CEO Privatizing Channel 29 CTC Community Access In San Francisco

ACCESS SF STAFF AND E.D. For the record, the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Community TV Corporation (CTC), the non-profit organization that manages public access channel and facilities Access San Francisco ( http://www.accessf.org ), wholeheartedly endorses and supports the fine work of our Access SF staff. This is particularly true for our excellent Executive Director, Mr. Zane Blaney. The Executive Director of Access SF, as at any non-profit organization, serves at the will of the Board of Directors. All policies and procedures of the facility and channel are enacted with the oversight and approval of the CTC Board. SERIOUS DISCUSSION—NOT PERSONAL ATTACKS Certainly there are many issues related to the operation of public access facilities on which rational people might reasonably disagree; it is unfortunate that some choose to resort to character assassination and personal attacks rather than to seriously discuss the issues. THREATS TO PUBLIC ACCESS Just because someone uses access facilities does not mean that they understand or support the basic values of access and community-based media. In fact, many access facilities across the U.S. have been closed because of a few producers who choose to pursue their own individual agendas rather than the collective good of all access participants: the entire community. ACCESS PHILOSOPHY Let’s talk about the philosophies underlying public access. Forgive me while I talk way too much about access philosophy -- but it is an area I've been involved in for over 30 years. “FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED” AND EARLY ACCESS It is true that in the early days of public access in the late 1960s and early 1970s, "first come, first served" was an operating philosophy. It is not any more, and has not been for over 20 years. “FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED” IS AN OUTDATED PHILOSOPHY The worldwide community media movement, of which US public access and Access San Francisco are a part, have moved beyond "first come, first served" to the philosophy of "outreach" to under served communities and groups. “FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED” IS NOT DEMOCRATIC Why? Because over time and with experience, people in the access movement realized that "first come, first served" was relatively naive and not democratic. The groups and people who already had power of sorts in a community then moved over to access and set up camp. This was good for the start, but left out people and under served groups who would never consider that they might be able to get their voices heard on television. “FIRST COME” WORKS AGAINST SHARING Another problem with "first come, first served" was that some of the people and groups who first discovered access did not want to move over and share facilities and channel time with people who came later. After all, they were there "first" and this was all seniority-dominated, wasn't it? SIMPLISTIC NOTIONS OF EARLY ACCESS PHILOSOPHY Another problem with early access philosophy was that it tended to focus on simplistic notions of individuals and their "rights" to "free speech" -- which often encouraged ego-fulfilling "vanity" programming . . . not a bad thing, but not the most enlightened use of the community media channels, and certainly not something that would inspire support by local governments . TODAY: THE “OUTREACH” PHILOSOPHY OF PUBLIC ACCESS The more recent, "outreach" philosophy focuses more on why access was established: to encourage people and groups to get involved in social activism and the discussion of community issues. According to over 200 years of interpretations by the US Supreme Court, this is why "free speech" exists in the first place: to help the exchange of ideas necessary for a democratic society to exist. It's sort of like a democratic society's survival mechanism. THE BAD OLD CORPORATE CABLE DAYS OF ACCESS IN SAN FRANCISCO Reaching under-served communities and people through outreach became the focus for the new access philosophy -- over 20 years ago. The problem is that, in places like San Francisco where the corporate cable owner also operated public access -- the new ideas and the culture of sharing in access never quite made it through. The corporate cable access operator had no investment in access -- in fact, if access died because of programming and policies based on "first come, first served," it would serve the cable operator's financial interests. SOME ACCESS PARTICIPANTS STILL BELIEVE IN THE BANKRUPT NOTION OF CORPORATE CABLE “ACCESS” There is a vocal minority among us who find it difficult to accept a change away from the old, outdated, bankrupt notion of access that was pushed by the old corporate cable owners. This viewpoint does not promote community and sharing, but a pecking order of "who was here `first'" and thus has "seniority," and thus should get a bigger slice of the very small pie. And there are some among us who believe that their voices or ideas are more important than anyone else's which, to them, justifies their sometimes uncivil, intimidating, and undemocratic procedures at community meetings. ACCESS IS MORE THAN JUST PEOPLE WHO USE THE FACILITIES These voices can kill access quite easily. They claim to be supporters of public access because they use or used the facilities. But public access is more than just the channel or people who use the facilities -- and this bigger picture beyond "me" is what missed San Francisco over the past 20 years because of corporate cable access operation. THE SF CTC AND MAINSTREAM ACCESS PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICES The SF Community TV Corporation took over the management of public access in 1999 from the cable company. One of our goals was to move San Francisco access to where other access centers across the country have been operating for years: a modern, more democratic, community-based ideal of access based on outreach to under served groups, an equitable sharing of resources, and a focus on serving non-profit social groups. The idea in access is that, now that you've had your opportunity to speak you and/or your group's message, why not step aside and share: let someone else or some other group learn, use, and speak -- preferably with your help and experience. SHARING ACCESS FACILITIES AND CHANNEL This does mean that, at times, some groups or issues or programs receive higher priority than others in order for us to better serve all of the communities of the city and county of San Francisco. An example of this was the very successful youth programming series in March 2005, which targeted an under-served group in San Francisco (youth). The event also led to additional outreach and contacts with non-profit groups, some media-related, that serve youth -- in keeping with board goals and elements of the CTC's contract with the city to operate access. CHANGE IS HARD We all recognize that it has been difficult to change from the old access policies and philosophies of the corporate cable owner to an updated perspective and practice of access. And friction is inevitable as a balance is struck between competing interests for the same resources. OUTREACH AND SHARING RESOURCES: STANDARD OPERATING PRACTICES But the policies enacted since 1999, which reflect the philosophies of outreach and sharing, are far more democratic and inclusive, and put San Francisco more in line with standard operating practices at other access channels around the U.S. and the world. THE CTC BOARD Certainly there are several possible solutions to each issue that arises within public access operation. There are disagreements. But the key is that, as the board of directors of the CTC, we operate with civility and respect toward all our members, carefully considering all viewpoints and acting in the best interests of all San Franciscans. It happens very rarely that a board member who is not able to operate within this framework is asked to leave the board. PUBLIC ACCESS: THE ONLY REAL TV ALTERNATIVE TO CORPORATE TELEVISION Public access is still the only viable grassroots, community-based alternative to mainstream television in San Francisco. It is the only channel on cable where everyday people have the ability to have their viewpoint aired right next to the mainstream outlets. Among the Public, Educational, and Governmental channels (P.E.G.), public access is the only channel that provides a non-institutional perspective from the viewpoints of everyday folks and organizations. The SF CTC AND ACCESS SAN FRANCISCO In San Francisco, the Board of the CTC takes seriously its role as steward of the public access facilities and channel for all the people of the city and county of San Francisco. We will continue to pursue the “best practices” approach to operations of the facility and channel – in line with generally accepted philosophies of access and community-based media, and as we are required to do in our contract with the city of San Francisco. MORE INFORMATION Want to read more about these issues and ideas? Check out the Community Media Review at http://www.communitymediareview.org Some CMR articles related to access philosophy are posted at http://www.mediaprof.org/acmwhitepapers Thanks, John Higgins President, Board of Directors, SF Community TV Corporation junk @ mediaprof . org [my address for any on-line posting – to cut down spam]