Public access television is taking on a new face, and it in the process, it may just redefine the way we think about journalism.
As my buddy Brian X. McCrone at Metro Philly pointed out, public television is synonamous with Wayne's World in the mind of the average American. The words conjure images of hippies with guitars giving the weekly review of medical marijuana initiatives, Korean dramas and, if you are lucky, a whack-job teaching you how to bake a pie the southern way.
If WYBE has it their way, that's about to change.
MiND TV, set to launch late this year, is the brain-child of WYBE's new CEO, Howard Blumenthal. It's a completely new format compling five-minute spots of member-created programming into one hour sets. Basically, its YouTube-style television.
The challenge: keep it education, yet make it entertaining. It should be interesting to see what they come up with. To learn more about MiND, click here.
WYBE recieved a boost this week as the City of Philadelphia and Comcast came to an agreement over a the city-based cable network's obligations to provide funding for public access within the city. Metro reported today that this dispute has been ongoing for the past three decades.
The public access television agreement requires approval of two ordinances that are expected to be introduced in the City Council within the next two weeks. Specifically, the ordinances outline the franchise agreement between the city and Comcast and for a long-term lease on a new public access television headquarters, according to The Bulletin.
If approved, Kathleen Sullivan, regional director of government and community relations for Comcast, said they pledged an initial one-time capital grant of $1.8 million and a second grant of $900,000 due in two years. The funding will go to five stations within Philadelphia, and include the construction of a new studio, set to open at the old site of South Philly's Free Library, and to purchase equipment for the newly established nonprofit organization, Philadelphia Access Corporation, which would oversee the programming.
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