Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 5, 1 May 2005 — Maui Community Television's public service threatened by bill [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Maui Community Television's public service threatened by bill

Island-wide community meetings are eommon events on Moloka'i. If it's not water rights, it's the Land Use Commission or county budget hearings. Depending on the date and time of the meeting, attendance ean vary, but usually you'll find the same people. A eouple of kūpuna, a politician or two, a "new" resident, some activists and, at the back of the room, Akakū - Maui Community Television's crew. Guided by its motto, "Empowering our community's voice through access to media," Akakū volunteers record these meetings day after day. If a member of the community wanted to see first-hand what happened, they either wait for the pieee to play on TV or eall the office to see the recordings. While Akakū may seem amieahle to Moloka'i, its existence is threatened at the State Legislature. A dispute that pits Maui Community College (MCC) against Akakū has made its way to the state capitol. Senate Bill 959 was introduced early in the session to remedy a dispute

between the two organizations over funding. At one time, MCC received 29 percent of eahle franchise fees allocated to Akakū via state franchise requirements. At some point in time, Akakū's Board of Directors voted to withhold funding, whieh spurred the conflict. What seems to be a contractual disagreement between two Maui affiliations has morphed into a legislative measure. Legislative committee meetings on O'ahu have supporters and opponents bringing out all sides of the issue, from free speech arguments to citing the actual contract between the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Akakū. Although Hawai'i is home to three other Puhlie, Education and Government (PEG) Access sites, the hill' s objectives are specific to Akakū. The other nonprofit community-based PEG corporations are located on all major islands except Moloka'i, Lāna'i and Kaho'olawe, who are also served by Akakū.

For Moloka'i residents, the Akakū Moloka'i Media Center has made substantial contributions to the community's understanding of the communications world. In the past four years, the Moloka'i satellite facility has heeome a vital resource that allows our mostly Hawaiian communities a voice while also providing the only resource for media education and training to our island's youth. Other achievements include outreach education programs to hundreds of youth, certifying over 100 adults as qualified video producers and forming successful partnership programs with the loeal educational institutions. While efforts by Akakū's board to negotiate are under way, the bill continues its way through the state Legislature. At the time of this printing, the bill was awaiting a conference scheduling. If approved, the measure would cut Akakū's already underfunded budget by two-thirds, and most likely put an end to Moloka'i's Akakū Media Center.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is very familiar with puhlie television, having worked with 'Ōlelo since April 2003 producing over 30 one-hour segments on issues of importance to Native Hawaiians. OHA staffs all of its productions with trained and certified OHA employees, and in 2004 the agency's Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha roundtable discussion program won an award as 'Ōlelo's best Native Hawaiian show. In 2004, OHA provided a grant to the Akakū Moloka'i Media Center to expand media access services to the island by developing a special projects department, increasing personnel, purchasing more equipment and providing scholarships for media training. From fishponds to puhlie hearings to Kalaupapa blessings, Moloka'i has a wealth of cultural traditions, practices and contemporary knowledge that will be lost without a committed effort to perpetuate, document and disseminate information. G

Colette Maehaelo Trustee , Moloka'i and Lāna'i