Texas Community Media to Hold Summit in Austin

Submitted by txcms_admin on Fri, 02/15/2008 - 17:53.

- For Immediate Release -

February 15, 2008

Texas Community Media to Hold Summit in Austin

Austin, TX – The Texas Community Media Summit, hosted by channelAustin (aka Public Access Community Television), Dallas iMedia Network, Houston Media Source, and the Texas Media Empowerment Project will take place at 10 am on Saturday, March 1, at the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Union. Organizers expect 150 to 200 people from across the state.

The Texas Community Media Summit will bring together Texas community media makers, stakeholders, activists, and advocates representing a full spectrum of community media: art, theater, print, radio, film, television, and Internet.

One of the main purposes of the summit is for people involved in community media in Texas to learn more about what each other is doing and to figure out how we can better work together.

The summit is free. Donations will be gratefully accepted. Participants are encouraged to register in advance. Agenda and registration information is available at www.texascommunitymedia.org

“I am interested in all forms of independent media, as I think it is the most valuable resource that communities must maintain to support freedom of choice in communities and our lives,” writes one registrant from KEOS Community Radio in Bryan, TX.

Charles Benton, CEO and Chairman of the Benton Foundation in Chicago, will deliver opening remarks and present video from the 2007 Chicago Community Media Summit.

Giovanni Gallucci (The Agency Blog), Chuck Robinson (Texas Media Empowerment Project), Mary Lampe (Southwest Alternate Media Project), and Julia Austin (Texas Observer) will deliver snapshots of the Texas Community Media Landscape.

The summit will feature breakout sessions focused on collaboration and inclusion, convergence, revenue, and value, facilitated by Belinda Acosta (TV Eye Columnist, Austin Chronicle), Dr. Laura Stein (Assistant Professor, RTF Dept, UT Austin), Michael Verdi (michaelverdi.com), and Tammy Gomez (XX Communicator).

Dr. Sharon Strover, Chair of the RTF Department at the University of Texas will conclude the summit with a keynote address on Texas Community Media in a National Context.

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