Nolan,
RE: Public Access TV. I for one am not going to cry if Public Access TV goes away. Rhonda Storms neutered Public Access TV in Tampa years ago. I do not want my tax dollars going to pay for the religious programming that dominates Public Access now.
Public Access was a great idea in its day. It is now outdated technology. We have blogs, Myspace, YouTube and other new technology solutions that make Public Access a dinosaur.
Vinnie Blesi
Tampa, FL
Vinnie, thanks so much for wriitng on this volatile topic. It's been years since I've had cable TV, so I haven't been able to personally monitor what's being programmed on public access. I've heard from several folks like yourself that an overwhelming majority of it is religious. Why is this? After Ronda Storms left for Tallahassee, I figured decent (and even indecent) secular programming would make a comeback.
While I absolutely agree with you that personal websites, YouTube, et.al., provide a more convenient mode of free expression (and I even discussed internet video in such terms with PA colleagues back in the day), I cannot support the shutdown of public access because, well, I just like to know it's there if I need it. Misplaced nostalgia? Perhaps. But my tax dollars as well as yours go to pay for it and I would like to know how the powers-that-be can justify the increased millions going into sports-related BS, while public access's paltry 350K is seen as expendable. ----Nolan
To send an email to Letters to the Editor write to: Crazedfanboy1@aol.com. Any emails sent to this address will be assumed intended for publication unless you specifically instruct me not to. I can and do respond privately, if that is your preference. Frequently, it's both ways.---Nolan
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