Access Tucson - Where Tucson's on TV

arts..your neighbors..high school sports..community cultural events..town halls..political debate..musical variety..religion for every faith..youth issues..democracy

Access Tucson programs three public access channels 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the Cox Communications and Comcast cable systems. Over a hundred shows produced by local citizens are aired every week. Approximately 22 hours every week is live programming from our studios. And the program content is as diverse as our community. In addition to our regularly scheduled series', Access Tucson also provides the community with special programs in the form of remote productions, satellite feeds, funded programs and programs dedicated to non-profit organizations. Viewers can count on us to be a mirror of their community.

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, especially the right to free speech. Public access television makes the use of electronic media possible for many groups that are under represented, or not heard or seen at all in conventional broadcast television.

Keep in mind that corporate media is the number one force shaping our culture. Astonishingly, only five or six corporations control nearly all commercial media and as media ownership continues to consolidate, the value and importance of public access rises. Corporate media outlets in the U.S. are legally responsible to their shareholders to maximize profits. And it is not only corporate media that is problematic but also, U.S. “public” media outlets like the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). PBS accepts funding from major corporations, as well as from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Every Corporation for Public Broadcasting board member is appointed by the White House and confirmed by the Senate. So who is deciding what you see on television?

At Access Tucson, all views are welcome, whether they are political, cultural or religious. Public access is non-commercial, non-government, diverse, and accessible. More and more people are turning to public access to discover their own communities and alternative news and information not influenced by corporate or government interests. Information is the lifeblood of democracy. When viewpoints are cut off and ideas cannot reach their audience, our democracy suffers. Public access –Access Tucson—is where viewpoints are not cut off, ideas can be explored and our democracy flourishes.

For more information about media and democracy, please visit the Alliance for Community Media or Free Press.