Public-access programming is being resurrected in Denver, following months of stagnation and financial bailouts.
The Deproduction Group was chosen by the Denver City Council to operate the city’s public-access channels – 57, 58 and 59 – last month after the council reviewed several proposals.
“We were really excited, but we knew there were some major challenges ahead,” said Tony Shawcross, executive director and co-founder of Deproduction. “There’s a lot of stuff still being discussed. Not all our plans are set in stone.”
The city’s former public-access operator, Denver Community Television, lost its contract with the city in September after failing to raise funds in addition to a $265,000 infusion from the city’s general fund, and running up a $35,000 deficit. DCTV was operating on a $500,000 annual budget funded by a contract with Comcast, which expired in 2004.
Kathleen MacKenzie, head of the City Council’s Technology Services Committee, said she is excited that Deproduction will be running public-access TV.
“They have a number of great ideas to involve as many people as possible,” she said.
Founded in 2003, Deproduction has produced documentaries, shows for DCTV, public-service announcements and shows for national, independent TV channels, such as Free Speech TV. Some of its shows include “Indymedia Newsreal,” a monthly series of locally produced news, and “Cafe Nuba,” a monthly Denver-based performance-art event.
Shawcross describes the company as a “collective,” with seven full- and part-time employees and a board of directors to help with fundraising.
He said Deproduction will not use taxpayer money to run the stations, with the exception of some of the “PEG fees” (public access, education and government) tacked on to Comcast customers’ bills.
“We’re going to rely on grants and set up a new underwriting practice that would allow for foundation underwriting of shows and blocks of shows,” Shawcross said.
Getting people to watch shows on public access remains a challenge for Deproduction and most public-access operators nationwide as they compete against hundreds of other channels with larger budgets.
Shawcross said Deproduction will try to overcome that hurdle by allowing viewers to go online and vote for their favorite shows and offer feedback.
“We plan to have some form of a community-determined programming schedule,” he said. “The vision of public access is that the public should be involved in this dialogue, that the media shouldn’t be dictated by advertisers.”
Deproduction is looking for new office and studio space; it currently operates out of the PS1 Charter School on Delaware Street. Finding new space and building studios may take several months, with new studio-produced shows available for broadcast in early fall, Shawcross said.
Local residents can still sign up for production and editing training classes, and submit programs for broadcast on public access.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-820-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
