Another form of local media that has exisited for years, is public access television. PAT is one of those good news/bad news things. The good news is that communities get pretty much free production facilities and almost unlimited air time. The bad news is that the "air" time isn't air time, it is cable time.
Public access TV or community access TV is a creature of the cable monopolies that exist in each town. The cable companies are required to provide the facilities and a cable channel for public access TV. Unfortunately the only people who can watch are those who are cable subscribers (at $40 a month or so) and the PAT station has to compete with 97 other channels on the cable system. But that does not stop dedicated community volunteers and activists from taking advantage of this and making their own local shows.
Two towns in Wisconsin have gone a step further and combined community access TV with LPFM radio. Now people can at at least listen for free!
WRFP is in Eau Claire and simulcasts the audio from one of their two Community TV stations. Their website has a perfect description of why combining LPFM and PAT is a wonderful thing:
WRFP 101.9 FM presents local government meetings, interviews, current events, music, and much more! You can now listen in on what’s happening in local government anywhere there’s a radio- in the garden, at the park, or driving to the grocery store. It’s one more way that CTV delivers important information on local issues to your life!
The main Eau Claire CTV website is found here. WRFP doesn't have a webstream, so you will have to be in Eau Claire, or on the Eau Claire cable system to listen in.
On the other side of the state Oshkosh looks to have a very vibrant community TV operation going. Check out their wonderful website. They also have added LPFM to their mix, and WOCT can be found at 101.9 on the FM dial in Oskosh. A programming schedule for WOCT can be found here (pdf warning!). Again, no webstream, but if you are in Oshkosh, check them out either on the air on the local cable system.
I'll leave you with a teaser photo from Oshkosh.
