When it comes to watching Petaluma Community Access, the results of the June 19, 2008 Argus-Courier online poll showed almost split results with 33.3 percent of respondents saying they never watch PCA and 30.8 percent saying they watch PCA often.
Of those responding to the question, 28 percent said they rarely watch PCA and 7.7 percent said they somtimes do.
When asked if they believed community television in Petaluma should be a non-membership operation, 33.3 percent of survey respondents said yes, 25.6 percent said no and 41 percent were not sure.
The majority of respondents, 51.3 percent, were not sure if PCA was serving the community well, while 30.8 percent said it was and 17.9 percent said it wasn’t.
Here are some of the comments by those who responded to the poll:
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“As a non-profit serving the community, PCA is a great tool to teach people how to reach out to the community. It needs to be a community member driven organization to fulfill its purpose. Changing it to a private roving video club that videos community events would not be serving the community well. PCA has had its problems and it has always come down to poor management. Since the location has changed from the school property to another new location, maybe this is the fresh start PCA needs. I feel secure in the fact that the real PCA lovers will step up to the plate and not let PCA be taken over by a private interest group.”
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“I’m astonished at how frequently PCA has public power-struggles and management turnovers. That causes me to have little confidence in the organization and its stewardship of public resources, and to feel reluctant to support it. PCA was conceived before Youtube, widespread broadband Internet and cheap video gear and seems archaic now. Time to pull the plug on PCA.”
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“The community needs PCA and PCA needs the community.”
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“I don’t have access to it.”
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“PCA is a community media resource inspired and nourished by important democratic principles ” to abandon and replace the organization because previous boards and directors have failed to live up to those principles is a betrayal of the original intent of the franchise agreement.”
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“PCA, for a while was not serving the community. It seems that a subversive group within the board of directors themselves were trying to dismantle PCA and alienate the community for their benefit. This group left PCA in shambles and it will take some time to get to the roots of just how much damage this group caused. However, I believe PCA will survive and once again serve the community as it was intended. Any city committee, commission or council that even entertains listening to these low-life skulkers who tried to dismantle PCA will receive the scorn from those who are working to put PCA back on the path of serving the community.”
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“Public access is a tool for the expression of free media!”
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“I’ve not watched community access in the past six or seven years or so. I watched it a couple times when it first came on, and I found it insipid. Perhaps that has changed, but as I responded in question one, I never watch it. There are so many other things to watch or do that I don’t have the time nor the desire to even tune in to give it a chance. Sorry.”
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“They need to add some late-night TV like they use to have a few years ago.”
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“My main need is to watch the city government meetings. I rely on PCA for this frequently.”
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“The management at PCA seems to be in a continual uproar. Why? I value PCA and want it to continue.”
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“PCA exists?”
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“PCA certainly has its problems and many of them are not reported in the paper. Still we must keep PCA, only if to retain honest coverage of City Council, Planning Commission meetings as well as those of other branches of our local government.”
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“PCA provides a great community service. More people should get involved.”
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“I like to watch city meetings and stay informed with our city government. I like City WatchDog because Diane Reilly Torres keeps us informed about local issues in our community. And thanks to PCA and the Little Tabby story, Petaluma feral cats may have a better life in Petaluma. Keep PCA running. If I wake in the middle of the night, PCA is there with some good shows. Good job, PCA.”
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“We have direct TV and don’t even have the option to see it.”
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“PCA is good for students, but the former board members were thieves.”
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“No more $50,000 payoffs to ex-executive directors!”