You can bring the culture, heritage, news and views of the local Pakistani-American community to the small screen with help of Public Access Television in your area.

Federal law in the US requires cable companies to provide programming, training and a facility for various communities to develop programs. For example, in Chicago, you will find the Chicago Access Network (CAN TV). This forum gives every individual in the city a voice on cable television, allowing them to discuss issues of local concern, promote health, educational and economic resources in the community, and celebrate local talent and initiatives. The Irish and Haitian communities are just two of the ethnic groups that have availed this opportunity.

Pakistani-Americans can benefit from using this resource not just by the fact that they can share Pakistani heritage, news and culture on television, but also because this provides an opportunity to develop the community's media and communication skills.

Start this project by searching in your local Pakistani-American community for aspiring journalism students, individuals who worked in the media in Pakistan and people who have experience with the technical aspects of television (i.e. videoediting, being a cameraperson, lighting, etc.).

Once you've found your people, contact them and explain what you want to do. Also,don't hesitate to involve those who are not media professionals or experienced in journalism, but are interested in helping with this project. They can be trained in this area because public access television offers training to individuals who want to use their facilities.

Invite everyone to a meeting. Share you idea, get feedback and find out what resources are available in this pool of people. Is there someone who has a good quality videocamera? Is there someone who has a contact in Public Access Television who can help the community get a day and time for the program to be broadcast on the station?

Also ask how regular the show should be (weekly, every two weeks or monthly)? What kinds of items should be featured in the program? How can it be used to share Pakistani heritage?

Divide up the work into committees. One committee deals with administrative matters relating to getting a spot for the show and staying in contact with the Public Access Television administrators. Another committee works on getting journalists, newsreaders and other interested individuals to help put the program contents together. A third committee focuses on getting people to help with the technical aspect of the show.

Once the Public Access Television administrators give you a spot on the station, your team needs to start working on developing the show, putting it together and applying the finishing touches to the final product.

The program should include these elements and more: a news section, featuring news from Pakistan, as well as of Pakistani-Americans across the US in Urdu and in English; at least one feature about an individual in the local community who is doing something of benefit for Pakistan or Pakistani-Americans; a local Pakistani-American perspective on some event is of concern to all people in your city (i.e. Municipal, state or federal elections, a health care bill, etc.). These are just some staples. Each show should of course have more material.

After you've taped four shows, you are ready to go on the air. This should allow you enough time to tape the next batch so that you maintain consistent and your audience can be assured that your show is not just a temporary project.

Advertise the launch of the show in a big way. Spread the word about it not just by mouth but in the local newspapers, radio stations and if possible, television shows. Also, design attractive flyers to give out to local Pakistanis who would be interested in watching.

Finally, the key to making this a great project that will benefit the community is consistency. Too often, projects start out with great fanfare, but die out because of a lack of regular commitment and work. If you can maintain consistency, you and your team can really make a positive difference for the Pakistani-American community.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:48:53 PM

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