Afternoon of Discussion: Community Cable Television in the 1970s

11 Mar 2023 2-6pm

Overview

Join former cable channel producers, station managers, volunteers, artists and activists to discuss the history and legacy of community cable TV in the UK.

Raven Row’s exhibition People Make Television (28 January – 26 March 2023) features programmes from Bristol Channel, Sheffield Cablevision, Swindon Viewpoint and Milton Keynes Channel 40.

Between 1972 and 1976 the government gave licences to six commercial cable companies in the UK to produce local content. These channels more or less subscribed to the ideals of community access television as it had been pioneered in North America. Cable casting out of high street studios with small crews of professionals supported by trained-up volunteers, these experiments in hyper local television lasted (with the exception of Swindon) for only a couple of years before their owners pulled the plug. Over that time their volunteer producers, alongside community activists and artists also took new versatile portapak cameras onto local streets, observing, interviewing and making projects in civic, commercial and domestic space.

Peter Lewis and Martin Parry, station managers at Bristol Channel and Swindon Viewpoint respectively, will be joined by other former cable channel producers and volunteers, as well as participating community media artists and activists, to consider the role community cable television played within the world of community media and arts.

Tickets are £5. 

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