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Public speaker accuses administration of sidelining Atlanta public access TV; committee seeks update
Summary
Adrienne Coleman Tyler criticized the mayoral administration’s handling of public access television, saying the channel remains offline and questioning consultant payments; the committee chair said staff and the mayor’s appointee will brief the committee in a forthcoming informational meeting.
Adrienne Coleman Tyler told the City Utilities Committee during public comment that the Dickens administration has worked to "destabilize and ultimately shut down Atlanta Public Access," and she pressed the committee for a public accounting of the channel's status and consultant payments.
"Since 2022, when the Dickens administration and this council took office, there has been an effort to destabilize and ultimately shut down Atlanta Public Access," Coleman said, asserting the channel (People TV / Atlanta Channel 24) was taken offline in 2023 despite an existing contract. She said a blue-ribbon panel appointed by the mayor had promised recommendations that were not publicly released by the December deadline and criticized a project website and legal safeguards for public uploaders.
Coleman questioned payments for outside advisers, saying, "the lead adviser for the public access project has made $50,000. In November, he was paid $25,000," contrasting that with an asserted past monthly operating budget for People TV of $15,000. She said the maker space reportedly built near Georgia Tech and the channel relaunch had not been adequately announced or made usable for the public.
The committee chair thanked Coleman for her comments and said restoring public access is "the top goal this year." The chair named Jabari Samama as the mayor's designee to lead the project and said the committee expected an informational briefing in February or March; he also said he would try to share some materials before then.
Why it matters: Coleman framed the issue as both a transparency and access concern: the public-access channel provides an avenue for citizen-produced content and access to local government proceedings. Her comments raise questions about consultant spending, public outreach and whether the current relaunch provides basic legal and technical features needed to protect the city and content submitters.
Committee action: The remarks were made during public comment; there was no ordinance or resolution proposed at the meeting. The chair committed to follow up with the mayor's office and staff for a briefing.
Clarifying notes from the transcript: Coleman stated she was "not representing my organization" and spoke as an individual. She referenced People TV, Atlanta Channel 24, the mayor-appointed blue ribbon panel, and named Jabari Samama as the mayor's appointee to lead the effort. The record shows the chair said an informational meeting was being scheduled for February or March.
