channelAustin’s (aka “access television”) contract with the City expires at the end of September 2011 and the City’s franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable ends in August. So, how will channelAustin survive come October?
Although City of Austin staff has suggested that funding continue (at 27% less than what channelAustin now receives), this money is not guaranteed. And with the cable franchise agreement ending, the future of channelAustin is precarious, to say the least. That is, unless there is a visible public show of support for one of the nation’s longest running public access TV channels.
Toward this end, channelAustin staff is hosting a public forum to, as press materials indicate, “lay out in broad strokes what we see happening in the next 7 to 8 months. We would like to know that we can call upon you to take action to demonstrate the value of the resources that channelAustin makes available and the necessity for continued funding.”
If you believe that channelAustin is a cherished resource that should survive and prosper, you are invited to the public forum on:
Tuesday, February 22 · 7:00pm – 8:00pm
The channelAustin Studios
1143 Northwestern Ave. 78702
Austin, Texas
To learn more about channelAustin, click here.
This article appears in February 18 • 2011.