Akaku’s Media Salon Guest Series about “Media Reform: Building a Grassroots Movement to Ensure ‘Digital Inclusion’ in Community Media” features Akaku President/CEO, Jay April, who will share his recent experience at the National Conference on Media Reform (NCMR) earlier this month and be available to answer questions from residents and independent community producers attending the Media Salon. The event is Friday, June 27, 6-8:30 pm, and is free to the public.
“Localism in media is extremely important to our democracy,” says April, who has more than 20 years experience as a television producer, director, and video journalist. “In exchange for use of the public airwaves and rights of way, people have a long standing right to access cable television channels. There is no reason why the public should not be entitled to fast and free internet access as well.”
Akaku will share video clips from speakers at NCMR during the discussion, while April and participants can brainstorm ways that the community can support the valuable resource of independent community media.
This year, NCMR attracted thousands of attendees and more than 250 presenters, including such media mavens as PBS broadcaster Bill Moyers, Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Former CBS legend Dan Rather, Filmmaker Robert Greenwald and Greg Watkins of AllHipHop.com. Akaku aired satellite feeds of the conference earlier this month, which covered a diverse range of key media and technology policies including: media ownership, the future of the Internet, war coverage, public broadcasting, media and elections, copyright, the First Amendment, online activism, ethnic media, and dozens more.
One of the pioneers of the PEG (public, educational, and governmental) access concept in the United States, April was a founding member of the Alliance for Community Media, which will be holding its national conference in Washington D.C., July 9-12. April is also an experienced national cable television consultant with a specialty in telecommunications policy, cable regulation and community programming.
The presentation is this month’s second of Akaku’s semi-monthly Media Salon series offered to independent community producers and county residents interested in media issues. Other Media Salon Guest Series featured such prominent community members as Mana`o radio’s co-founder and CEO Kathy Collins, and Tommy Russo, publisher of “Maui Time Weekly”.
For more detailed information on NCMR, or to view video clips from select keynote presenters, please visit http://www.freepress.net/conference [1].
To register for the Media Salon at Akaku, or for more information, please call 871-5554 or stop by our studio offices at 333 Dairy Road, Kahului.