Public Access Television

Who We Are

Evanston Access TV is a publicly funded cable channel. Our primary goal is to empower individuals and groups in the community to produce programs by, for, and about the community of Evanston. We are a submission-only TV station, and our channel can be viewed in Evanston on Comcast  channel 6, and statewide on AT&T U-Verse channel *99.

How to Become a Member

Membership is free and exclusively for Evanston residents (Zip codes 60201 and 60202). To become a member, residents must request an appointment time via an email to channel6@cityofevanston.org. Appointments will be held at our office, 2100 Ridge Ave., Evanston. Our office is located on the 4th floor, room 4803. All applicants must bring proof of residency (e.g., current utility bill) and a valid state-issued ID. Applicants must also fill out and sign a membership form that will be provided by City staff.

New Membership Registration: (appointment only)
Mondays and Wednesdays from 1pm to 5pm, Thursdays: from 10am to 3pm

Age restrictions:

Although there is no minimum age restriction for membership, residents under the age of 18 years must have a Parental/Guardian Consent and Financial Liability Form on file.

Non-residents:

If you do not live in the City of Evanston and wish to broadcast your show on Channel 6, you must send an email to channel6@cityofevanston.org requesting airtime. City staff will review your request, and may or may not grant you airtime depending on your content’s relevancy to the Evanston community.

Public Access TV Hours for Members

Program submissions:
Daily, 24 hours (online)

Public Access TV staff communications (email only):
Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 4pm
Please send all questions and requests to channel6@cityofevanston.org

Evanston Access TV Membership Manual (Rules, Technical Data, Membership Form)

Click HERE to view and download our membership manual.

Video files submitted to Channel 6 must be have the following specs :

Codec: Mpeg2 

Field Order: “Progressive” Screen size: 720x480 

Pixel aspect ratio: (NTSC) 0.9091 

Frame rate: 29.97 

Video bitrate: Min 4Mbps – Max 8Mbps (if you exceed 8Mbps, the video will not play) 

Video (RGB Parade): For best results, please do not exceed 85% 

Audio channels: Stereo Audio bitrate: Minimum of 192Kbps (ideal 384Mbps) 

Audio levels: Average -8dB and Peak -6dB 

FAQs:

Does Channel 6 have a studio?
No. Evanston Access TV is a submission only TV station.

How  often  will my show be aired on Channel 6?
Member-produced shows are aired twice a week, for two consecutive weeks. New shows/episodes will be scheduled for no earlier than two weeks from the previous video first air day.

How do I submit a show to be aired on Evanston Access TV ?
Please see page 3 of the Membership Manual.

Can I have a fixed time slot for my show?
We do not offer fixed time slots for shows, but we will do our best to schedule regularly submitted shows to be aired on the same days and times.

Does Evanston Access TV  offer production classes? 
No, Evanston Access TV does not offer classes.

Does Evanston Access TV  provide production or video editing equipment? 
No, Evanston Access TV is a submission-only TV station.

Can I call or stop by Evanston Access TV office to drop off my show? 
No. All show submissions must be shared via Google Drive, and a link to download the show must be sent to  channel6@cityofevanston.org.