HEAT

While Seattle's cable access station (TCI, Channel 29) recently has taken some heat for one program with some questionable content, the overwhelming volume of its high quality arts programming has gone unnoticed. Writing as an organizer of the Seattle Independent Film and Video Consortium (SIFVC), I find this lamentable, since the curators of these programs have taken creative steps to network their content with the community and leading media arts organizations in the city. Moreover, the Director of Cable Access in Seattle, Scott Scowcroft, clearly recognizes the value and importance of working with the local arts community.

In the last year Seattle "micro-cinemas" have popped up by the dozens. Pubs and cafes, such as Belltown's Speakeasy Cafe, have also entered the brew by offering live net cast events and screenings. With the growth of the film and video scene has also come a recognition of the importance of working together. Thus, new multi-resource organizations such as the SIFVC have burgeoned and the term "multi-frame" media has slowly begun to replace the terms film, video, and net casting.

It is in this context of growth and community that we find an explosion in cable arts programming in Seattle. Local producers are realizing that cable access is a virtually untapped promotional resource and a veritable gold mine for talent, programming, and networking. Moreover, several program curators have begun to share their resources and content to make Seattle cable access a serious competitor in the television market. At the forefront of this movement are four programs, each with a different focus and scope: CITIZEN VAGROM, DZIGAFILMSYNDICATE, RIGHT ON SEATTLE, and OFFLINE.

CITIZEN VAGROM specializes in issues of media advocacy. Its provocative and always fascinating content (the sort of interviews and documentaries that are nixed at CNN) provides alternatives and has received national attention at the recent Media Democracy conference in New York. In addition to its cable program, CITIZEN VAGROM provides periodic workshops and has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the Seattle non-media community as well by making their videos available for free rental at four Seattle video stores.

DZIGAFILMSYNDICATE, is recognizably the most avant-program on TCI, offering syndicalist interviews and situationist programming from a wide variety of national artists including the guerrilla theater troupe Malachi, the San Francisco turbo-ambient band Alien Farm, and a series of home-spun explorations of color and sound. Many videos that have premiered on DZIGAFILMSYNDICATE have since made the circuit of Seattle screenings as well, making it a resource for local curators.

RIGHT ON SEATTLE, the brain storm of local producer Mike Fisher, takes viewers on tours of hair salons, eateries, ferries, cafes, and other hotspots of local interest, and features a regular call-in lottery for door prizes such as CDs and movie passes. Its humorous edge as a wry social commentary have made RIGHT ON SEATTLE one of the most popular call-in programs on TCI.

OFFLINE, a nationally distributed arts program reaching over eight million viewers, showcases films and videos from around the country in addition to in-depth interviews with artists of all disciplines. Many of the interviews such as Philip Glass, Kitchen co-founder Steina Vasulka, Filmmaker Craig Baldwin, and Flava Flav of Public Enemy put corporately syndicated programming to shame. Moreover, Free Speech TV in Boulder has syndicated OFFLINE for additional distribution and net casting, making the Seattle-based show one of the most widely distributed local access programs in the country.

As if it were not enough to increase the quality profile of local access, these cable programs have taken new steps to network their programming with local screenings, micro-cinemas, and net casters. They have broadened their reach and have successfully bridged the gaps between all aspects of multi-frame media. Each with its highly professional standards have made cable access in Seattle a paradigm example of how interesting cable access can be.

Religious and political talk shows have also taken note of these programs, and have slowly begun to incorporate a sense of aesthetic into their programming, even if just a crooked camera angle or simple processed shot. As the local multi-frame media scene continues to grow and network, cable access under the leadership of Scott Scowcroft, undoubtedly will become a major player, and will help to forge a stronger community while it provides high quality competitive programming.

Scott Noegel is a co-founder of Seattle Independent Film and Video Consortium

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