Long Beach Community Foundation (LBCF) and Long Beach Community Action Partnership (LBCAP) are moving forward with the revival of public access for Long Beach. The Public Access Digital Network (PADNET) being managed by LBCAP will allow locally produced programs to air on local cable channels and through podcasts on the Internet and mobile devices. An advisory board of community members and partners is being formalized, and a public meeting for interested producers will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 4pm at LBCAP’s offices, 3012 Long Beach Blvd. This producers forum will provide information on how programs can be submitted for broadcast.
PADNET is being funded by a public/private partnership. LBCF was awarded a two-year $325,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through its Community Information Challenge initiative. This initiative helps community and place-based foundations support news and information projects that inform and engage residents.
The public funding comes from the City of Long Beach’s cable franchise fees, known as PEG (Public, Education, Government) funds, which are restricted solely for capital expenses like equipment and facilities. In May 2011 the City Council approved use of these funds for the match requirement of the Knight Foundation’s grant. The matching amount will be channeled through LBCF to support PADNET. In addition, the City of Long Beach is providing additional PEG funds to LBCAP to support PADNET’s launch.
“After a three-year absence of public access broadcasting, we are pleased to establish this partnership, not only with LBCAP as the PADNET manager, but with the many community partners who have also been involved in the development of this program,” says Jim Worsham, LBCF President/CEO. “Allowing local producers to share their stories will heighten the awareness of the Long Beach community.”
The PADNET model includes establishing neighborhood media centers throughout the city where basic equipment and training resources will be available in convenient locations to those interested in producing programs. Programs can be uploaded from the neighborhood centers to the LBCAP hub for broadcasting on local cable channels along with Internet podcasting and distribution through smartphones and other mobile devices.
“In this technological age, we are no longer limited to local cable television channels, but can make this programming available through multiple distribution channels,” explains Darick Simpson, LBCAP Executive Director. “News and information from Long Beach now has the potential to reach far beyond the local community through the Internet, and we intend to increasingly broaden its reach.”
More information is available at lbcap.org or by contacting Darick Simpson at (562) 216-4600 or dsimpson@lbcap.org.
