Why Now Public Access TV

Why now. Plans were formulated in Y20000. People were ascertained in 2000 and 2004. Yes, they wanted local PEG channels. The franchise negotiations took nearly six years. After the franchise took effect, it took six months for Comcast to initiate the Education channel. This, months after the educators said they were ready to transmit programs. Comcast continued to "manage" public access by intercollating the most vapid infomercials conceivable with the few public access programs being produced. In September Comcast is going to halt that too. It seems to me a time to step up.

Public Access is a real political football. The cities that negotiated as a group insisted for providing for PEG channels but really did nothing much after the franchise was struck. During the negotiations (2000-2006) there was a lot of city support for public access television. City officials in Concord and Walnut Creek actively informed stakeholders in public access and education.

After the negotiations most dealings with public access revolved around playback services and the like administered by the County, (Contra Costa Television). Their lawyers told them that there could be some serious problems with such an arrangement and thus bailed.

The County Cable Commissioner, Patricia Burke has said more than once that there needs to be someone to be the "visionary" to rescue "P."

So folks, I'm tryin to stuff myself into my Captain Video costume so I can do something to keep a public voice on Contra Costa cable systems.

Why am I doing this? Because I have seen how communities really benefit from an informed citizenry and I want to provide yet another popular pathway to that end; our own local television.