Recent Public Access TV Start-upsPublic Access of Indianapolis has collected information on three, recent start-ups of community media access organizations. This information was gathered through a workshop at the 1998 Alliance for Community Media National Conference, information published by the Buske Group, The Alliance for Community Media's Cable Access Start-up Manual, and personal contact. Additional information on these organizations may be found on their websites.
Greensboro Community Television, Inc. (GCTV)
Greensboro, NC
Cable company | Time Warner | Number of subscribers | 58,000 | Services | Public access TV | Number of public access TV channels | 1+1 reserved | Start-up Funding | $475,000 | Annual Budget | $245,000 | Annual funding | $175,000 Time Warner
$ 50,000 City (years 1-3) | Studio | Yes (control room can also be used as one person "mini-studio") | Portable equipment | Professional and lightweight camcorders | Editing suits | 2 cuts-only
1 non linear | Format | SVHS | Staff | 5 | Notes | Runs youth summer media camps | Website | www.greensboro.com/gctv/ |
Petaluma Community Access, Inc.
Petaluma, CA
Cable company | TCI | Number of subscribers | 18,500 | Services | PEG, I-net | Number of public access TV channels | 1 + option for more | Type of management organization | Nonprofit corporation | Start-up Funding | $660,000 | Annual Budget | $115,000 | Annual funding | Access fee: $.50 per subscriber/month
(not part of 5% franchise fee) | Facility | High school, 2300 sq. ft | Studio | Yes ("live to tape" only) | Portable Equipment | 9 camcorders and 2 portable studios | Editing equipment | 3 cuts-only suites | Format | SVHS | Staff | 2.5 | Start-up date/timeframe | 9-12 months | Notes | Trained 223 new producers in first quarter of operation |
Santa Rosa Community Media Access Center, Inc.
Santa Rosa, CA
Cable company | Cable One | Number of subscribers | 43,000 | Services | PEG, I-net | Number of public access TV channels | 1 + option for more | Start-up Funding | $1,200,000 (Cable One) | Annual Budget | $550,000 | Annual funding | $370,000 City (1/3 of franchise fees)
$150,000 Cable One
$ 30,000 Miscellaneous revenue | Facility | 6000 sq. ft | Studio | Yes (one full studio and one mini "hotline" studio) | Portable Equipment | 1 chip and 3 chip camcorders; one portable studio | Editing equipment | 2 basic cuts-only,
1 A/B roll and graphics/animation suite,
1 nonlinear | Format | SVHS | Staff | 12.5 | Notes | Has satellite downlink | Website | www.communitymedia.org |
Examples of Public Access TV Leaders Access Sacramento
Alliance for Community Media , 1998 Community Service Award Winner
Sacramento, CA "A nonprofit public service organization dedicated to giving voice to thoughts, dreams, opinions and community events not otherwise seen or heard on commercial and public radio, television and other media." Access Sacramento is one of the most award-winning public access TV organizations in the country.
Cable company | Comcast | Number of subscribers | 240,000 | Services | Public access TV and radio | Number of public access TV channels | 2, plus Religious access channel, and 2 community radio stations (one featuring radio reading for the visually impaired) | Annual Budget | $795,000 | Annual Revenue (1997) | $609,010 City ( franchise fees)
$150,000 Rent from cable company
$ 61,300 Earned revenue
$ 56,500 Contributions and grants
$ 11,690 Other | Staff | 12 full-time
15 part-time | Website | www.sacramento.org |
Allen County Public Library TV Center
"Library for the Future"
Fort Wayne, IN "What really makes this collaboration function is that the library and Channel 10 have similar missions: we want community access to public resources." Erik Mollberg, Public Access Coordinator Fort Wayne's long-term collaboration between the public library and public access TV has earned recognition for the Allen County Public Library as a "Library for the Future" by the Library Advocate journal.
Cable company | Comcast | Number of subscribers | 67,000 | Services | Public and government access TV and Internet access | Number of public access channels | 1 | Annual budget | $440,000 | Annual funding | $240,000 City (20% of franchise fees)
$200,000 Allen County Public Library | Staff | 4 Full time
2 Part time | Website | |
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