In many cities, there is limited coverage by the local media of the City's issues, interests and concerns. Even when there is adequate coverage of these issues, there are often issues of high interest in the community that are ignored. This could include coverage of local sports and/or high school performing arts.
The following is an example of a city in need of government programming:
The City of Santa Monica, CA, is a suburb of Los Angeles and does not have a daily paper of its own. The majority of the local television news tends to only cover Los Angeles news. Unless there is sensationalized murder or similar incident in Santa Monica, coverage is non-existent. To promote positive aspects of the city, programming that supports high school sports, performances and other issues of importance would heighten city moral. Local issues such as pedestrian safety, speed bumps, and traffic on Montana Avenue are of high community interest but not covered by the local news. Programming that highlights these topics is the type of programming to be presented to the city government.
Just as other channels specialize in sports, news or music videos, the community is the perfect niche for a government access channel. In most cases, no one else is doing it, so the channel fills a void. Community programming draws logical viewership of community members interested in community events and issues.
The government/community model is a long term strategy in support of the channel. Over time cities have highs and lows in respect to the economy and city budgets. During a decreasing economy or budget, cities closely evaluate each service they are providing to the community. To preserve the long term existence of the channel, channel managers must revue what activities draw in community and political support. If you cover community events, community sports, school activities and local museums, you can expect the school district, college, museums, and non-profit organizations to support the channel with letters of support and meeting attendance.
If the channel is government-only, the base of support may be limited in times of budget crises. The manager's goal is to make the channel an integral part of both the city government and the community so that no one would think of living without the channel.