TCtv2

May 10, 2006

Some of you may know of tctv2. It is community television. It is supposed to be a place where you can come to discuss issues of importance, throw out ideas, tear apart ideas, and make the world a better place. Or, make a video about your Aunt Martha’s Very Cherry Pie. Tctv2 is that place where you make a TV program about whatever is important to you.
There are some changes occurring at tctv2 that you should be aware of.
First, it became obvious at the time of the last franchise renewal that tctv2 was not serving the needs of the local community. The powers-that-be put us on notice: be more responsive, useful and fun to the community or there will be no funding available for tctv2. Funding is tight all over and tctv2, like everyone else, has to justify its existence.
When community leaders put tctv2 in service, they did not envision a replay service for programs that can be seen in many other places around the country. Where are the local governments, where are the local non-profits, where are the local faces and places?
So, tctv2 has made changes to reflect that vision. We will now videotape certain governmental and non-profit events and activities. We just finished shooting our first “tctv2” production: The Boardman Dams Reclamation Conference that took place over two days at the Hagerty Center recently. It‘s not riveting TV in terms of the numbers of car chases, flying bodies and flashing colors that we’ve come to expect from television in this country, but in terms of getting useful information to members of the community, it is great stuff. That is the first production, and there will be more.
In the midst of “revisioning” tctv2 comes two other things that have serious repercussions, and will either challenge us or put us out of business altogether.
A big blow to tctv2’s funding came with the withdrawal of East Bay Township from the consortium of participating governments. That cut tctv2’s operating budget by nearly one-quarter. That is substantial and worrisome. Oddly enough, even though we had been put on notice by the townships that we had to change or die, this funding cut came about because East Bay had lots of legal and accounting costs and not much in the way of revenue. They argued that they simply couldn’t afford tctv2 anymore.
Secondly, there is a current push by Verizon, AT&T and Microsoft to take away all local franchising and replace it with a single national plan. Franchising is the basis for public access TV and it is how tctv2 and other access centers across the country are funded. Proposed national legislation is moving forward and should be voted on by mid-summer. The fallout from this legislation will be profound on local franchising and local governments, but you haven’t heard very much about this legislation. It is probably safe to say that most of you are totally unaware.
So, what is a supporter of tctv2 to do?
First, use tctv2. Watch tctv2. Know tctv2. Make TV shows. Do “Soundoffs.“ Take advantage of what could be a very useful and powerful resource. And tell us what you think. We can’t be useful to you if you don’t tell us how.
Secondly, be aware of issues surrounding tctv2. Why are Verizon, AT&T, and Microsoft spending so heavily and pushing so strongly for national legislation? How does your local government spend its franchise fee? What happens to the local budget if franchise fees go away?
One of the fundamental truths of democracy is that information is power. We must be informed if we are to function as a democracy and as a society. “Information is the oxygen of democracy,” as our friend, and a leader of the community media movement, Dirk Koning used to say. Tctv2 tries to be there as a place for you to become informed, and a place for you to inform others. Take advantage of that.

Mike Kroes heads up tctv2 at the Traverse Area District Library.