Atlanta's public-access TV station preps for a new season
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After a year of going dark, city officials say Atlanta's public access TV programming is scheduled to return to the airwaves.
Why it matters: Public-access TV's bare-bones format and everyone's-welcome philosophy has given everyday Atlantans a platform to speak out and express themselves.
The intrigue: It's also an outdated medium that's a good candidate for a reboot with a new generation armed with new technologies.
Catch up quick: In 1980, the city launched its public-access TV station. Later named People TV, the station churned programming that helped capture a piece of Atlanta's spirit for nearly 40 years.
- The diverse and eclectic programming included shows featuring drag legend RuPaul and hosted by communist activist Jack Jersawitz. Called "Brainstorms," the live call-in show was frequently disrupted by prank callers.
Yes, but: The channel has been marred by board disputes and scrutiny over whether its shows accomplished its mission of providing community, educational and informative programming.
Driving the news: Jabari Simama, the chair of a blue-ribbon commission created by Mayor Andre Dickens, says a new generation of People TV programs could return to the airwaves in January. Satellite studios could open the following week on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Zoom in: Equipment to train community members and create some programming is "here and ready to go," Simama, who served from 1980 to 1986 as the channel's first director of access, said.
- The commission is beta testing a website where people can upload content and request scheduled broadcasting time.
An available city-owned space in Home Park could serve as a central production hub, said Simama, who's also a former Atlanta city council member. The group would be able to use it at no cost for up to 12 months.
- The commission also considered 2 Peachtree, the Downtown office tower Dickens wants to turn into public housing, and facilities in West End and around Lakewood Heights.
- Neighborhood recreation centers could serve as smaller satellite studios, he said.
What they're saying: "We've made enormous progress," Simama said. "I can see the end of the tunnel now, and I think that what we come up with is going to be different from what we created in 1980 and a little bit different from People TV."
What we're watching: At a time when anyone with a smartphone can become a broadcaster, the channel will have to prove its relevance to draw eyeballs and City Hall support.
What's next: The commission plans to release a final report with budget projections and specific — "not pie-in-the-sky, things that can be done," Simama says — recommendations before the end of 2024.