Public Access Host Gets Caught In a Web
In Richard Graziano’s dream, an unidentified man prepared extensively for an audition. The man woke up early the next day and arrived on stage, but before he got his first note out, the music stopped and the producers said “next.”
Graziano, the host of Queens Public Television’s “The Filthy Rich Show,” told this dream to a small crowd in the station’s break room an hour before his lewd public access variety show. About 10 people made up of producers and guests ate pizza in the room, a small space with an aged microwave and an old style coffeemaker, while Graziano cracked perverted jokes and used a white paper bag and black plastic bag he found in the room as a hat and beard.
After eight years of “The Filthy Rich Show,” Graziano still believes in his imminent rise to fame. But media has changed, and it has rendered public access television nearly obsolete. Graziano, a self-described attention seeker, musician, poet and artist, admitted to a limited knowledge of the Internet. Yet he attempted to have his first live stream with an October evening episode.
The night had started with disappointment. A majority of Graziano’s guests and all of the show’s standard bikini-clad dancers had called and cancelled their appearances.
“I’m getting my ass kicked,” said the 42-year-old, who lives with his mother in Woodhaven. “Everything that could go wrong today did.” While Graziano looked nervous, he remained optimistic.
Matilde Diaz, host of QPTV show Psychic Awakening, led Graziano through the warehouse-like hallways of the building to a dead end. She dipped her fingers into a plastic cup of water and splashed the walls, floors and Graziano. “You’re going to get what you want,” she said, as she patted various parts of his body.
The cleansing ritual left Graziano in a relaxed state. “I’m going to go get funny,” he said. “Get filthy. I’m Filthy Rich.”
Public access television exists neither in the glorified world of network television nor the exhibitionist netherworld of YouTube. Graziano remains trapped in this purgatory.
Unlike network television and YouTube, there are no ratings for public access. Graziano said that 100,000 people tune in to “The Filthy Rich Show.” Given the nature of public access however, this number appears unlikely, as only 450,000 to 500,000 people subscribe to Time Warner cable in Queens.
But public access television does not need viewers to stay afloat. Even in the age of Internet entertainment, cable companies must continue to provide public access television in accordance with agreements they struck with the city.
Thomas D. Gilovich, a professor and chairperson of the psychology department at Cornell University, said that a theory called “the spotlight effect” could explain Graziano’s perception of reality. “It is the belief that something is more noted than it is,” he said. “In this case, he’s in a broadcast medium that he thinks more people see.”
Graziano also appears overconfident, Gilovich said. He gave the example of a new business owner who believes his enterprise will succeed, when in fact, statistics show most businesses fail. Graziano has been on public access for almost a decade, and believes more people watch his show than other public access programs.
Public access once served a purpose, said John Haney, a professor emeritus of Queens College and a member of the board of directors of QPTV, but things have changed. “They’re behind the times,” he said about QPTV.
Most people who do shows for QPTV are either part of an organization or immigrants who want to send a message to their group. Others do it for another reason.
“People produce programs for vanity,” Haney said. They like to see themselves on television. “People on public access are lucky if their friends tune in.”
Inside the QPTV studios, a room a quarter the size of a high school gym, a giant hand in a jerking motion and images of naked women and money appeared on a TV screen. They were followed by the words “You can’t stop this,” the name of the night’s “The Filthy Rich Show” episode.
Bright lights and a high-pitched beep signaled a five-minute countdown to the start of the show. Two men and a woman prepared their cameras as Graziano made last minute decisions with a producer.
At 8 p.m., “The Filthy Rich Show” went live. Graziano got a second wind and danced around the studio to hip-hop from the DJ in the corner. Throughout the show, he occasionally dug through a big black garbage bag and emerged with a random prop, such as a hot dog hat or a big pink feather boa. Later, he pulled his pants down to reveal tighty-whities, a show staple.
“The Filthy Rich Show” looked and felt like a rejected version of “Yo! MTV Raps” or “Wayne’s World.” Graziano improvised everything. The action was chaotic; people talked over each other and had no concern for where they stood in regards to the cameras. The guests, who included rappers and their producers, used the show to promote their own ambitions and all his callers were friends of friends. “The Filthy Rich Show” fulfilled every stereotype of a public access show.
Graziano still believes “The Filthy Rich Show” will find a large audience on network television. “Where I’d like to see it going,” he said, “is the bank.” He believes his way onto TV may be through streaming the show.
This particular night did not provide that path. After many failures, Graziano faced the biggest disappointment of the night: his latest show did not stream; the camera crew didn’t even show up.
But it did not dampen his urge for fame. Graziano held tight to the desire he had expressed earlier in the evening, when he said, “It’s going to be tube socks and underwear worldwide.”
"surgery with a shovel" 
I completely disagree with John Haney’s comments about Public Access TV.
Public Access TV is an important tool, where us local citizens have the right to express ourselves, via television.
Most feel free to sit back and let corporate conglomerates control what we watch on TV, producing hosts of disgusting shows, from American Idol to utter MTV crap, yet the audience sits back and watches.
If you are an artist with a a vision, it is impossible to have your work displayed on regular network television. Getting past the sheer idocracy of the chain of “higher ups” on network TV is impossible!!!
It’s easy to criticize a Public Access Show, but yet many are reluctant to criticize the utter BULLSHIT that has taken over network TV. In fact regular television has become the utter crap that you made Public Access TV out to be.
I’ve come across many entertaining shows on QPTV.
In Queens, we are exposed to lots of musical shows showing the rich diversity of Queens, ranging from Russian, Turkey, Indian, Spanish and Eastern European singing and dancing.
Let’s not forget classic personalities, such as Frank Zapiti and his funny driving tips.
We keep flipping and we catch others such as Jeff Lorber the eccentric comedian.
Keep flipping you will find Drinking with Bob.
Keep going and then you will find lots of interesting documentaries submitted as specials.
Flip even more, and you come across MS Divine’s Tee Hee Heure. An artist who will understands the use of media. Have you seen any of her insane sketch films or her weekly show?
Sorry, Thomas D. Gilovich , but I disagree with you as well. The spotlight effect?? Come on, what about the retarded effect? Can we have some theories on that. The retards that are nothing but brainwashed masses that continue to support mainstream television without doing anything to think for themselves.
Instead of spending time criticizing Public Access TV, get off your arses and do something to support it.
Hi, I appreciate your concern about QPTV, it may be all that you say it is, but it is a good platform for immigrants to voice themselves. If they odn’t it is not to be blamed!
I feel that the community access TV could eb used to disseminate information to all ethnicities
in New York or elsewhere, there are many NGO and other Govt offices who could use this medium to inform and educate people which is hardly being explored.
All they think about TV now a days is entertainment whatever happened to the myth that Media is the messaiah of teh mass?
please check one of the programs on QPTV Asian Indian Immigrant Experiences/channel35/57
every month last Wednesday at 7PM and Friday at 3:30PM
check out their website also at http://asianindianimmigrantexperiences.com/
Thanks
Sanchita
While some of the programs on any public access station do appear to be vanity based, there are some that do bring encouragement and empowerment to viewers The viewer response we get from people who watch MINDLIGHT,is positive, grateful and appears to fill a need for television viewers who are fed up with mainstream media.
MINDLIGHT is currently cablecast throughout the boroughs of New York and on Queens Public Television Mondays at 6:30 PM and Tuesdays at 10:30 AM on Channel 35 and LIVE in Queens on the fourth Friday of every month: 8:00-9:00 PM Channel 34)
My compliments to “Filthy” as we lovingly call him. Richard Graziano not only believes in himself, and his imminent rise to fame, but repeatedly gets up time after time and delivers with his pants “on” or “off”. By the way Rich, my series is TildeVision Ideas. I am its producer, host and organizer of the spirit-filled guests who share enthusiastically their healing abilities free to the viewing public of QPTV. Ideas and concept discussed are: psychology, parapsychology, consciousness, ESP, dreams, spirituality, healing, and creativity.
The series TildeVision Ideas is cablecasted for the year 2008 every third Friday of the month at 3:00pm and at 5:30pm. “Specials” are also aired on its four chanels 34,35,56,57. Yes, Richard, cleansing rituals do work. I promise to program you for further success as I have done for other producers who are friends of the series TildeVision Ideas. Our beloved friend Bob Cecilio is the host of Psychic Awakening. I have been on his show and he has been on TildeVision Ideas.
Interesting read. Professor Haney doesn’t belong in a board in which he has no faith in. Somebody in power should kick his ass out of QPTV. And you other producers, shame on you for using this reply to plug your show. You look like idiots confirming the assumptions by Mr. Bronner.
Public Access Television is a valuable venue to explore this medium. Why not do away with community theater too?
It is an interesting editorial but lacks any commitment to research and presenting a balanced view. If the public, (the people) did not have access to Public Television, Community Theater, or the Internet, where would you be Mr. Bronner?
Public access is essential for certain parts of the community and did at one point serve as the people’s only venue to express themselves on television.
My article never debated that point.
Instead, I follow the story of a man who believes he will become famous through public access. In the internet age, this is a near impossibility.
When you really look at things, public access only serves those who don’t use the internet. Sites like Youtube are superior in every way to public access television, whether through search, tags and its ability to play on demand.
A point I did not get to address in this piece is that some PA stations have given up on TV and resorted to internet video production. I think all PA stations should follow suit.
Thank you all for your interest and comments.
Irreverent says : I absolutely agree with this !
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation 🙂 Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Rebuilt.
How anyone can stoop so low as to kick patv while we are being mind-raped by the offensively idiotic major network “shows” and bald-face lied to by what they try to pass off as news channels is beyond me. Have you no shame, sir?
John Haney’s comments are disappointing to say the least. As a director of QPTV he holds responsibility for why QPTV is behind the curve when it comes to streaming their content over the Internet. It would seem like a no-brainer. The author also seems in search of a cohesive thesis. He fails to recognize that PATV provides a base for high-quality television production regardless of where the content gets broadcast/cablecast/webcast. Of course all PATV facilities should be getting into webcasting their cablecast feed. The story should be asking why isn’t QPTV streaming its feed over the Internet instead of focusing on Filthy Rich.
Hi Richie,
I am having a ball finding out more about you, your artistic creations, your personae, and the work you continue to do at QPTV. Carry on !
Another reason I’m contacting you has to do with an upcoming show that I’m continuing to try to produce, this one is on November 18,Tuesday at 2pm. I’d love to be able to assemble a crew of competent people with whom I can continue to do the work that Carl Angeleri and myself began over ten years ago, the Fresh Meadows Poets PoetryTV show. Can you possibly come and direct the crew and the smooth functioning of these shows? I hope so, Please contact me as soon as you can, my telephone # is 215-230-3579 and , as you know, my email is fmpoets@msn.com. I’m still in shock about Carls’ passing, he was such a gentle, gifted, great good friend, poet, musician and buddy.
I hope all is well with you, ciao, Israel Halpern
I live in the Seattle Washington area- and yes, in the past the single public access station was bad. Now, there are two- one in Seattle, the other in south King County.
As new inovations have taken form at the South King County studio- it is awsome to see change. Our show “Who’s your Daddy” was a widely seen show in seattle for years. now we changed the format and name to hour Fourm. We cover many issues, same sex marriage, medical cannabis, equality in the work force just to name a few.
Here is what makes me upset: Very few access shows are given any chance on major commercial television. There are many producers and directors that are many times over looked by networks. My question is “where are these tallent scouts” people talk about.
I have yet to be offered any kind of major sponsorship, or underwriter in 14 years.
Yet, we keep going with our program. I do know people watch our show in many parts of the world- as that is where many of our viewers come from.
Point of intrest here, if you get one call about your show- that more less signal’s that you have 10 Thousand people watching.
That is a low number- based on what is seen elsewhere.
Visit our website, and send me a note.. we are going forward here, defending public access is the key