Editorial

Time for Cam8 to dissolve

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The decision to shut down Cam8, the local public access channel, is long overdue.

For years, both the quantity and quality of programming has been on the decline. Several of the previous station managers were disasters in terms of running the operation, handling its finances and public relations. The current manager was left with a situation that couldn't be revived. Not unless a large number of people suddenly show up to donate a lot of money and volunteer time, and that just isn't going to happen.

The city was under no obligation to subsidize the operation. Theoretically, by now, after nearly two decades of existence, it should have been able to rely on its own resources, not a taxpayer subsidy. The new board of directors recognized the futility of further operations and had the courage to say enough is enough.

Notwithstanding the many problems the operation has faced in recent years, the days of public access channels are really over.

They were created by the federal government in the early days of cable TV, requiring cable operators to provide a channel for them if requested. The purpose of public access channels, at the time, was to encourage "alternative" programming. In those days, there were essentially just three commercial broadcast television networks, public television stations, and a small number of "superstations," such as WTBS and WGN. Public access channels were designed to provide more and more varied offerings to the viewing public. And at first, they did that, even if the almost absolute freedom of expression granted by the federal charter sometimes resulted in programming that, at best, could be described as questionable. And in a few communities, mainly in the larger cities on this nation, they still thrive.

But with literally hundreds of channels on cable and satellite TV now offering a wide range of specialized programming, and the arrival of the internet, the need for a dedicated channel for alternative programming no longer has any real validity.

And Cam8 certainly shouldn't be supported by tax dollars, not at a time when responsible local governments, like the city, are trying to be as efficient as possible in how they spend our money.

Cam8's death was a long, slow and sometimes troubled process. It has been on life support for far too long, and the decision to pull the plug, while difficult, was the right one.

-- Kelly Everitt