By Paul C.E. Melin

What is PEG Media and how can a local church use this free airtime to broadcast/cablecast Worship Anew in your local community? Is there a cost?

PEG is an acronym for Public/Educational/Government Access. In Fort Wayne, Ind., AccessFW is managed through the Allen County Public Library system. PEG Stations are grouped together by regions through the Alliance for Community Media.

If you look at the history of PEG Access TV stations and where they originally received their funding, it was based on the size of the community and the cable provider for that city.

Cable franchises reported to their local city council on annual profit sharing. If the cable franchise reached above and beyond that projected profit, the remainder of the profit would go back to the city to maintain a free, PEG Access channel.

Typically, the government access channel would broadcast the city/county meetings. Educational Access stations would create student programming by teachers, students, and coaches based on educational objectives or “Game of the Week” for sporting events. Public Access is for any producer who can think up an idea to broadcast back into the community.

Today, some PEG Access stations are losing franchise fees and funding to operate and maintain staff. There may now be a small fee or “membership fee” associated with broadcasting Worship Anew on your local PEG Access channel. A local resident must also act as an ambassador for Worship Anew for their local PEG Access station to accept Worship Anew programming.

The history of Worship Anew on PEG Access started at Access Fort Wayne in 1985. At that time, Worship for Shut-Ins (Worship Anew’s former name) was on PEG Access stations, including Lacy, Wash.; Port Washington, Wis.; Beloit, Wis.; and some other Midwest communities. St. Lorenz Lutheran Church would air their live, worship services and use Worship Anew in between their two live worship services. St. John Lutheran Church-Beloit, Wis., would air Worship for Shut-Ins on their local, college access channel. Port Washington, Wis., would air Worship for Shut-Ins on their local government channel. Today, Worship Anew can be found in many of those communities, including Fort Wayne; Frankenmuth, Mich.; Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; Steven’s Point, Wis.; Sheboygan, Wis.; Gaylord, Minn.; Fergus Falls, Minn.; Erie, Pa.; and Dayton, Ohio.

Will you help broadcast Worship Anew on your local community’s PEG Access channel?

To find a PEG Access Station, viewers may use the ACM directory found at the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) at www.allcommunitymedia.org/ACM or contact Worship Anew at (888) 286-8002 or info@worshipanew.org to learn more.

Please work with us to share Christ’s love in your community!

Paul Melin is the retired Director of Video Production & Accessibility at Worship Anew.