Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Robert Kennedy

Abstract

Information can empower as well as unite people. A primary source of information was found to be the media, specifically television. The literature indicated that in rural areas the information provided by the media was not germane to the residents and, considering the rather broad mission of community colleges, the investigator proposed the development of a noncommercial television delivery system using the assets of the college. It was further hypothesized that this development could serve as a model for other rural colleges. While the literature supported the proposition that local television access had a positive effect on the community, little or no work was found outlining the practical details of such an undertaking. This project presented a chronological description of the successful development of community access television in Polk County, Arkansas as a model for other colleges. Various delivery techniques were tried, including over-the-air transmission, cable, and internet. The final model utilized elements of all three. Educational, informative, and entertaining programming were developed and investigated. The successful development, construction, and operation of a community-based television delivery system at a relatively low cost indicated the feasibility of replication at other locations.

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