Introducing the 20th Century Community Centre
Your community may now have an exciting and dynamic new voice. A voice that will create far greater awareness of everything thats happening in your community. It's called Cable Television. Here's an article on how to co-opt your local cable tv system.
November/December 1971
The Mother Earth News editors
Taken from the Canadian section of RADICAL SOFTWARE NUMBER 4/$3.00/Raindance Radical Software/8 East 12th St./New York 10003 (RADICAL SOFTWARE is must reading for anyone into videotape, film, etc. and we recommend it highly).
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Your community.
What do you know about it?
That is, how can you really find out about what's going on in the community you live in. Well, if you're fortunate you may have a local newspaper but unfortunately many people don't. And those that do only get it every so often. You see, up until now nobody's really paid much attention to communications within the community. In fact, it's been sadly neglected.
But now your community has an exciting and dynamic new voice. A voice that will create far greater awareness of everything that's happening in your community. Anything from a town council meeting to a little league baseball tournament. It's called cable television.
And that's the purpose of this little booklet. To explain to you how very simple and essential it is for you and your community to participate in community programming on cable television, the Twentieth Century Community Centre.
How to start
Let's start by assuming that your group has something to say to the community. In fact, you may have already tried some of the conventional means—press releases, letters to the editor, perhaps even meetings or demonstrations. If you have, then you realize how very difficult it is to get enough coverage. Because unfortunately the amount you get always seems to depend upon how dramatically or sensationally you can express yourself. And when finally your message does get through, it's usually been filtered or modified by sources that you have no control over.
But not with cable. You see, cable offers the possibility of a regular ongoing programme. Already groups similar to yours are taking advantage of the many benefits that cable can offer. And in order for your group to get involved all you have to do is indicate your interest. Just contact the programmer for the cable company in your area and tell him about your group and what you have in mind. And in a very short time, you'll be on the cable.
It's that simple.
Of course, there are a few things you must realize first. One is that you can't go on the air whenever you like. Your program has to be worked in to the existing timetable that the cable company already has. In fact, you'll find that the cable company would prefer you to set up a series of shows rather than just a "one-shot" effort. Then too, you and your group should have a fairly well-established plan for how you'd like to approach your programme. You'll find that it helps if your group is formally structured when it comes to assigning responsibilities. Also, you should realize that, although you will be instructed in how to use the equipment, you can't expect to operate it without professional supervision. And so, the cable company staff will be glad to help you in any way they can.
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