Public, educational and governmental (PEG) access channels — one of the key benefits local communities get from franchise agreements — are also one of the only remaining media outlets that broadcast local voices, cover local issues, and show exactly how local governments work.

Public access channels encourage community residents to be more active participants in government and educational affairs by airing city council and school board meetings. They also allow for targeted programming to reach particular segments of the community that might not be served by major outlets.

The federal Cable Act succinctly explains why PEG access is so important: “Public access channels are often the video equivalent of the speaker’s soap box or the electronic parallel to the printed leaflet. They provide groups and individuals who generally have not had access to the electronic media with the opportunity to become sources of information in the electronic marketplace of ideas.”

Advances in broadband technology could open up ways for local communities to create online content, with dozens if not hundreds of audio and video streams. Unfortunately, much of the legislation being proposed in statehouses threatens the existence of such a potentially powerful local medium. Our communities need more access to the media, not less.

For more information, see SaveAccess.org or visit the Alliance for Community Media.