Why do Cable Access
The purpose you have is of course your purpose, your organization's purpose. Basically cable access is a pulpit or speech box. It communicates to a certain sector of the community. Doing cable access raises the visibility of your organization. It also advocates the positions and issues you represent. You become the media and are less the effect of it. As an example here are some organizational goals that might be aided by cable access shows:
| Name Recognition | Volunteer Recruitment | Event Attendance |
| Public Education | Public Concern | Public Action |
Doing public access shows is also a very good organizing tool. This may be the first time your chapter actually does something effective. Cable access usually has more impact on the public than any of the following: pamphleting, picketing, fundraisers, phone calls, conferences, seminars. At it's best it also augments those activities. More goals that can be aided by public access shows:
| Coalition work | Validation of Staff | Political Influence |
Quantity-Quality-Viability
Quantity
The quantity of shows produced is of higher importance than the quality of any one show in the series. One show produced with flaws is far superior to a perfect show that is never made. We can all remember things seen on TV that were travesties and would have been better off left undone, such as air on the Jerry Springer show. This is not a problem with public access shows. Any huge guffaws can be edited out. If the show is a bust it can be ditched, distribution is not mandated.
The first mistake made in public access is to not produce the show. Excessive planning, committees on content, consultants, relying on family "in the business"; any of these can slow things to a crawl so that nothing gets done in a timely enough fashion to be of interest to the audience.
After you've produced 20 shows, you'll start to develop style and skill, you will become more familiar with the elements involved, you'll have a greater understanding about the product you want to produce. That's when quality will start to appear.
Do more shows, if you don't like something about the last one you did, do it again, or do another, but do more shows.
Quality
The quality of a show should be measured by its degree of popularity and the amount of influence it has.
Because everyone watches tv almost everyone will have an opinion about what the show should look like and even exactly what should be said and who should say it and what color the flowers should be. If a person has a very strong opinion in this area then they should be fully supported and encouraged to start their own show. There is no law preventing the airing of two or even ten shows by members of your group. In fact that is what should happen. We are not fighting amongst ourselves for a limited amount of time granted to us by the all-powerful media. We are taking over a wasteland of bandwidth now mostly utilized by rock bands, itinerant preachers, beauticians and pornographers. We are putting valued content on the air. The more the better.
Quality depends on personal taste to a great degree. Some people like Louis the XIV furniture and some prefer California Craft. But you can say this. You goal is to create a measured effect on a specific audience. You have to a) get their attention and b) persuade them to your viewpoint. The quality of your program will be measured on those two points, not your hairdo or dialect.
Viability
- Definition: Capable of success or continuing effectiveness; practicable: a viable plan
- To keep the show viable so that it can be aired over a period of time, you should consider the following:
- Historical If you are interviewing someone about the past, the show is timeless, unless the facts about that past change.
- Scope Broaden the implications of what is discussed by seeing how it would apply to other people, groups, nations, laws, etc.
- Relevance Compare the current situation with how it has been in the past or currently is in other cities, states, and countries.
Nut and Bolts of doing the Job
These are most of the functions that have to be performed. These tasks could be assigned to separate individuals though usually one person will do the work of three.
1. Determining Content 5. Scheduling Studio Time 8. Scheduling Air Time 2. Coalition work 6. Production arrangements 9. Editing 3. Research 7. Producing show (shooting it) 10. Making copies 4. Scheduling Guests 11. Bicycling shows
Hosts
The host of the show is obviously the one with the most public exposure and should be someone people like … or at least someone people will watch even if they don't like him/her. That may sound obvious but you have to realize that TV is an entertainment media and people are not locked in a meeting hall where they would be too embarrassed to read the paper, doze off or get up and leave.
The audience is at home and all they have to do is flip the channel. It's a little bit of magic, a little bit of showmanship. The host should be interested in the guest's ideas and stories more than his/her own. The host should be the representative for the audience, working for the audience, viewing and listening for the audience. You can and should rotate hosts occasionally.
Censorship
If there is any dispute in your group about content or what can be said or who should be on or who cant be on or anything like that, my only advise is "start another show". The people producing and hosting a show must have some control over the content. If they are hounded and henpecked surely they will leave as their creative input has been usurped. If management cant live with what the production group is producing, and this is not easily resolved, management should start another show. As stated above, there is no scarcity of airtime, there is only a scarcity of worthwhile content.
One last word
Producing public access cable TV shows is a rewarding and exhilarating activity, but there is grunt work, and that's the hill you have to climb. Everyone wants to talk about lighting and topics and guests. Success will come from consistency and persistence more than glamour. You have to get approved, book time, book guests, do shows, get them shown and bicycled. You have to be prepared for almost anything happening on the show and (which is much much worse) nothing happening.I can absolutely guarantee you will not be bored producing these shows and, if you do a reasonably good job, people wont be bored watching them.
End of Article
back to top