In the Spring/Summer 2006 Issue of CMR, George Stoney writes:

“Last year, when FCC Commissioner Michael Powell and his staff visited Manhattan Neighborhood Network, some suggested that with so many user-friendly tools now in the hands of the public, our practice of giving them access to free studios and equipment was no longer necessary. Maybe, with internet allowing people to have their own blogs, chat rooms and such, the whole idea of public access to cable had seen its day. If all we are doing is serving individual producers they might have a point.

Today, thriving public access centers are also community centers, places where one can have eye contact with people who may share the same community and concerns but have very different ideas about how things can be changed. Creating an atmosphere where this can happen is still a challenge, and a daunting one.”

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