PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE TELEVISION AS A PLANNING TOOL

Historically public participation did not develop from some belief in democracy or duty but rather from unfulfilled needs, urban governments' failure to respond adequately to complaints of poor services. A direct response to this was the neighborhood movement. Planning to one degree or another has been reactive, this study attemps to present to planners a new tool for reaching their community in a proactive educational manner. The initial phase of this study began with an examination of the legislative mandates governing cable companies. Specif icly the sections concerning public access airtime, technical assistance, and equipment availabilty. The second phase of this study involved the analysis of the perceptions of the cable company directors and planning professionals in relation to public access. A personally administered questionaire was used to determine such variables as: population parameters, levels of service, philosophy, misconceptions, levels of useage, and opinions. The results of this analysis suggest that the cable companies are committed to public access beyond the basic requirements of law. While each company varies in its method of assisting a group or individual, all take extreme care in assuring the best possible results. Planners for the most part are just discovering cable and while present utilization is low all, indications point to the recogniton by planners of the potential benefits of public access for serving their needs in reaching their community.

this study attemps to present to planners a new tool for reaching their community in a proactive educational manner.
The initial phase of this study began with an examination of the legislative mandates governing cable companies. ii  and if "any deficiencies remained" they must be fully resolved before one is assigned a docket number for an administrative 10 hearing.
A provision on page 15 sub. sec.(v.) requires "the number of channels to be made available for access and institutional uses; the facilities, equipment, and staff to be made available for such uses, and a schedule of charges for facilities, personnel, and utilization of such channels and services (such schedule of charges shall be included in 11 the proposed tariff)". More specifically chapter 14 page 46 sec 14.1 of Rules Governing Community Antenna Telivision Systems state 1) "public access channels shall be made available for use by members of the general public on a first-come, first-serve nondiscriminatory basis. The VHF spectrum shall be used for at least one of the channels; 3) Government access channels shall be made available for use 12 by municipal and state government". The rules require that these channels, a minimum of one (1), be made available immediately upon the commencement of the subscribers' service. Additional public access chanels is based on the number of television channels the station has operating and the demand for the access time.
Section 14.1 (g) sets parameters for studio access by public in conjunction with their productions. " Any fixed studio provided pursuant to these rules shall be made available without charge to the users of the specially designated access channels. The CATV system operator shall grant such users reasonable access to the studio facilities during normal business hours. In addition, access to the studio facilities shall be granted upon request until 9pm weekday evenings and at least four (4) hours per day on 13 weekends." Where as, most points of production originate outside the studio sec. 14.3 sets explicit specification for portable production equipment capacities by the franchise.
" Within six (6) months of commencement of service, each CATV system operator shall provide mobile and/or portable television production equipment for use by residents of that service area in the production of programming for specially designated access channels. Such equipment shall be maintained by the system operator, and shall be available from one or more convenient and accessible 14 locations within the service area." "(b) Each CATV operator shall provide portable equipment of a type and in quantities adequate to satisfy the program production needs of the users of specially designated access channels in that service area. At a minimum, however, each CATV systems operator shall immediately provide two (2) complete sets of the following equipment: 1) one (1) portable color video camera, equipped with zoom lens, tripod, dolly, AC power supply and batteries; 2) one (1) portable color video tape recorder, using a format in common use in the cable 10 telivision industry; 3) one (1) portable lighting kit; 4) two (2) hand-held microphones suitable for outdoor use; 5) appropriate accessories, including but not limited to cords, cables, microphone desk stands, and an equipment cart." To extend that equipment maintained at the fixed studio is portable and not in use for the program production for specially designated access channels at that location, such equipment may be made available for use 15 outside the studio." To merely provide time and equipment would not provide the majority of users with the basic element to make the production actually materialize. This essential ingredient is the know how to use the cameras, troubleshoot, and 16 eventually, edit the final copy. Section 19.4 of the Rules Governing Community Antenna Telivision System addresses the need of personal and technical assistance. "(a) each CATV system operator shall make available an adequate number of appropriate programming and technical personnel to maintain and oversee the use of the production equipment required to be provided by this chapter, and to provide the following 17 training and technical assistance." "(l) training of government employees,employees of educational institutions, and representatives of non-prof it community organizations and institutions in the use of system production equipment available for access and institutional program production.
(2) training of the public in the use of system production 18 equipment available for public access program production.  Thus, it appears that the viewing public with a little exposure is willing to accept "alternative-to-broadcast-22 style" television programming.

The National Federation of Local Cable Programmers in
Washington D.C. was contacted in reference to national 13 activities of planners utilizing public access cable. The Federation has an information service but nothing directly related to this study at hand.
A search was also conducted to determine the coverage of this type of activity by the American Planning Association Journal. While some articles made reference to cable and public access none served the needs of this author.
The emphasis on journal search stemmed mainly from the relative infancy of the field. A text and non-fiction book search proved fruitless. In some sections of this text reference to recent publications is made. These were "how to" books and lent little foundation information.

METHODOLOGY
A questionaire was specifically tailored to access as much essential information as possible from the two parties The question, "What are the most common misconceptions that are made in reference to public access?", was asked of the respondents. The reply was unanimous, "it is easy to make a production." Not that the process itself is      Technical assistance is available to the extent that they will go to the shoot and assist where needed.
Equipment has a first come first serve insurance policy and is only available if you have taken the classes.
An added restriction is that you cannot sign up for the equipment more than a month in advance to insure that the equipment is not monopolized by a few individuals. Technical assistance is afforded quite readily. This initial concept was to teach those individuals the basics in the classes and let them go on their own. This has been refined to give aid when needed. All equipment is on a first come first serve basis, and then only when one has been checked out on the item(s) to be used.
Cable TV's airing process requires an application to air a program. Once paperwork has been completed, it should be turned in along with a descriptive copy of the program (if taped) for review. This is to ensure that all copyright and talent release requirements have been met and that each program has music. The review also provides time to determine if the program is in anyway prof it oriented or too obscene to air. In other words less than 1/2 of 1% of the population attends meetings.
In surveying the planners it was discovered that while 75 percent knew which company serviced their area, only 31% had considered using the service and of those, only 4 had actually aired programming (3 aired a meeting and 1 presented an educational planning series). considers it a novelty. The second qualification was that cable may take away from the personal touch and that it might best be reserved strictly for state wide issues.
What planning issues could best be served by public access? This was expressed in question 11. Almost all the respondents referred to "major planning issues" or topics that would take "time" to explain. The three elements that were overwhelmingly embraced were zoning issues, master plan topics and development proposals. All referred to the educational approach through cable so that the residents of their community could make an "informed" decision.

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The next most common response was to use the cable medium to inform the community as to "what planning is about" and why it is needed.
The underlying theme was to get more quality information to people and to avoid uninformed opposition or approval of issues.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FINDINGS Several important points have been established by this research. Specifically, it indicated that all parties recognize the potential for public access and the mechanism for reaching that potential.
The public access law actively encourages the use of public access as a medium for public expression. In doing so, time must be made available to all users without discrimination and free of charge. Professional, technical assistance must be provided at the companies expense for planning, production, and equipment use.
The companies have embraced the concept of access and are committed to it beyond the letter public of the law. The cooperation and assistance offered is for the program organizer's benefit.
While a majority of the planners have not as yet taken advantage of public access, they see its future impact as a way of making the planning process more relevant to the public.
Will the public watch? According to the Michigan State study cited earlier not only is the public watching, but more then half of the cable subscribers watch on a regualar basis.

RECOMMENDATIONS
This research was undertaken to study the use of public access television by planners, and therefore, it would only be appropriate to recommend to the planner aids that may assist in the production of a program.
The first step is to write the concept of your program idea.
The concept is simply a brief discription outlining the general theme of a program. Its length is not important but it should address such areas as: the type of program to be produced, what facilities are to be used and the length of the program.
The concept should also reveal the subject matter, who will appear, what they will do and discuss, and how the show is different from others dealing with the same subject matter.
Visualization of the concept requires a story board. A story board resembles a cartoon and places the video and audio in sequence. It should also indicate changes in screens, voice overs, film clips and musical accompaniment.

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A simple stick figure arrangement would be sufficient.
Visual awareness is important. Basically, it requires you to see your production done even at the concept stage.
Draw on movies that you have seen for technique, camera angles, and timing. Try to make your production interesting, but don't drown it out with changes.
In writing your script, the six basic questions of journalism also apply to television. Music adds to the mood and can enhance a production. 24 Before using any piece contact ASCAP to apprise yourself of the music's status and ask permission to use said music.
If you do not you may be subjecting yourself to rigid penalties.