2. Exploring PEG Resources
At the heart of community-based public service media is the requirement that cable operators accommodate public-, education-, and government- (PEG) access channels. Most communities have one or more of these stations (PEGchannels.com maintains a list of station websites), and many of them offer opportunities for citizen involvement. Sue Buske presented an overview of innovative PEG practices (450kb PowerPoint) at the aforementioned USC symposium, demonstrating how communities have successfully transformed their channel allotments into broadband community resources. Outstanding PEG channels include the Chicago Access Network, Iowa's Public Access TV 18, and the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, while the Grand Rapids Community Media Center and the Community Media Center of Santa Rosa represent full-service public-access operations, with equipment, facilities, training, and production assistance among their offerings, covering both broadcast and online technologies. The Buske Group has prepared a paper on Access Basics (PDF).