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To access links, see Steven Clift's blog: http://dowire.org/notes/?p=250 Post: Using the Internet to avoid other democratic obligations/opportunities A few years ago cities argued unsuccessfully at the Minnesota state legislature that the legal requirements for them to publish notices (they pay for the space) in local newspapers should be lifted because such notices could be put on a city website. This story about a failed effort to get a public access cable channel going in a Florida town is worth noting: Public access TV kept off the air | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, Fla. "Several commissioners said they believe the growth of the Internet - particularly sites such as YouTube.com that allow people to post homemade movies - eliminates the need for public access television." This kind of thinking scares me. In this case, the local government already has their own cable channel that they control so it is easy to suggest citizens use something less equitable and powerful for sharing video in a local context. The Internet does allow you to reach a global audience with your video, but nothing I have seen allows you to easily find locally relevant video much less gain easy access to local people from a producers perspective. Finally, the Internet still isn't on most people's televisions for couch-based channel surfing serendipity. Oh, in a related matter I think HDTV public broadcasters should be required to establish "best of" over the air public access sub-channels within their newer digital capacity. It is time to liberate the public access concept from the wires. Steven Clift P.S. For the scoop on public access cable and proposed telecommunication legislation in the U.S. see: http://www.alliancecm.org *** Democracies Online Newswire - http://DoWire.Org *** To comment/for links: http://dowire.org/notes/?p=250 To network: http://groups.dowire.org Submit posts: http://dowire.org/submit Member profile for Steven: http://groups.dowire.org/main/contacts/stevenclift ----------------------------------------- Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail: http://groups.dowire.org/main/groups/newswire Replies go to members of Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail with all posts on this topic here: http://groups.dowire.org/topic/120809 For digest version or to leave Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail, email [email protected] with "digest on" or "unsubscribe" in the *subject*. Newswire - Steven Clift's blog posts by e-mail is hosted by Democracies Online - http://dowire.org.
