easy target, represents less than 5% of our total cable programming. LTC provides valuable cultural, ethnic, special events, public affairs and government programming.
Join us! Take part! Learn How! Call us at 978-458-5400 and learn how you can take an active role in the affairs of your community.
Support for this article courtesy WCTV Wilmington, MA.