Create a public access TV studio for Northwest Indiana

Northwest Indiana has one T\V station, Lakeshore Public Television, a public broadcasting station. The other TV stations are Chicago-based. Northwest Indiana is dwarfed by the Chicago TV, radio and newspaper market.

HEA 1279 allowed Comcast to shut down all its public access TV studios in Northwest Indiana.

Public access TV was and is a powerful form of TV media that provided quality community programming produced and directed by community members. The problem was that Comcast was the only company that provided for and paid for public access TV expenses. This was wrong; it allowed all the other cable, dish and satellite companies to escape their community responsibility of providing and paying for public access TV.

Not too long ago, I put together a written proposal titled "Public Access Television: A Regional Approach" (from many one). In short, this proposal focuses on having one state-of-the-art public access TV studio for Lake and Porter counties. Any programs that would be produced, directed and aired from this studio would be seen by every household in Lake and Porter counties, regardless of who was their cable, dish or satellite provider.

So, who would pay for this studio and all expenses? Every dish, satellite and cable company that does business in Lake and Porter counties, including any new future companies, would be responsible to pay their equal share of the total bills each month.

To all our Indiana legislators, please undo HEA 1279, make my proposal a reality to complement our only PBS TV station, and take public access TV programming to the next level.

- Juan M. Andrade, East Chicago