PhillyCAM Public Access
PhillyCAM is a community media center committed to teaching, creating, and distributing locally-produced media content on cable television, FM radio, and online. The organization operates on Comcast 66/966HD/967, Verizon 29/30, and PhillyCAM.org.
What Is Public Access?
Public access is a system on cable television, which provides people with access to equipment and training to make and broadcast their own non-commercial programs, publicize their activities or get their message out without having to buy airtime. The public receives access to these facilities as compensation from the cable companies that are given the right to do business within a given municipality, including the use of public rights of way (sidewalks, telephone poles, etc). This compensation is in the form of franchise fees that are paid to the City and an agreement to provide facilities and equipment and channel capacity for public access. Public access cable is not the same as public broadcasting. Public or community access programming and content production are open to everyone in the community on a typically first come first served basis. Public access serves as an “electronic park” where people from all different types of communities have the opportunity to share their views and information on just about anything—arts and culture, sports, cooking, religion, education, local issues, national news, health concerns—the list is only limited by the people’s imagination.
The Voices Program:
Voices is a special show hosted by PhillyCAM that reports on the local impact of politics & culture through underrepresented perspectives in the community. For the month of April, two Swarthmore College students, Colin Donahue and Matthew Loomis, and one Haverford College student, Mateo Zules, took over the PhillyVoices show. Each student worked with producer Laura Deutch to create three 5 minute segments for the show in addition to an on-air live interview. The segments focus on a local Philly business (by Matteo), a new LGBTQIA+ performance arts cafe (by Colin), and Philly Sports Fans (by Matthew) and was broadcast on April 4, 2022.
The Show:
Mateo Zules, Colin Donahue, and Matthew Loomis hosted an episode of PhillyCam Voices. Watch above!