Because public access TV was relatively unregulated, shows could talk about sexual health and air racier segments that would have otherwise been censored on broadcast networks.
Federal rules governing television stations were meant to keep them connected to the communities they serve. The Trump administration wants to weaken those rules, and those civic links.
The European Union is considering imposing a local content quota on video streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. With local storytelling under threat from global tech giants, could such an approach work here?
The Save Our Voices campaign argues that existing media rules are “squeezing the life out of our regional TV networks”. But the real story is more complex. Reform is necessary, but so too is local content.
At 6.30pm tonight, Scotland will lay down a milestone in one of the key debates in television: will local television become a successful and profitable part of the UK’s media scene or remain one politician’s…