• Support Access Tucson
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Board of Directors
• Staff
• Public Documents
• Holidays

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is Access Tucson?

We are an independent, non-profit, membership-based organization which provides training and facilities for Tucsonans to communicate with the community utilizing electronic media.

Where are you located downtown?

We are located at 124 E.Broadway Blv., SE corner of Broadway and 6th Avenue.

When are you open?

We are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12:00 noon to 10:00 PM.

What do you do?

We program three public access channels 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. We air shows produced by local citizens, some live from our studios. We provide production classes, access to production equipment, cablecast of programming produced locally or outside of Tucson, project consultation, access to a CD library, and free internet access. We also provide class scholarships, as well as additional production options for community service organizations, including remote productions, satellite feeds other programming.

Are you a cable provider?

No. We operate the public access channels for the city and the county.

Do you have a parking lot?

Yes. Free parking is available in our parking lot adjacent to the west side of the building.

Where else can I park if your lot is full?

There is metered street parking available. It is free on weekends and after 5:00 PM.

Classes

What class should I take?

Do you have any editing classes?

Yes, Access Tucson offers both a Final Cut Pro class and a Final Cut Express class.

Can I sign up for other classes when I sign up for Orientation?

After I take your production classes, can I get a job in television?

Lobby Internet Access

Do you provide free public internet access?

Yes. You can use the Internet free of charge, the computers are located in the lobby.

Channels/Programming

Are you channel 12?

No. Our channels are 97, 98 and digital 120 on Cox and 72, 73 and 74 on Comcast.You can also view our programs on the internet via real time streaming.

Where does your funding come from?

Approximately 80% of our funding comes from cable subscribers as franchise revenue. It is allocated on a biannual basis by the Mayor and City Council. Member user fees for advanced training, production facilities rental, software sales, grants and contributions provide the remaining 20% income.

What kind of programs can I expect to see on Access Tucson channels?

You will see a variety of programs produced by Tucson area citizens. Public access television is the only forum where individuals can express their opinions and perspectives to the community through cable television. Access television provides the community an important venue for First Amendment rights,the right to free speech.

Why aren't you on Satellite or Direc-TV?

Public access channels exist because of the relationship between the cable TV company and the City in which that company operates. You might think of it as a landlord/tenant relationship. In this case the tenant, Cox and Comcast, wish to rent space from the landlord, the City of Tucson or Pima County, in order to string coaxial cable and fiber optic lines on and across public streets, alleys and rights of ways. They enter into an agreement called a franchise or license. The city agrees to the for-profit use of city owned property (paid for and maintained by you, the taxpayer) and in exchange the cable company pays the city fees and also provides additional in-kind services such as the PEG (public, educational and governmental) access channels. Satellite companies such as Direct TV and DISH Network do not use public streets and therefore do not need to sign an agreement with any cities whose customers they serve using only the air. They are regulated by the federal government which does not require them to provide PEG channels but which does require them to set aside some channels for educational and public service use. These are national channels, not local channels like the ones managed by Access Tucson.

How many viewers do you have?

Access Tucson does not have the resources necessary to accurately measure the audience of the public access channels. And even if we did, we would argue that the value of public access is in narrowcasting, not broadcasting. Our services are especially important in providing a voice for those who may have traditionally been excluded from mass media or who may have opinions that are not in the mainstream. We do know that nearly 200,000 homes in Tucson and Pima County can receive the public access channels on Cox and Comcast.