Is Anyone Watching

Getting the message across via cable television.Since it first became available in the late 1960's, educators have examined community access cable television's potential as a tool for reaching new and larger audiences.With each experience and experiment, Extension professionals ask the same questions."Is anybody watching?"And if so, "Who are they?"Extension agents need to know the answers to these questions to help them decide if cable TV is worth the time and effort required.A Nebraska study1 concluded cable television programming is a viable option that should be used in addition to, but not as a substitute for, other delivery methods.The study encouraged Extension staff, particularly those with large urban audiences, to consider cable TV as a delivery system.Trempealeau County, in western Wisconsin, with 26,158 residents, no traffic lights, and no parking meters, provided an excellent testing ground for what cable television can mean to Extension staff with rural audiences.In December, 1982, a telephone survey was conducted to find out who, if any, of the cable subscribers in Trempealeau County were watching Trempealeau County Community Television (TCCTV), a local access cable channel, and which of those viewers were tuning in to programs produced by local Extension agents.