Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) channels play a vital role in keeping communities informed, educated, and engaged. In recent years and with the rise of digital platforms over traditional cable networks, PEG channels are facing a unique challenge for reaching broader audiences, risking the loss of community access to valuable information, and the funding that makes it possible for PEG channels to operate.
But instead of rejecting these newer technologies over traditional distribution channels, there is an opportunity to leverage them to achieve exponential reach in community communications, without changing the fundamental values of PEG channels, or much of the overall process.
After all, using social media and digital channels is an effective way to help PEG channels and public sector organizations achieve their core mission: Increase access to important information.
Benefits of Using Digital Technologies for PEG Channel Program Distribution.
Increased Accessibility.
Meet people where they are. Whether your viewers access PEG stations through cable TV, social media, or other digital platforms, the ability to simultaneously stream the same content to all platforms guarantees that all residents, no matter where they are, will have access to important information.
Using a livestream management system (LSM) such as Switchboard Live can help you reach a wider audience with virtually no extra effort, making it easier for more public access programs to consistently reach their target audience, including those who prefer digital media over traditional TV.
Greater Community Engagement.
Leveraging digital technologies allows PEG channels to engage with their audience in more meaningful ways. It enables conversations through social media posts, comments, and live-streams, plus it offers a unique opportunity to broaden a channel’s reach by reposting or resharing the channel’s content to other people’s networks, fostering more engaged, informed communities.
Increased Transparency and Trust.
For local governments, streaming public meetings and events helps to not only guarantee compliance, but also to foster transparency and accountability for their organization. These days, most City Council meetings are streamed to a city’s YouTube channel and saved there for archiving – why not take this one step further, and reach 5X more potential engagement by sharing to Facebook, X, and other social media platforms?
Citizens want to be informed of what’s happening in their community, but schedules or mobility issues can get in the way. By leveraging multistreaming technologies, it is possible to reach more people who may otherwise not be able to access PEG content through traditional channels.
Digital technologies such as social media and streaming management platforms are a unique solution to a unique challenge, giving PEG channels an opportunity to modernize (not replace) their broadcasting approach and extend their reach even further in their community. As the media landscape evolves, it is imperative to adapt and meet audiences wherever they are.
Are you part of a Public Sector organization? Would you like to learn more about the livestream management system that is designed to maximize PEG Channels access? Reach out to Switchboard Live today to get started.
Together, we can continue empowering governments and connecting communities.
