1. CHICAGO COMMUNITY MEDIA SUMMIT Richard Somerset-Ward June 15, 2007

2. What is Community Media? “Fundamentally, community media comes out of the community rather than commercial interests, and is focused on the transmission of ideas and services, not the selling of products or entertainment” (Stolen from an email from Thom Clark to Jennifer Jobrack March 28, 2007 1:43 PM)

3. Defining Characteristics What’s Going On in Community Media Benton Foundation June 2007 Localism Diverse Participation Storytelling & Deliberation Empowerment

4. Types of Media Community Radio (225 stations in USA – National Federation of Community Broadcasters [NFCB]) Low-Power FM (Recharged by LPFM movement post-1996 – micro- power station 3 ½ mile radius – Prometheus Radio Project) Public Broadcasting (‘Nuff said) Cable Access (PEG Channels – Alliance for Community Media (ACM) – Manhattan Neighborhood Network)

5. Specializations Media Arts Organizations Ethnic Media Civic Journalism Community Networking Community TV via Satellite

6. Benton Scan’s Four Communities Boston Portland, OR Minneapolis/St. Paul Chicago

7. Examples of Wired Communities Glasgow, KY (pop, 14,000) – hybrid fiber coax network built by the Electric Plant Board, 1989 LaGrange, GA (pop. 27,000) – bought Charter cable company, 1998 – LaGrange Internet TV – 92 intranets – economic development (Kia Automotive) Fort Wayne, IN (pop. 500,000) – “the most wired city in America “ (Verizon) – development of “killer apps”

8. Connected Communities Blacksburg, VA (pop. 36,000) – Virginia Tech, 1993 – a network entirely based on the Internet – an engine for economic development (128 new companies) Taos, NM (pop. 30,000) – La Plaza Telecommunity, 1994 – offered the whole community high-speed access to Internet via T-1 lines and wireless – a distinctive local culture showcased and promoted by a local network – developed specialist content in health and medicine.

9. Grand Rapids Community Media Center (1980) “Building community through media” Radio (WYCE) & TV (GRTV) stations GrandNet – community email & web GR Institute for Information Democracy The Wealthy Theater

10. Grand Rapids Community Media Center (1980) Tell, share and preserve our own stories Better understand our differences Discuss our challenges and develop solutions Encourage and exercise the free exchange of ideas Practice inclusion and empowerment Promote and enable social change Build collaborations and partnerships in pursuit of a better community

11. Community Media: The Story So Far “Underfunded, Underappreciated, Underutilized Underdog” (A very U description)

12. What Might Community Media Be? (It’s the mindset) Do we have to be second class citizens? Or are we afraid not to be?

13. THE COMMONS Participation Community Services Information

14. What is a Community? A community of interest? A geographic community? As big or as small as you like A state? A town? A city? Chicago

15. A BROADBAND COMMUNITY NETWORK An agglomeration of broadband Cyber Fiber Satellite Spectrum (broadcast, wi-fi, wi-max)

16. A BROADBAND COMMUNITY NETWORK What can it do for a community? Economic & Rural Development Education Democracy Delivery of Services Cultural Identity Sense of Community

17. Where Do We Look For Models? Nebraska – the old tradition Minneapolis-St. Paul – old tradition, new approaches North-East Ohio - OneCommunity

18. So How Do We Get It Done? The Spine (try mapping the fiber) (take a look at ICN) Wireless Overlay (the last mile) The Apps The Art of Partnering

19. What It Takes Partnership skills System of governance Low budget Must-have reasons Information & Content Services Participation

20. THE COMMONS Participation Community Services Information