THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Friday, April 19, 1974
THEMIHIANDALYFrda, prl 9s97
TV Public
Access raises
dis
more money into the operation.
"WE WILL be spending $30,000
on Public Access this year,"f
says Parks. "That represents a
complete loss for us, for Public
Access really does not cause
people to subscribe to Cable. The
number of people who subscribe
to Cable TV is merely a drop in
the bucket."
Commission member s regard
Public Access as essential and
encourage its development. To
this end the Commission has pur-
chased two portable video tape
machines on which people can
record their television shows.
The Cable Commission now
argues that many of its and the
Cable Company's efforts to de-
velop Public Access overlap.
This results in extra work for
both parties and, in the case of
duplicated equipment, substan-
tial extra expense.
SO WHAT will happen to Pub-
lic Access? The Company does
not want to continue investing in
what is now a losing proposition,
but citizens and the Cable Com-
mission want more facilities.
At their April 3 meeting, the
Cable Casting Commission pro-
posed a merger between the Pub-
lic Access facilities owned by the
Cable Company and those owned
by the Commission into one non-
profit public corporation run by
the Commission.
According to the proposal, the
Company would turn over to the
Commission all the equipment
currently used for Public Access
and guarantee to provide the
Cable lines necessary to trans-
mit Public Access material.
THE NON-PROFIT corpora-
tion would be funded, according
to the proposal, by a sliding per-
centage of the Cable Company's
revenues. This percentage would
increase as the revenues of the
Cable Company increased. The
Cable Commission already re-
ceives a percentage of the Cable
Company's revenues currently
pegged at five per cent. This
sum would also be turned over
to the new corporation.
In return the Cable Company
would be considered to have ful-
filled its Public Access obliga-
tions to the franchise.
The Cable Company is in prin-
ciple amenable to such a mer-
ger whether they will accept the
Commission's proposal as it
reads remains to be seen. Hot
debate is expected.
BUT BOTH Parks and former
Chairman of the Cablecasting
Commission, Louis Belcher, who
resigned last week after winning
a seat on City Council, concur
that some kind of public opera-
tion of Public Access is neces-
sary. They say that Public Ac-
cess as a public facility would be
more responsive to the people if
it were run by them. Thus if
Public Access facilities needed
expanding, the new corporation
could insure their expansion.
In the long run, accordingto
Belcher, Cable stands to gain
more subscriptions from such a
merger.
"Though the non-profit corpor-
ation is responsible for the pro-
duction side of Public Access,"
Belcher says, "the programming
must travel over the Cable Com-
pany's lines. If a person wishes
to receive Public Access chan-
nels, he must hook into the Cable
Company's system.
"THUS, IF Public Access be-
comes a popular television fea-
ture, Cable would increase its
subscriptions as a result of a
service it only indirectly pro-
vides."
This does not bother Commis-
sion members, though. In fact,
they want Public Access to sell
subscriptions. Belcher says, "The
Commission cares only for the
development of Cable. If the
Company benefits from our ef-
forts to improve Public Access,
that is fine with us.
Belcher says it is this sort of
concern which makes public
ownership of Public Access so
important. "The Company has
profits as its main concern; the
Commission cares only for the
development and improvement of
Public Access facilities."
BUT WHY the fuss over Public
Access anyway? Few people
know about it and even fewer
people watch it.
"It is true that the number of
people who are familiar with
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public access is small. We hope
that will change," says Wade.
"But you must note," she adds,
"that Public Access television
operates on a whole different
series of concepts than does reg-
ular television. The difference
lies in the concepts of narrow-
casting and broadcasting."
"Television networks broad-
cast," she says. "That is, they
aim their programs at a broad
audience. Broadcasting is sup-
ported by advertising and so the
shows must reach as large an au-
dience as possible to bring in
more advertising revenues. The
networks must necessarily aim
their programs at some lowest
pate
common denominator of intelli-
gence or interest."
"PUBLIC ACCESS
narrowcasts," Wade continues.
"A Public Access program is
made for a specific audience.
Since Public Access does not de-
pend on advertising to stay alive
it does not matter how many
people watch the show. If the
intended audience is reached
then the program is successful.
The show producers are responsi-
ble for promoting their own
show."
"Public Access exists solely for
communication within the com-
munity," says Wade. "If that
communication takes place, Pub-
lic Access has been successful."
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