What is Fairfax Public Access?

Fairfax Public Access is an independent, 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that provides residents of Fairfax County and the Washington Metropolitan area the training and the tools to create non-commercial television and radio programming that expresses their viewpoints and perspectives to the community at large.  FPA members volunteer their time and talents at our Merrifield production facilities, working collaboratively to help create programs which are then aired on FPA’s channels through cable providers Cox Communications of Northern Virginia, Verizon Virginia, Inc., and, in Reston only, Comcast.  FPA currently airs over 2,000 hours of original programming annually, including programs in over 14 different languages that speak directly to the rich diversity of the populace of Fairfax County.

With three different digital television studios, producers have the ability to choose from a number of options that best meet their needs and skill sets, be it a news desk, fully operational kitchen, custom designed background and lighting, or computer generated virtual set.  Digital field cameras and switchers are available for off-site and event productions.  The radio studio, with CD players, turntables, DAT players, analog cassette decks and laptop adapters, make it easy for DJ’s as well as talk-show hosts to accommodate any number of formats.  And the audio production suite, complete with Adobe Audition software, helps both radio and television producers create professional-sounding promo spots or audio voiceover tracks.

FPA’s educational courses are designed to appeal to novices as well as to those that have had prior experience with television or radio production.  Courses are taught by experienced instructors, many of whom have enjoyed careers in the field. 

Instructional sessions are held weeknights and weekend days to better enable our members to take advantage of these educational opportunities.  Small class sizes and hands-on training help contribute to the feeling of community, and make the experience more rewarding for students.

As a vital community catalyst and forum for the exchange of ideas, FPA’s goal is to facilitate community engagement through volunteerism where individuals, non-profit organizations, government, and educational partners can provide diversity of information and opinions for the benefit of all.

FPA, as an organization or as represented by its officers, directors, members or staff, cannot and does not support or endorse any political party or affiliation.  Partisan political advocacy by any officer, director, member or staff person is to be construed as individual action and in no way a reflection or representation of the organization and its policies.