Frequently Asked Questions
What IS PEG Access?
Public Access Television is known as PEG access because it can be divided into three basic categories:
- Public Access
- Educational Access
- Government Access
Public access consists of video programming and other electronic information produced, directed, and engineered by community volunteers. In the case of public access, the programming is developed or acquired by nonprofit community groups, neighborhood organizations, social service agencies, and individual citizens. It focuses on many aspects of community life, ranging from the services and activities of community organizations to the opinions and beliefs of individuals in the community. Educational access is developed or acquired by school or college employees, students, and school volunteers. It typically focuses on distance learning, school activities, and information that the school/college wants to get out to the community or share among schools. Government access is created or acquired by local government employees, elected officials, and volunteers. It typically focuses on information about services provided by local, State, and regional governments, issues faced by local governments and public meeting coverage (where available). Government access is also used for other purposes, such as providing training to City employees or exchanging information between City agencies and other institutions.
The content of the material carried on PEG access is determined by the individuals, groups, or organizations that produce it. More about PEG Access:
- Access program content is controlled by the group, organization, institution, or individual that produces or provides a program
- PEG access is typically noncommercial in that there are no commercial advertising spots and there are typically no so-called "info-mercials" run on PEG access
- Access channels sometimes do carry PBS-style credit for underwriters
- Programming on educational channels may include credit classes for a fee that must be paid in order to obtain academic credit
Is PCAtv the same as public television?
PCAtv is available to anyone from our community, is mostly local programming and we will accept almost all programming so long as it is noncommercial, legal content and does not solicit. Public television on the other hand is very selective about the programs that are broadcast most of which comes from the PBS network. In addition, programming for PBS is supported and often produced by larger corporate bodies, whereas the majority of PCAtv's programming comes directly from YOU, the community producers.
My daughter was in a dance recital two weeks ago.
Why don't I see it on PCAtv?
PCAtv provides channel space and air time to anyone who lives in Monroe County Pennsylvania. If you know of an event that would be of interest to the public, we encourage you to videotape it and put it on a DVD. Bring the DVD to us, and we'll air it. If you do not have the skill sets to produce your own program, not to worry. A PCAtv staff member will train you so you can become a fully certified Community Producer. PCAtv is not a production company. We cannot go everywhere and tape everything going on in the Poconos. It's simply not possible. This is where YOU come in. This is why YOU are so important. Without YOU, there would be no US.
How can they show THAT on PCAtv?
PCAtv is a public access TV station, meaning it is programmed by the residents of Monroe County, PA who choose to place programming on one of our three channels. Most of the programming you see on PCAtvis actually produced by citizens of Monroe County , PA - either private individuals, community-based organizations, or the local government. This public access station is an electronic forum for free expression by the residents of Monroe County, PA. Suppose someone was to say, "There ought to be a law about what I saw on PCAtv last night!" Well, there IS a law: **__the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution__**, and its guarantee that "Congress shall pass no law abridging the freedom of speech..." Basically, any resident of Monroe County is free to say or do anything he or she wants on their own PCAtv program, provided that they can assure us that their program doesn’t contain any illegal content. This illegal content is defined, in part, by the FCC. We have agreed to maintain a public forum for the free expression of ideas -- even ideas you or I might despise! - as long as we prohibit all of the following types of content in programs:
- Commercials or advertising
- Libel or slander
- Obscenity and pornography
- Any violation of copyrights, publicity rights, or invasion of privacy
- Any violation of FCC regulations
- Any violation of any local, state, or federal law.
If you see something on this channel which does not fall into one of the above categories, but which upsets you anyway, you have the right to join us at PCAtv, and learn how to produce your own program or message on the channel, to counteract the programming that upset you. As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said: "...avert the evil by the process of education... the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence." If you'd like to know how the FCC defines obscenity, and the very different type of content called "indecency," you may read their Consumer Fact Sheet at: