Pee aRBReeRe eee EE

PUBLIC ACCESS AND
THE AMSTERDAM UTOPIA

ON INEXPERIENCED MANAGEMENT AND
INCOMPETENT POLITICIANS

=
5
zs
Be
25
=
SS;
ee
32
33
22
2s
5a
s
ad

It is a fact that the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, have played a very important role in the development of pub-
lic access and local media; this is primarily because the Netherlands was the first country in Europe to be wired up with
cable in the early 70s and since those days local media and public access have played a very important role in the daily
life of many Dutch communities. The Amsterdam Situation Amsterdam local radio and television are an integral part of the
day to day live of its citizens and the developments that have taken place in the past twenty years have set an example for
the rest of the world. From self-taught, individual and collective "neighbourhood" type of initiatives in the early 70s. the
Amsterdam local media developed through the years into a basic, but yet complex, flexible and sophisticated set up that
ended up in what is known as Salto (Amsterdam Foundation for Local Television) founded in 1985 and responsible for the
programming of: -A public access: station: “Open Kanaal” (Open Channel, the oldest of all, operating since 1984) -A com-
mercial, local/regional television station: "ATS" (since 1992) -A special interest station “A1" (Amsterdam One, that was in-
augurated with the opening of the NSM in 1996) and the production and programming of 5 radio stations that cater for the
wide variety of inhabitants living in Amsterdam's metropolitan area.

LOCAL TELEVISION

As far as television is concerned, there are two particular interest groups that played a major role in the developments that
brought things to the present situation: the pirates / squatters / activists and the visual artists working with media: Staats
T.V/ Rabotnic 1985, Time Base Arts Television 1987, De Hoeksteen Live! and later Park T.V., Myster Media and many oth-
ers.

Rabotnik, and artist initiative, operated since 1982 as a pirate, Staats T.V. cablecasts since 1985 and artists work for
local television dates back to the mid seventies when De Appel Foundation organised events for live television from the
LOB, the first cable network in the outskirts of Amsterdam.

Artists and activists were latter joined by others segments of the community that are part of the colourful and multi-faceted
conformation of Amsterdam: Ethnic Minorities, High Schoo! and University Students, Senior Citizens, Religious Sects,
Homosexual and Lesbian Activists, etc. are among the local programmers.

By the time that Salto had become a decade old, it was already a unique and exceptional place that generated mature, as
well as, very innovative political, financial and cultural programming that, for the first time in the history of local media,
had not only local influence but also regional, national and international.

Some of the components that made Salto's programming so unique were content, editorial quality and plenty of time avail-
able to ventilate issues. Participants were not longer limited to sound bytes that are supposed to be spit out in 8 minute seg-
ments, but in stead, had hours for debate. In several cases interviews went for as long as two hours, those interested in the
subject could followed them at ease, those not interested, could switch to other channels, no pressures from the ratings.
One of the secrets for the success of Amsterdam's live, tactical television programming is that it was produced with con-
sumer equipment, in other words, electric appliances combined with outdated, discarded office and industrial equipment.
By limiting themselves to the bare minimum, local programmers were never tempted by state of the art technology and be-
cause of that, never had to confront the pressures of fund raising and investment in hardware or deals and concessions
with sponsors. It is also a fact that when using consumer, second hand technology, there is no training is required for
those operating the equipment. Any one can use a camcorder.