If you live in the Beckley Raleigh County area and subscribe to cable television service, you are probably familiar with the City's public/local access channel (the community bulletin board that airs on Suddenlink Channel 4).  Though useful, our channel currently deprives the citizens of Beckley of a valuable means of community debate and interaction.

In order for a cable company to operate in a particular area, it must obtain a franchise agreement from the local governing body, in our case Beckley City Council.  The franchise agreement between the City of Beckley and Suddenlink Communications requires Suddenlink to provide and maintain up to three public access channels for use by the citizens of Beckley. 

Public access television was established by congress to give the community a voice by putting the tools of television directly into the hands of the people and encouraging them to speak for themselves.  The benefits become evident locally when speaking with people such as Eric Palfrey, Director of the public access channel in Summersville West Virginia.  According to Mr. Palfrey, televised city council meetings have been particulary valuable to the elderly and disabled in his community who may not otherwise be able to attend the meetings on a regular basis.

A true socially engaged public access channel offers at least two unique opportunities for our city:  First, it provides a means for the "average" citizen to have a social and/or political impact on his or her community.  Secondly, it provides a site for the development of video-based performance art in Beckley.

But I want to hear what you think.  Should we begin using our public access channel as the public forum for free speech, cultural exchange and artistic expression that it was meant to be?

Dream big,
Tony O. Martin 

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