1. Define Goals

The first step to implement a community distribution scheme is to convene a meeting with the municipality, band council or other civil planning authority, educational institutions, and cultural groups that may have an interest in generating local content. Decide what the goals of the project are:

• Maintain Service?
  Is our goal to replace TV services that we can't get anymore because one or more broadcasters have left our community?
• Expand Services?
  Do we want to expand the services that we can offer?

  If so, how many?

  Would those services include radio channels? TV channels? Internet or cell phone service?

  How will these municipally-community maintained services compare to services available from commercial providers such as cable or satellite?

• Offer Local Content?
  Do we want to include local content, like a community bulletin board? Video programming? Radio programming?

  How would this local content be generated?

• What Can We Afford?
  How much would residents be willing to pay for these services to cover the costs?

Go Back to the List of Steps

Go to Step 2.