The voices and images of Greenville and Pitt County’s diverse population are reaching a wider audience than ever in 2010, said the manager of the public access television channel.

The Greenville-Pitt Public Access Television Corporation (GPAT) recently expanded its studio at its station off Arlington Boulevard and streams its programming on its Web site, www.gpattv.org, said Jake Postma, who manages the channel.

Shown on Suddenlink cable channel 23, GPAT provides information about various efforts and events in addition to a variety of programming that reflects the cultural, religious and civic interests of Greenville and Pitt County residents, Postma said.

“We’re the ‘public’ part of local cable access programming, here for the public to express whatever its interests are, including music, opinions and whatever expressions local citizens wish to share,” he said.

The basic concept of providing local programming produced by local residents for local consumption remains the same nearly four decades after cable television was first offered nationwide. Technological advances have expanded the possibilities to match and connect the creative limits of anyone interested in sharing ideas or talents with others in the community, Postma said.

The ability to stream programs provides access to the channel to all Pitt County citizens, including those on other cable systems or satellite.

With expanded studio capabilities, GPAT now has more to offer producers who wish to present their ideas and talents directly from the station, Postma said.

Individuals who want to produce a show at the station can pay a fee to use the studio’s facilities and equipment. The new studio set in the building can host a talk or interview program, including political campaign presentations. It can also produce music and entertainment programming.

Public, educational and government (PEG) programming were regulated in earlier years by the Federal Communications Commission. Nowadays, the local delivery of public access service is made possible through contracts between city and county governments as legislated by the state.

GPAT, which was established by the Greenville City Council in 1999 as a nonprofit corporation, is available to nearly 27,000 Suddenlink customers in the county, according to a senior official with the cable company.

Some of the programs delivered from GPAT are produced outside the station by individuals and organizations, and there is no cost to a show producer to have it cablecast from the station, Postma said.

“If you provide us with a DVD we will play it,” he said. “We don’t censor the programming, but we do decide when the program will play, based on its content.”

There is more to producing a show, however, than most people realize, the station manager said.

“We get people in here a couple of times each week who want to have a show on the channel, but when I tell them what it really takes to do a show, sometimes we don’t hear back from them,” he said.

The station also produces programming at no cost for non-government organizations and agencies that exist to help others in the community.

“During the last year, we’ve either created or shown programming for at least 125 local nonprofits or other agencies involved with helping people in some way,” he said.

GPAT is governed by an independent board of community leaders and volunteers. It operates independent of the cable company or government, according to the station’s Web site information. Daily Reflector associate editor Cherie Speller serves as chairwoman of its board.

Contact Michael Abramowitz at mabramowitz@reflector.com or (252) 329-9571.