Public access cable television : the Knoxville experience

Public access cable television is a unique means of community discourse/ by means of which individuals or citizen groups produce their own programs to be presented on the local public access channel. Since the early 1970s it has been a significant force in many communities nationwide.

St. John's Community Video Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been one of the most successful public access cable channels in the United States. It was created by St. John's Episcopal Church in 1975, and the church has continued to offer the center both facilities and financial support. The center has involved approximately 150 active volunteers and a large number of local organizations in its operations, which has made it special among other public access channels. Also, the center has produced enough programming to stay on the air for fifty hours per week on a regular basis.

In 1984, St. John's Community Video Center was going through a transitional period which will affect the channels financing/ facilities and administration and enable it to serve the community even better.