Overview of Public Access of Indianapolis, Inc.

Public Access of Indianapolis, Inc. (PAI), an Indiana nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, was organized in 1997 to address the need for non-discriminatory, community access to communications media and technologies in Indianapolis. PAI has based its organization and goals on successful and established community media access organizations across the country, as well as studies on community media access centers commissioned by the City of Indianapolis and the State of Hawaii.

PAI is a member of the Indiana Alliance for Community Media, Collaboration 2000, CIRCL, and The Educational Television Cooperative. PAI members have also attended both national and regional Alliance for Community Media conferences and workshops.

Goals

Establishing and maintaining a community media access center in Indianapolis, that would house the equipment needed for the community to produce and cablecast non-commercial media, such as public access television programs, and provide necessary training in video production.

• Providing free or low cost training to the community in video production and the use of other types of communications technology.
• Managing any local public access TV channel(s), and facilitating cablecast and broadcast on other channels.
• Promoting and educating the public on the value and uses of community based media.
• Promoting media literacy and educating the public on the structure of media in the United States.
• Providing public service announcements (PSA's) and low-cost video production for Indianapolis-based nonprofit organizations.
• Covering community meetings and cultural events for use on community-access television.
• Promoting Public, Educational and Government (PEG) access television on cable.
• Promoting additional types of community media and communications technologies such as radio, Internet, etc.

Community Video Projects in Indianapolis

To raise awareness of the value of community-based media, Public Access of Indianapolis has produced a number of videos for various community organizations and events, including:

• Quality for Indiana Taxpayers PSA
• "Your Right to Know" Conference, Freedom of Information, Indiana
• Citizen's Summit on Democracy
• "Invest in Youth" fundraising video for the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
• Celebrating Peace and Respect Rally
• CoCoDa Public Meeting
• Senior State House Rally, United Senior Action

In 1998 alone, Public Access of Indianapolis contributed over $20,000 worth of volunteer time in taping, producing and editing non-commercial, community-based video. In few cases were the events that PAI videotaped, covered by the press. In no cases were the entire events covered by the press. PAI's volunteer work was primarily done for small, nonprofit organizations who have a need to promote their programs and ideas, but don't have the resources to hire professional production houses or purchase their own equipment and air-time.

Public Access of Indianapolis' other major projects include:

• Africa: Through the Lens is PAI's most visible project to date. This project, a 45-minute video that examines how Africa is depicted in the US media, was primarily funded by a grant from the Indianapolis Arts Council and Africa Celebration '98, and has been shown on access television throughout the State of Indiana. This video was also shown to a senior journalism seminar at Butler University, for both its subject matter and its demonstrative value as community based media, and received very positive written evaluations from the students.
• YTV Camp: In partnership with the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, PAI has initiated a youth video camp that will begin in 1999.

The response Public Access of Indianapolis has received from its community video work, the continuing requests for our services, and the high interest level, demonstrate the need for a community media access center, and a corresponding public access TV channel on which to cablecast resultant videos. A list of organizations who have formally stated their support of reestablishing public access TV in Indianapolis appears in Appendix A.

Board of Directors

• Andrea Price, President and Chairperson of Board
  (1998-2000)
  Vice Chair of Alliance for Community Media, State Board of Indiana
  Senior Sales Specialist, IBM
  Former public access TV producer
• Nick Hess, Secretary and Treasurer
  (1998-2000)
  Alliance for Community Media, State Board of Indiana
  Programming Production and Promotions Coordinator, WCTY
  Former public access TV producer
• Greg Brown
  (1998-1999)
  Owner, Utrillo's Art Gallery
  Former public access TV producer
• Mike Dowd
  (1998-2000)
  Chair, State Board of Indiana, Alliance for Community Media
  Assistant Program Director, WYIN-TV, Merriville PBS
  Former local origination and public access TV manager
• Kevin Earles
  (1998-1999)
  Property Manager, Baxter YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
  Former public access TV producer

See Appendix B for PAI's 1998 financial Statements.