It Is Pretty Simple to Start Your Own TV Show on City of Yakima’s YCTV Public Access Channel

Anyone who resides in the city of Yakima can become a TV producer, director, camera operator, and editor of your own public access show on the City of Yakima's YCTV television channel.

Everything is digital now, which makes it easier for you (and me) to produce, film, and edit your show. Adults, kids, it doesn't matter; if you have a show idea in your head, make it!

I'm old enough to remember spoofs of public access tv classics from SNL like Wayne's World, Coffee Talk, and Bronx Beat!

via GIPHY

Read More: Here's How Washingtonians Can Get Up to $1,200 Free to Buy a New E-Bike

How to Make Your Own Show on YCTV

You don't need Spectrum Cable Channel 192 to watch local public access TV; as long as you have a decent Wi-Fi signal, you can watch YCTV and YPAC. Those who do have Spectrum are paying a franchise fee on every bill, and by law, those funds keep these channels running.

To produce your own shows, first get certified. (Minors need a parent's signature and must accept full liability.) Just bring your ID and proof of residence (like a utility bill) to fill out the intake form and start training with Bonnie, the City of Yakima's Senior Community Relations Specialist.

Study the Community Producer Handbook to learn the "do's and don'ts," then complete the editing class. Once your show idea is ready, fill out a Pre-Production Plan to request equipment and schedule the day of your tv shoot at the YCTV studios (124 S 2nd St).

Checking Out Equipment and Using the Editing Room

If you plan to use YCTV's editing software, fill out a request to use the equipment. They'll give you up to 4 hours at a time to use the editing room. (see the Producer's Handbook for more details). You can also borrow camcorders, tripods, sound systems, props, etc.

Once you've finished editing and are ready for the show to go on the air, fill out the Program Completion Form.

NOTE: Anyone you want to use as assistants, from the camera operator or director, even to someone to make sure your makeup is touched up, must go through the Producer training, too.

Once your show is finished and you've received the thumbs up from the YCTV team, they will schedule your show to be on the air. You get 2 showings in the current rotation, after that it becomes part of the reruns for fill-in programming.

If you want to have your show air on another city's public access channel, find someone to sponsor you and fill out that channel's Imported Programming sheet.

Ready to jump in and produce your own public access show? There's a whole lot more to discover, so visit the YCTV page for all the details. I also discovered a very interesting documentary that was shown at the Sundance Film Festival a few months back called Public Access (warning: it's for mature audiences only).