Community TV

Public access, educational and governmental television, or PEG stations, are local TV channels that provide programming as diverse as the communities they’re based in. Public access TV plays a vital role in forging community identity. Offerings range from local music videos to city council meetings to community sporting events, and a whole lot in between.

In 1971, filmmaker George Stoney — known as the “father of public access” — founded the Alternate Media Center, which provided tools and training for people interested in creating public access programming. In 1972, Stoney was instrumental in getting the Federal Communications Commission to mandate that cable operators provide modest funding for public access equipment, training and airtime.

The 1984 Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act allowed local governments to require cable companies to set aside channels for PEG programming. It also barred cable operators from exercising editorial control over such programming.

Currently more than 1,700 communities around the country have public access stations. There are more than a million public access producers nationwide.

Many public access stations are transforming into media and technology centers. They have expanded their community outreach, teaching media literacy and computer skills and helping outside organizations use audiovisual components in their programming.

Public access centers have faced a number of challenges in recent years. Phone and cable companies are pushing for laws that absolve them of their public interest obligations. Budget cuts have also impacted public access centers, which in some cases have ceased operations.

Free Press supports community TV and believes it provides an important platform for civic discussion and debate.

Blog Posts

All for One and One for All
Josh Stearns
May 8, 2013
Imagine for a moment if 50 percent of America’s media was noncommercial. How would that change whose stories got told and which issues got debated? How would it shape access to information or the role of arts and education in our homes and communities?
Vermont Public Access Advocate Recalls George Stoney
Lauren-Glenn Davitian
July 17, 2012

George Stoney, unflagging champion of free speech, open media and opportunity for all, died in his home in New York City on July 12. George was 96 and actively producing movies and supporting public access advocates until the end.

At the time of his death, George was working with David Bagnali and Dave Olive on an in-depth documentary on the life of Paulo Freire, the late Brazilian educator and activist.
Cracking the Case of the Disappearing Public Access Channels
Lindsey Sanders
May 11, 2011

When people think about funding cuts and public media, they usually think about NPR and PBS, but a recent report reveals that another vital community media source is perhaps even more threatened: Public, Educational and Governmental access stations, otherwise known as PEG stations.

There is now fresh data on the funding cuts and closures of PEG access cable channels throughout the country, thanks to a study released by the Buske Group and the Alliance for Communications Democracy in early April. The study compared the funding of PEG access centers over a five year period between 2005 and 2010, uncovering the rapid erosion of a vital local resource.

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Want to Help Start a Radio Station?

The radio landscape lacks local voices, local music and local ownership. You can change that by starting your own community radio station.

Fill out the form if you want to start a community radio station. We’ll help you along the way!

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What Does Public Media Mean to You?

Washington needs to know why we all care so much about public media. Tell us: What does public media mean to you?

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Stop the War on Public Media

Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Doug Lamborn have it in for public media. Over the years, both men have introduced numerous bills attacking NPR and PBS.

Please sign our petition telling Sen. DeMint and Rep. Lamborn that public media supporters are watching and we think enough is enough.

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Press Releases

FCC Chairman Genachowski to Step Down
March 21, 2013
WASHINGTON -- The Wall Street Journal reports that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski will announce on Friday that he will step down from his position as head of the agency. Free Press President and CEO Craig Aaron made the following statement: "When Julius Genachowski took office, there were high hopes that he would use his powerful position to promote the public interest. But instead of acting as the people's champion, he’s catered to corporate interests."
Free Press to Host 'Owning Our Airwaves: A Community Dialogue with Media Policymakers'
September 26, 2011
PITTSBURGH -- On Monday, Sept. 26, Free Press is hosting a community dialogue on the state of the media in Pittsburgh, Pa. featuring Rep. Mike Doyle and Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps.
Free Press Cheers New Bill to Protect Community Media
May 11, 2011
WASHINGTON — Free Press today endorsed a bill designed to prevent discriminatory practices by cable operators and to ensure a level playing field for community voices in an increasingly consolidated cable industry. The bipartisan Community Access Preservation Act (HR 1746), co-sponsored by Reps.

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Public Media

We can have an under-funded public media system that is vulnerable to constantly changing political winds, or we can aspire to a public media system that makes use of all technologies available to inspire, educate and inform.
Low Power FM Radio

Low Power FM radio stations are community-based nonprofit outlets that broadcast to neighborhoods and small towns throughout the country.

LPFM stations have a limited broadcast range of just a few miles, but their impact on communities can be immense. These noncommercial stations inject vibrancy into a radio dial that has suffered from years of media consolidation.

LPFM stations offer a platform for content and viewpoints that traditional media overlook. These stations foster community identity and serve as hubs for vital safety information during local emergencies.
Attacks on Public Media

Every year, for almost a decade, Americans have ranked public television as the institution they trust most. And more than 70 percent of Americans see funding for public television as money “well spent.” Exactly how much do Americans spend to support this resource? Pocket change: The United States spends less than$1.50 per person on public broadcasting — 20 times less than Germany and a whopping 70 times less than Denmark.