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Do you know there is a TV channel that belongs to the people of Chicago and gives every Chicagoan a voice on cable television? Did you know that it provides video training, facilities and channel time?  I am talking about Chicago Access Network Television, or CAN TV. This is an independent nonprofit organization that administers and promotes the use of Chicago’s public access channels. CAN TV’s five local, non-commercial channels reach one million viewers in the city of Chicago and is recognized as one of the finest access centers in the country. Cable companies provide support for CAN TV as part of franchise commitments in the City of Chicago. Its programs are over 90% local, helping viewers find jobs, locate HIV/AIDS and domestic violence counseling, access art and educational resources, interact with local public officials, and experience a diversity of viewpoints.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting my first episode of CAN TV’s show Perspectivas Latinas, a weekly English/Spanish-language forum. My guests were the Director of Pachacamak Folk Foundation, Carmen Edith Freeze, an enthusiastic promoter of Ecuadorian culture in Chicago,  and New York band Chota Madre, a band that promotes Afro-Ecuadorian music out of Ecuador.  Here is the English version of the show:

If you want to see more of this awesome band, don’t miss their last show in Chicago tonight at Multikulti. You can find more information about this show here. Also,  if you are a Chicagoan, I would highly recommend connecting to  CAN TV as  a viewer, as a producer, or as someone who believes in the right of free expression. This channel is true democracy in action!