In the early '70s, Bay Area cable companies began experimenting with a new breed of television journalists, a left-wing San Francisco collective of writers, editors, shooters and actors who called themselves "TVTV," short for "Top Value Television."
Cameras were still enormous, but each year's technical achievement decreased their size, cost and portability.
Financed by donations and a deal with four cable companies, these rag-tag band of guys (and girls) prided themselves in shooting their own concepts, some scripted but most created on the fly as if apart of a guerilla filmmaking improv group.
"The world is our studio!" was their credo.
"TVTV" pioneered the use of independent video based on wanting to change society, but also have a good time while inventing new and then revolutionary media.