A REFLECTIVE LOOK at Twenty years of WCCA TV 13

If you watch WCCA TV cable channel 13 in Worcester or browse through this WCCA TV 13 web site, it should become immediately apparent that WCCA TV 13, located at 415 Main St. in Worcester Massachusetts, is not only a creative center in the city but it has always been at the forefront of Worcester’s independent media movement since 1986. In fact, in the world of electronic media, the “public access movement” since the early 70’s, has been the beginning of independent media movement nationally as well as in Worcester.

Meaning:
WCCA TV is public access / community media. What does that mean? It means any one, be it individual, organization, or group, can act as an independent electronic media journalist. The Public Access Movement has marked the beginning point of society breaking away from dependency of “main stream media”. Anyone, irregardless of ethnic background, community, academic or economic status, could gain access to video cameras (now digital), editing equipment (dedicated or PC based), even a channel of distribution (Cable channel and now the Internet) to produce live or tape (digital) recordings of events, news, information, protest rallies, vigils, arts and culture, local commerce programs, learning shows, views and opinions and broadcast it (cablecast and now web cast it) to their community (and around the world).
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The whole story:
Public Access producers, many times, will present real time, natural details. The public access viewer often watches the full story without editorial and commercial design contrivances, unedited and un-conforming to the polished and often sterile and shallow TV news sound bite or format. I have seen hundreds of public access programs that simply present and document an event as it played out as captured in real time and brought right in to our master control to be cable cast. To me, that is TV media where the reality of the message or event is more important than the production value.

Today, I am challenged to find any other movement, other than public access, that surrenders itself to the agenda of a community (all sides of it) at large. Considering that and the fact that we are an open forum, WCCA TV 13 is TV / media WITHOUT an agenda.

When public access came into the picture all of a sudden it didn’t matter so much what the dominating print media, broadcast giants of radio or TV had to say. The political agenda and propaganda of mainstream corporate media had become simply another entity in the mix of hundreds of voices. Although, at least on a very local level.

Relevance:
What is relevant and meaningful and useful has been presented on public access channels for nearly the last 30 years. Municipal forums, neighborhood issues, school notices, snow alerts, ethnic and community news, local programming, citizens speaking out about issues that matter to them, local documentaries and expositions, that is useful and meaningful programming and it’s all on public access channels. Always has and (hopefully) always will be. Everyday at WCCATV we witness TV and or web presentations that are produced by citizens in a community center buzzing with creative activity. Can you imagine if public access were allowed in Dafur, parts of South America, Afghanistan or other parts of the world where democracy is challenged?

Technology may have changed and now the Public Access movement offers more communication tools to serve their communities. Independent entities, personal or various groups, can now utilize public access to get their story out there by cable, the World Wide Web, and other forms of electronic communications outlets. Where as WCCATV 13 and other public access media centers across the nation place empowering media tools at your disposal. WCCA TV is your voice your station. “The People’s Channel”.

Challenges:
There are greedy and corrupt legislators in the Senate and Congress who are, at this moment, working to destroy the public access movement by attempting to change the rules (Federal Law through the telecom reform act) that once protected public access and local franchise authorities and also the same leaders are attempting to do away with net neutrality. By ignoring hundreds of thousands of citizen letters and petitions of opposition, it appears that these Senators and Congressmen can only be pandering to the behest of telecommunication giants. Such attempts, if successful, will remove local cable franchise and franchise provisions that support stations such as WCCA TV 13 and the rest of the public access community media centers across the nation. So, unless you are one of the few who have a privileged background, money, high social status, and corporate, political or academic connections, you will have no voice and your existence will only matter if you are useful to those who have power and control.

It strongly appears that they mean to take your voice away in order to ensure those rich mega media giants and their government puppets have all control to disseminate information and tell you what is news and what is important. What an injustice of the highest magnitude that would be if they were successful. Not many in the general public are aware of what is going on at the federal level regarding telecommunications regulations activity. Can you wonder why?

Value:
If you agree that public access is worthy, if your believe everyone should have access to media tools and has a right to participate in a public forum, you must write your senator, congressman and local city councilors and city manager TODAY. Please ask them to include assurances to guarantee continued growth for WCCA TV 13. Support the public access center in your town if you are not from Worcester.

Democracy is more than nurtured by Public Access Community Media. Public Access is democracy in practice. TV/media that is By the People, For the People, and Of the People.

Happy 20th Anniversary and Congratulations to all who have helped make WCCA TV 13 the success it is today. See you on November 18th for the celebration. “Here’s Looking At You” Worcester.

MD