By Freddy Bosco
While I usually watch sporting events on my radio, once in awhile I need a video fix. At such times, I go to my friend's house so that she and I can sit on her love seat and tune in to whatever catches our fancy. She lets me catch Bronco games but plays with her cat while the team disintegrates on the field.
She has—without my prompting—taken to watching local cable Channels 57 and 58 on her own, where a fellow named Prem Rawat regularly broadcasts. As a matter of fact, Prem Rawat's "Words Of Peace" now account for 10% of all broadcasting by these channels which operate under the name Denver Open Media.
According to the organization's media kit, Denver Open Media is "a revolutionary new approach to television," by being "a participatory model for community TV." The members of the organization have produced a fascinating DVD about themselves which they call "Denver Open Media: Opening Access."
In this disk, the producers state that television "is arguably one of the most powerful institutions in the world." What this organization is trying to accomplish is to make television "more diverse and more democratic." The standard corporate model of television departs from the old business of selling a product to a buyer by selling an audience as a product to advertisers.
In this arrangement, where the richest audiences get the most attention, alternative and minority audiences are ignored. Hence, the need for Public Access Television in which those whose interests would otherwise be ignored by broadcasters can gain air time. Public Access Television, according to "Opening Access," is inclusive, content neutral and provides for free speech.
Stations like Denver Open Media offer "an alternative avenue that is not vulnerable to the inherent biases and restrictions of the corporate model." Now that the demographic spread of media has been made cheaper with the manufacture and sale of portable equipment, virtually anyone who can operate a camera can make a television program.
To me, it is especially wonderful not to have to take two buses to watch a video of my teacher; all I need is an invitation—or a consent—from my friend to come to her house and watch Prem Rawat on Channel 57 or 58. His message is that each person is capable of experiencing personal peace within inside themselves.
To this end, he travels the world speaking to audiences of every size and dimension from auditoriums of prestige attendees such as professors and diplomats to gatherings of humble villagers. No matter what the makeup of his audiences, Prem Rawat's message is aimed at the heart of each individual.
He has addressed over 10 million people in 50 countries in 326 cities. And now, thanks to the programming staff of Denver Open Media, Prem Rawat's message can be witnessed conveniently at different hours of the day. Those who listen to him speak report feeling refreshed and inspired to hear him say not so much something new as something they once knew but forgot. Stay tuned!
Freddy Bosco
FBos3 [at] aol [dot] com
