WYOU Community Television, Inc (WYOU) is a nonprofit Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable television station for the Madison, Wisconsin area. WYOU operates on 100% volunteer support that is independent of governmental, commercial, academic, and religious entities.
Public, educational, and government access television refers to three different cable television narrowcasting and specialty channels. Public-access television was created in the United States between 1969 and 1971 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and has since been mandated under the Cable Communications Act of 1984, which is codified under 47 USC § 531. PEG channels consist of:
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fiber-optic cables. This contrasts with broadcast television, in which the television signal is transmitted over the air by radio waves and received by a television antenna attached to the television; or satellite television, in which the television signal is transmitted by a communications satellite orbiting the Earth and received by a satellite dish on the roof. FM radio programming, high-speed Internet, telephone services, and similar non-television services may also be provided through these cables. Analog television was standard in the 20th century, but since the 2000s, cable systems have been upgraded to digital cable operation.
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Dane County. As of July 1, 2017, Madison's estimated population of 255,214 made it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 82nd-largest in the United States. The city forms the core of the Madison Metropolitan Area which includes Dane County and neighboring Iowa, Green, and Columbia counties for a population of 654,230.
As of January 1, 2011 Wisconsin eliminated PEG access funding. [1] WYOU now relies entirely on membership and videography & editing class fees, video services, and donations for funding. [2]
Videography refers to the process of capturing moving images on electronic media and even streaming media. The term includes methods of video production and post-production. It could be considered the video equivalent of cinematography. The advent of digital video recording in the late 20th century blurred the distinction between videography and cinematography, as in both methods the intermittent mechanism became the same. Nowadays, any video work outside commercial motion picture production could be called videography.
The broadcast schedule consists almost exclusively of locally produced programming, including the interview and performance show "Mindshock," broadcasts of events from the Madison Civics Club, and recorded performances by such acts as the Capital City Band, Jesse Walker, and the Gomers and their "Gomeroke" karaoke concerts. WYOU also airs satellite-fed programs such as Democracy Now! and other programs from Free Speech TV.
Democracy Now! is an hour-long American TV, radio and internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman, who also acts as the show's executive producer, and Juan González. The show, which airs live each weekday at 08:00 ET, is broadcast on the internet and by over 1,400 radio and television stations worldwide.
Free Speech TV (FSTV) is an American news and opinion network. It was launched in 1995 and is owned and operated by Public Communicators Incorporated, a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1974. Distributed principally by Dish Network, DirecTV, and the network's live stream at freespeech.org and on Roku, Free Speech TV has run commercial free since 1995 with support from viewers and foundations. The network claims to "amplify underrepresented voices and those working on the front lines of social, economic and environmental justice," bringing viewers an array of daily news programs, independent documentaries and special events coverage, predominantly from a progressive and pro-socialism perspective.
WYOU currently airs on analog Channel 95 and Digital 991 on Charter Cable's systems in Dane County. Alternatively, a free streaming broadcast can be viewed on their website. [3]
Charter Communications, Inc. is an American telecommunications and mass media company that offers its services to consumers and businesses under the branding of Spectrum. Providing services to over 26 million customers in 41 states, it is the second-largest cable operator in the United States by subscribers, just behind Comcast, and third largest pay TV operator behind Comcast and AT&T. It is the fifth largest telephone provider based upon residential subscriber line count.
A television licence or broadcast receiving licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts, or the possession of a television set where some broadcasts are funded in full or in part by the licence fee paid. The fee is sometimes also required to own a radio or receive radio broadcasts. A TV licence is therefore effectively a hypothecated tax for the purpose of funding public broadcasting, thus allowing public broadcasters to transmit television programmes without, or with only supplemental, funding from radio and television advertisements. However, in some cases the balance between public funding and advertisements is the opposite – the Polish TVP broadcaster receives more funds from advertisements than from its TV tax.
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. In much of the world, funding comes from the government, especially via annual fees charged on receivers. In the United States, public broadcasters may receive some funding from both federal and state sources, but generally most financial support comes from underwriting by foundations and businesses ranging from small shops to corporations, along with audience contributions via pledge drives. The great majority are operated as private not-for-profit corporations.
Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) is the national public broadcaster of South Korea. It was founded in 1927, and operates radio, television, and online services, being one of the biggest South Korean television networks.
Television in New Zealand was introduced in 1960 as a state-run service. The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1989, when the Government allowed competition to the state-owned Television New Zealand (TVNZ). There are currently three forms of broadcast television: a terrestrial (DVB-T) service provided by Freeview; satellite services provided nationwide by both Freeview and Sky; and an internet television service delivered over cable and fibre broadband.
Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable TV specialty channels. Public-access television was created in the United States between 1969 and 1971 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under Chairman Dean Burch, based on pioneering work and advocacy of George Stoney, Red Burns, and Sidney Dean.
The Cable Public Affairs Channel, better known by its acronym CPAC, is a Canadian Category A cable and satellite specialty television channel owned by a consortium that includes among other part-owners Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications, Vidéotron, Cogeco and Eastlink. The channel is devoted to coverage of public and government affairs, including carrying a full, uninterrupted feed of proceedings of the House of Commons of Canada, with two audio channels, one in English and the other in French. CPAC is similar to services in other countries including C-SPAN, EuroparlTV, La Chaîne parlementaire (France), Phoenix (Germany), BBC Parliament and TV Câmara, TV Senado, TV Brasil, and TV NBR (Brazil), some of which occasionally supply programming to CPAC.
Citytv Saskatchewan is a Canadian English language cable television channel in the province of Saskatchewan. Headquartered in the provincial capital of Regina, the channel is owned by Rogers Media and operates as an owned-and-operated station of its Citytv television network. Its studios are shared with CBC's Regina studios on 2440 Broad Street in downtown Regina.
The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 was an act of Congress passed on October 30, 1984 to promote competition and deregulate the cable television industry. The act established a national policy for the regulation of cable television communications by federal, state, and local authorities. Conservative Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona wrote and supported the act, which amended the Communications Act of 1934 with the insertion of "Title VI—Cable Communications". After more than three years of debate, six provisions were enacted to represent the intricate compromise between cable operators and municipalities.
Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) is a state network of non-commercial educational television stations operated primarily by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin–Extension. It comprises all of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member stations in the state outside of Milwaukee.
WIFS, virtual channel 57, is an Ion Life-affiliated television station serving Madison, Wisconsin, United States that is licensed to Janesville. Owned by Byrne Acquisition Group, the station maintains studios at 2814 Syene Road on Madison's far south side; its transmitter is located on Madison's southwest side.
Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948, with subscription services following in 1949. Data by SNL Kagan shows that as of 2006 about 58.4% of all American homes subscribe to basic cable television services. Most cable viewers in the U.S. reside in the suburbs and tend to be middle class; cable television is less common in low income, urban, and rural areas.
Government-access television (GATV) is a type of specialty television channel created by government entities and broadcast over cable TV systems or, in some cases, over-the-air broadcast television stations. GATV programming generally deals with public affairs, board meetings, explanation of government services, and other public-service related programming such as public service announcements and longer public information films.
Citizens Television (CTV) is a Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable tv network based in Hamden, New Haven, and West Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1991, the network consists of three separate channels seen in New Haven, Hamden, and West Haven. According to its website, Citizens Television "exists only because of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We protect it, and it protects us. All of us!" The station's stated purpose is to encourage its viewers to exercise their legal right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression through CTV. The station is financially supported by viewer donations.
The Madison City Channel is a Government-access television (GATV) cable television station operated by the City of Madison, Wisconsin. The channel airs live and archived meetings and events involving the governments of the City of Madison and Dane County; reports and announcements from and profiles of government officials and representatives; and programs on current events, issues, and services that affect the city and area.
The Alliance for Community Media (ACM), is an educational, advocacy and lobbying organization in the United States which represents Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV organizations and Community media centers throughout the country. The ACM was founded in 1976 as the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers (NFLCP), with the stated mission to “protect and increase freedom of expression, diversity of ideas and community communication through electronic media”. The mission statement has evolved over the years to “Promoting civic engagement through community media”. The ACM works to protect the interests of community media centers and those who use PEG facilities and equipment to promote localism and diversity in programming through cable television and the Internet.
Community television is a form of mass media in which a television station is owned, operated or programmed by a community group to provide television programs of local interest known as local programming.
A multichannel television service, also known as simply a television provider, is a type of service provider who distributes television programming to its customers for a subscription fee. Subscription television providers distribute television channels that offer different types of programming, typically including local television stations within their market, specialty channels that are distributed solely through multichannel television providers, and pay television services that offer premium content such as feature films and other original programming.
NewTV is Newton, Massachusetts’ community media center, paid for by taxes on local cable bills.
The Kentucky Channel, also known by its Program and System Information Protocol short name and on-screen logo bug as KET KY, is a full-time 24/7 statewide digital television programming service originating from PBS member state-network Kentucky Educational Television. The channel features programming related to the U.S. state of Kentucky, as well as coverage of Kentucky General Assembly when it is in session.