Progressive TV alive and well in Melbourne
BY AARON JOLLY
MELBOURNE — If the elite corporate current affairs dross is still driving you up the wall, then relax, comrades, for relief is at hand. Melbourne independent community television producers, SKA TV, will be presenting the seasonal relaunch of their progressive current affairs program, Access News, on August 21 on Channel 31 at 8pm.
SKA TV is a founding member of the Melbourne Community Television Consortium (Channel 31) and has worked to provide community groups with access to television production and broadcasting facilities for over 11 years. Focussing on social, ethic and cultural issues, as well as local music and the arts, SKA TV provides a valuable medium to encourage communities to find productive means of being heard, telling their own stories through film and television.
Since its inception in November 1994, Access News has become the longest continuously running program on Channel 31 and has retained its prime-time position of 8pm each Monday night.
Access News runs in 13-week seasons of locally produced news. In between seasons, SKA TV screens documentaries from other independent TV stations and film-makers around the world, often covering topics the mainstream media shies away from, such as peasant, worker and indigenous struggles.
Our volunteer producers have been at the forefront of covering various campaigns this year: the Arabunna people's struggle against uranium miner Western Mining Corporation, Invasion Day demonstrations, the battle in the forests of East Gippsland and the Otway Ranges, the continuing indigenous and green opposition to the Beverly and Jabiluka uranium mines and the ongoing global struggle against capital's mighty weapons, the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
In the upcoming series there is a strong focus on the S11 demonstrations against the World Economic Forum's Melbourne summit. Other issues to be featured include the brouhaha over the Olympic torch, NAIDOC week, queer politics, the Lucas Heights reactor saga and much more.
To coincide with the new season, SKA TV is hosting an August 21 relaunch at our new home, Trades Hall, on the corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton. Our special guest will be Aboriginal activist Charmaine Clark and there will be loads of musical entertainment from young local funk and electronica producers. The night kicks off at 7pm. Entry is by donation.
For more information, call Aaron or Americo on 9663 6976 or 9419 7803.