[cma-l] Community Television Policies and Practices Around the World

[Jaqui Devereux]

Dear Friends,

Please find below information about a recently published report in 
Canada from Cathy Edwards which contains a lot of valuable information 
on CM around the world.

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/timescape2009.htm

Best wishes

Jaqui

Jaqui Devereux
Community Media Association


>>> "Catherine Edwards" <cedwards at timescape.ca> 12/10/2009 9:32 PM >>>
Dear PEG Friends,

Many of you over the years have been aware of a documentary series I've 
been shooting and research I've been doing about public-access 
television around the world.  I've met many of you at conferences, have 
interviewed some of you at your facilities, and know others only by phone.

This work has culminated in the publication of a report entitled 
"Community Television Policies and Practices Around the World", which 
examines public-access TV in 28 countries.

It became available yesterday on the web site of the Canadian 
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (our FCC equivalent) at:

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/timescape2009.htm

It is being used as an input to our own review of our "community 
television" sector in April of 2010.

I know the public-access sector is getting hammered in the US (as it is 
here), and I wanted to let you know that this information is available 
in case you can use precedents.  You might like to take a look at the 
European section.

Although I had a fantasy about publishing this work privately at some 
point and recouping some of the out-of-pocket costs I've accumulated 
over many years (living at my parents', stuff like that!), I had the 
opportunity to present it as input to these hearings and took it.  I 
also wanted to make it available to the Alliance ASAP, as I know you're 
facing immediate legislative challenges as well.

Here in Canada, our Alliance equivalent, which I head as a volunteer, is 
the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations 
(CACTUS), with a web site atcactus.independentmedia.ca.  We estimate 
that only about 10% of Canadians currently have access to a real 
public-access facility in this country.  The others have been shut down 
or professionalized by the cable industry.

CACTUS feels we have a last chance this spring to make the case that 
public access (or "community TV" as we call it here) should have 
bandwidth protection (whatever medium) and non-commercial sources of 
funding.

All of this is to say, if you can use the report in your fight, and your 
facility is in a position to make a donation to CACTUS to help us at our 
hearings, please contact me.  If not, use the information with my 
blessing and hopes for your success.

If any of you would like to follow developments in Canada and want to be 
on the CACTUS e-mail list, send me an e-mail.

Cathy Edwards
Canadian Association of Community TV Users and Stations
(CACTUS)
(819) 772-2862
cactus.independentmedia.ca