Now, all it'll take to bring five channels to the people is the mayor's signature. Though that's how it's stood since 1983, when broadcasting legislation was passed, advocates are more hopeful than ever. For years, they protested outside Comcast and rallied at City Council hearings; it wasn't until the PCAC sued the city in 2004 that the administration started negotiations. Thus, a working group composed of the PCAC and representatives from the law department and the offices of the mayor, managing director and public property was born. After two years and at least 25 meetings, Joe James, the city's deputy commissioner for public property, submitted a proposal to Mayor Street in April and intends to submit an update by month's end.

Once Street is satisfied with the plan, James says, he would have to sign articles of incorporation for a nonprofit to run the channels. It's the same way Wireless Philadelphia is organized. "If the mayor wants us to get it done," James says, "we'll work to make that happen and let him make the executive decision." Despite the developments, when that will happen remains unclear as Street spokesman Joe Grace didn't return a call seeking comment about his boss's plans to sign off on the deal.

Still, PCAC's Gretjen Clausing says no other administration has done this much to further public access. Yet she worries it may have forfeited its power to bargain with Comcast. Until recently, it looked like the cable giant had little incentive to increase its contribution of $300,000 to $500,000 annually for operations and a $2.7 million one-time payment for capital costs. But since Comcast is in the process of swapping franchises with Time Warner, PCAC hoped the city would make cable access a condition of its takeover of parts of West Philly, Germantown and Manayunk. The sale is part of a larger deal in which Comcast and Time Warner are buying bankrupt cable company Adelphia and divvying up its franchises. City Council is set to vote a week from today on a bill that would approve the swap, making Comcast the city's sole provider.

"It could close what had been a small window. This was something that was definitely in our favor," says Clausing, who maintains the city, which is reluctant to front any dough itself, is talking to Comcast about increasing its payments.

"More would always help," says James. "Even with the city's investment of resources and facility, there's still going to be some shortfall."

James wonders whether Comcast will fill that funding gap. All company spokesman Jeff Alexander would say is, "We fully honor our commitments to the city; beyond that it is the responsibility of the municipality to enact access channels."

Money isn't the only roadblock.

"Public access can be a nuisance to a city," says Howard Myrick, a professor in Temple University's communications school. "Every entity has the right to come to the channel and seek opportunity to air their views."

Since the channels can't exclude shows based on unpopular content—they can only put time, place and manner restrictions on offensive programming—anyone up to, and including, the Ku Klux Klan could get airtime in a city-provided building. A potential for controversy? Not according to James, who says such restrictions have worked elsewhere.

"Those controls stand the test of time and they work," James says, adding that anyone would be entitled to airtime as long as they paid a small fee, completed media literacy training and agreed to federal guidelines.

At first, the channels would rely on volunteers as well as a board of directors, two part-time techies, a full-time executive director and an assistant. Like in Chicago and New York, programming would be divided among channels including Philadelphia Affairs, for government and nonprofit organizations; Arts and Culture, to highlight creative expression; Inspiration, for spirituality and religion; Youth, for shows by and for young people; and Public Forum, providing diverse viewpoints from residents.

Although James would not reveal the location of the city-owned building, PCAC envisions a digital community center with a satellite downlink, computer lab, digital-editing equipment and production studios.

Now that they think public access looks more sure than ever, the Bread and Roses Community Fund, which gives grants to groups working to create economic and social change, plans to honor PCAC and an early supporter, the late journalist and lawyer Mattie Humphrey, at its annual Tribute to Change event tonight. They say public-access television would give organizations that promote community filmmaking, such as Scribe Video Center, an audience outside of film festivals. Still, Louis Massiah, Scribe's executive director and a veteran of the cable fight, remains skeptical.

"I'll believe it," he says, "when I see it."