I stopped watching television over two years ago, and almost immediately I felt a sense of relief on having my time to myself again. I get a lot more reading and writing done now, I don't miss the Coronation Street serial killer who used to be a woodwork teacher in the original Grange Hill, in fact there are few real drawbacks, other than the fact that ISM-London is controlled by a secret Buffy cabal, that is...

Alternatively, why not fight for wider access to the broadcasting media so that there is soemthing worth watching?

Some Indymedia activists in the US are currently running a public access cable channel called Manhattan Neighbourhood Network (MNN):

 http://mnntv.com/cm/

As its name implies, the channel covers most of Manhattan. It is currently showing anti-war video clips from around the globe on a weekly basis.

Is there anything like this in the UK? If there is, I would love to find out more about it. Can anyone enlighten us?

I know that there is an Indymedia satellite project. Can someone explain in non-technicial terms what this is and what it can potentially do?

In the UK there is an organisation called the Community Media Association that has been campaigning for years for wider media access:

 http://www.commedia.org.uk/

I only found out about it this week. Anyone know anything about it?

With developments like digital TV, with its potential for an endless number of channels, and satellite broadcasting, there ought to be room for wider pubkic access. But it needs to be fought for.

We won't break the corporate monopoly of the media this side of the revolution, but we ought be fighting for a piece of it now.

not much in the way of public access TV in UK.
Not all urban areas have cable yet.

We have 5 main broadcast channels. Two are public funded BBC, the 3rd (ITV) is commercially funded and has some regional programming. Channel 4 carries advertising but also has some public funding.
Channel 5 is commercial and is still not available in all urban areas.

A few cities have local broadcast stations. Ours tries to compete with the main channels but on a far smaller budget and can't even manage to provide better local news coverage - it's patched into the ITN rolling news channel quite a lot of the time anyway.

digital cable and satellite is mostly carrying Sky/Fox output. The BBC is also opening new digital channels. Might be worth noting that the BBC has a charter obligation to 'educate, inform and entertain' [not a direct quote]. It has no apparent mandate to 'involve'.

An good area of DIY broadcasting is pirate radio stations - look up Radio 4a in Brighton.

Has anyone any info on pirate TV?

Do emerging technologies make it easier/harder?

Is/has anyone done it?

I've heard rumors but seen no hard evidence.

Answers on a postcard and send to this adress .... sorry the old blue peter brainwashing kicking in again valerie.