The public access television station and media learning center, The People’s Channel, is an organization based out of Chapel Hill that provides opportunities to contribute to the community through media.

The goal of The People’s Channel is to “advance democratic ideals by giving area residents and local non-profits an avenue to share their ideas, and news and views, exercise free speech rights.”

“We broadcast people’s content in the community, but we also teach classes and provide the equipment to our producers and members to make shows that air on our station,” says Executive Director of The People’s Channel and Durham Community Media, Axel Foley. “That equipment is offered for free, as long as you are making content that can air on the station.”

At its creation, back in the early 1990’s, a group of Chapel Hill residents saw that there was a need for public access information. To fill this need, The People’s Channel was founded as a non-profit organization by Eva Metzger, Robert Gwyn, and Vimala Rajendran.

The People’s Channel additionally offers summer camps for kids between the ages of 12 and 17 to participate hands-on in how to create various forms of media, such as their very own films and television shows

“We teach kids how to make movies themselves,” says Foley. “We are not behind the camera, we are not editing; the kids do everything. They act, they shoot, they direct, they write. It is a way of learning to do these movies on their own, but they do have our help.”

There will also be an event for the 2014 Summer Camp Scholarship Fundraiser taking place Sunday, June 22nd at 1 pm, at Vimala’s Curryblossom Café.

For more information on The People’s Channel, click here.