Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens presenting an award to the Blue-Ribbon Committee Community Media Chair Jabari Simama for all the hard work he and the other Blue-Ribbon Committee put in for the community. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta VoiceAfter the city of Atlanta’s Channel 24, a public acce ss channel where residents were able to share local stories and their voices, went dark in 2023, city officials heard from the community and reevaluated public access television.In 2025, the channel has been relaunched with new equipment, a new location, and a more updated model.Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens alongside the Blue-Ribbon Committee Community Media Chair Jabari Simama, Chief Communications Officer Allison Fouché, Councilmember Antonio Lewis, Interim Director of ATL Community Media – Channel 24, Kristen Woolford, and Co-founder of 4th House, a documentary film production company, Yoshua Israel, unveiled the new facility at 2 Peachtree Street during a ribbon cutting ceremony.The rebranded name, ATL Community Media, is Atlanta residents’ go-to source for local stories, voices, and perspectives that matter to Atlanta. Channel 24 is a new public access channel in Atlanta, offering residents a platform to share their stories, showcase community events, and participate in civic discussions.Atlanta Community Media, Woolford said, is dedicated to revitalizing public access by building on the legacy of Atlanta’s public access television and Channel 24.“Our mission is to expand and elevate digital media access, creating pathways for the community to engage, produce, and share their stories,” she said. “We support enhanced educational opportunities in community media, empowering Atlanta residents to gain skills, create content, and contribute to a vibrant media landscape that reflects our city’s diverse voices and perspectives.”Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta VoiceDickens says Atlanta has never suffered from a lack of community engagement.“When our community television disappeared some time ago from the airwaves, residents definitely let us know how they felt about that, and luckily, that a sense is over and I’m glad to stand before you today to observe this reopening today with brand new equipment in a brand new location,” he said.Fouché said she’s come to a deeper understanding of the importance of free speech, which isn’t just a right, but a responsibility.“When I arrived in Atlanta over a year ago, I carried with me a strong belief government has an obligation to do more than just inform,” she said. “We also must uplift, educate, and empower, and one of those moments where we can empower people is we can provide platforms where every voice can be seen and heard.”She also said when she heard the community media channel had gone dark, she wanted to not only reinstate the channel, but even better.Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta VoiceSimama said this is a very special occasion and it represents “keeping commitments”.“It’s really important that public officials keep commitments,” he said. “This has been a long-term commitment and today represents the keeping of those commitments, the fulfillment of a promise, and the continuation of a legacy of community media, which is a medium where the people of Atlanta have the means to make the first Amendment real and to show democracy really works.”Additionally, he said they want residents to choose to make a program utilizing the community media space to exercise their voices.“We look forward to seeing and hearing your voices on this channel again. Since 1980, we look forward to seeing programs about the arts, community sports, politics, neighborhood empowerment, and community development,” he said. “Let this be a hub that we can connect the whole city, so we can expand into other neighborhoods and recreation centers.”Israel said to see the city of Atlanta under Dickens’ leadership, taking up the mantle and reviving public access television is not only inspiring, but necessary.“We believe in strong partnerships because none of us can do this work alone. When we will our resources together, align our missions, and truly work for one another, that’s when building lasts long,” he said. “4th House Creatives is honored to partner with the city of Atlanta and ATL Community Media to ensure our youth are not only engaged, but truly equipped to create, lead, and thrive.”Lewis said that it’s a “true honor” to have been a part of the ribbon cutting to celebrate the reopening and exciting relocation of the community media studio and marker space.“This moment is not just revitalization of a long-held goal, it is a powerful reminder what we can achieve when commitment meets collaboration,” he said. “There are times when many thought this day would never come, but today, we proudly deliver on that promise.”Additionally, Lewis says their vision reaches beyond the studio walls as they aim to expand this initiative to the city’s recreation centers, making this technology and training accessible to every neighborhood.“Let this state-of-the-art space become a launch pad for joy, truth, innovation, and justice,” he said. “Let’s fill the airwaves with voices that uplift, challenge, and inspire. You are in control”.Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta VoiceDickens also said alongside the community media space, in the same building, there is a Housing Help Center, which started two years ago. This center is a place where people can go to get help with housing, whether they’re unhoused, a senior looking for senior housing, or just someone looking for aid to buy a home, and offers a down payment assistance program.“This floor in this building is going to give community access and housing support right here in the heart of downtown Atlanta, adjacent to the MARTA Five Points station and Underground ATL,” he said. “Last July, I appointed a Blue-Ribbon Committee to reimagine community television in the city and to get me a plan; by the end of last year, they delivered.”Dickens also said none of this wouldn’t have been made possible without the Blue-Ribbon Committee.“This central hub makes it easier for community members,” he said. “Be creative in your program, build a greater sense of community on this channel, redefine what is news, and use this facility until we find a larger space,” he said.Furthermore, Dickens wants residents to fulfill their channels with content that reflects the rich diversity and cultures in Atlanta. He also encouraged the audience to become a part of the center and elevate the voices of Atlanta.By becoming a content producer at the studio, patrons get to determine the show title, the type of information they wish to broadcast, and can conduct their own interviews.For more information, visit https://atlanta24communitymedia.com and https://www.instagram.com/atlcommunitymedia?igsh=MXU0ZHpvbTdyajZ4OA==.The post The Revival: Mayor Andre Dickens hosts ribbon cutting for return of Channel 24 appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less