People for Public Access Incorporated Records (DeKalb)

The Granville Price Public Access Center was founded in 1973 by a group of citizens from the DeKalb-Sycamore area in response to two major developments in the television industry.  The expansion of cable television in the 1960’s and early 1970’s opened up the possibilities of additional channels available to home viewers.  The second major development was a Federal Communications Commission ruling early in 1972 regarding cable companies.  The FCC ruling required large cable companies to ‘‘maintain at least one specifically designated, non-commercial public basis ... maintained and having for public use at least the minimal equipment and facilities necessary for the production of programming such a channel.” Largely through the efforts of Granville Price, Clifford Spaine, and Nancy Brod, the Warner Cable Company was approached and agreed to the original funding of the Center as a pilot study to test the idea of public access in a typical midwest community.   The group operated through a workshop format and during the first year membership grew to include 300 individuals and over 40 community organizations.  The group incorporated as People for Public Access in December, 1973.  The original cablecasting studio was located in the 500 block of East Lincoln Highway in DeKalb until 1980 when the current studio at 327 E. Locust Street was occupied.  Due to recurrent funding problems, equipment difficulties, and irregular programming, Community Cable Eight was dissolved at the board’s meeting on October 22, 1985

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