In the current television marketplace, it’s all about choice. There is the choice of whether to watch the latest episode of “The Office” on the old-fashioned TV, on the Internet or even on your iPod. There is the choice among basic cable, digital cable, satellite and beyond. And then there is the hardest choice: what channel to watch.
It would seem that among the multiple MTV channels and the many ESPNs available to couch potatoes, there would be enough room for public access programming.
However, it seems the days of citizen-produced entertainment on cable is very soon to be a thing of the past, at least in Los Angeles.
Last week, new state legislation was put into effect granting cable companies, like Time Warner Cable, the right to drop their public access studios and programs, such as “East L.A. After Dark” and “Soul & Sound of Watts.”
In the past, cable companies were obligated to provide training, equipment and airtime to the Average Joe through these channels.
Since last Thursday, Time Warner Cable has already shut down 12 of its public access studios, and many feel this will be a huge loss to the greater Los Angeles community in the long run. These people argue that these programs and channels are an important outlet for the public.
However important they are, in the current culture of YouTube videos and the infinite possibilities of the Internet, these programs have lost at least some of their relevance as a way for the everyman to have his or her voice heard.
Unfortunately, YouTube obviously lacks the professionalism of public access studios.
Aside from the symbolic negative of losing this platform, there are benefits to this turn of events as well. In exchange for being able to drop their studios, cable companies must pay significant fees to the government, money that is desperately needed for California.
Also, the legislation was pushed so as to allow major phone companies, such as Verizon Communications and AT&T Inc., to finally begin making forays into the television business.
These phone operators have been campaigning to make names for themselves in television for years across the country, and their inclusion would only increase competition and choices for cable customers.
So on one hand, Los Angeles cable customers will be losing an important resource, but on the other, there will be the emergence of new blood to compete with the television conglomerates, who will have to finally answer to customers and become competitive once again.
There is no way to predict what exactly will happen once cable companies and phone companies meet head-to-head, especially when cable companies like Time Warner are also trying to push their way into telephone operations.
However, the results will need to sparkle to make viewers forget the loss of public access programs that, for better or for worse, have become an important and well-known part of the community.
No matter if YouTube, or the next “hit” Web site to take its place, manages to grow even more in visibility and popularity, the many services and the symbol of public access programming is something that will not easily be replaced no matter how many channels there are.