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Until its final broadcast in 1984, the Artists Television Network was a vital outlet for independently produced artists' video work and its dissemination to a broad television audience. ATN and especially "The Live! Show" were very much a product of their time. Davidovich, who to this day remains a tireless champion of alternative television, has said of those early years, "It was the beginning of cable television and as such probably the first opportunity, and probably the last, to be able to participate in the whole cultural process. It would give us a little window to the outside world which enabled us to show our work, not just my own, but the work of everybody, and to create a truly alternative television. The timing was perfect." In this respect, he reflected the dreams of many others who also believed that cable could provide the diversity and alternative points of view so sorely lacking on network television. Unfortunately, those dreams have yet to come true. More channels did not mean more to choose from- simply more of the same. There has been some diversification- sports, news, music, movies have their own networks. Ironically, public access outside of New York City is alive and well, although programming for the most part remains mainstream and unadventurous. The true avant-garde continues to be underrepresented.

JoAnn Hanley
Curator, Video and Performance