Atlanta council hears update on Community Access Channel 24, makerspace and proposed oversight board

Deputy Chief of Staff Bob Wagner and Dr. Samama briefed the Atlanta City Council on a restart of the city’s Community Access operations, saying Channel 24 is open and a makerspace at 2 Peachtree is operating while legislation to create an oversight board and authorize a permanent operator is prepared.

Why it matters: the presentation outlined near-term policy steps and a governance structure for community access television that city leaders say is intended to preserve free speech protections while expanding production and distribution options for residents.

Bob Wagner, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Dickens, told the council the city has reopened the public access channel and distributed a fact sheet and FAQs to council members. “We’re excited at the progress that’s been made,” Wagner said. He said the next steps will be legislative: an oversight-board ordinance and later authorization to enter an agreement with a permanent operator.

Dr. Samama, who has been leading the effort for the mayor’s office, described operational progress and use. “The program is up and running and is open for business,” Dr. Samama said. He told the council Channel 24 has been accepting uploaded programming since December 2024 and “certainly by January of 2025” was at full capacity for citizens to place content on the channel. He said the makerspace at 2 Peachtree is in regular use and that some workshops and technical assistance are being offered virtually as well as in person.

Dr. Samama outlined recommended governance and complaint procedures. He said the proposed oversight board would handle complaints about access and facilities so such disputes would not “be burdening elected officials.” He recommended the board hold an annual public hearing and deliver an annual report to City Council. He also said the city should codify community-access principles and include content protections in any operator agreement: “If a entity is operating the program and the executive director somebody produces a program that’s critical of the executive director, can the executive director keep that person off the program, off the channel? And the answer is absolutely not,” Dr. Samama said.

On operator selection and staffing, Dr. Samama said the city is seeking a nonprofit permanent operator with fundraising capacity and community-collaboration commitments. He recommended a national search for an experienced executive director while keeping the operator organization local. He told council members discussions are underway with potential partners including higher-education media programs and public-media collaboratives.

Council members pressed on locations, staffing and funding. Councilmember Andrea Boone and others asked whether existing recreation centers and schools had been evaluated as neighborhood production sites; Dr. Samama said the mayor’s office and the recreation commissioner are discussing which facilities can connect to the main hub. He confirmed the mayor’s office and the law department are drafting legislation and said he expects the oversight-board ordinance to be before council at the June 16 meeting. Wagner and Dr. Samama said negotiations on a permanent operator were in late stages but not finalized and therefore not ready for full public disclosure.

The presentation included no formal council vote on the access program; council members thanked the mayor’s office team and requested follow-up details on funding, facility availability and the proposed oversight-board ordinance ahead of the June 16 meeting.

Looking ahead: the mayor’s office will return with proposed language for the oversight board and the legal agreement for a permanent operator. Council members asked that future materials include the draft legislation, clearer timelines for rollout to neighborhood sites, and details on proposed staffing and funding commitments.