Tim Jones’ article “The mystery channels” (Business, Aug. 4) puts cable in a box that it busted out of long ago.
Seen as a leisure activity, cable is described as offering more but not necessarily better. What’s missing from this picture is one of the key things that makes cable different. In Chicago, local public access television features thousands of messages, stories and ideas from local residents and groups that use Chicago Access Network Television (CAN-TV) to reach Chicago viewers.
Boring? No more than some of Chicago’s best people-watching spots. Useless? Not for those who have gotten jobs and job training thanks to information on the channels. Bad for you? Ask the kids who are fans of math and science programs by Loyola University faculty. More of the same? Hardly. CAN TV is the only station that devotes regular time to HIV/AIDS agencies from around the city for prevention education, counseling and referrals. By acting as a communications tool, not a consumer item, CAN-TV helps prove that sometimes TV isn’t the problem, it’s the solution.
