WCTV: 365 Days Later

It is a busy time at WCTV. Tuesday night I was teaching kids at Wernle about videography, and working with them to produce a DVD project. On Wednesday I was in Indianapolis, with a few other access center leaders, meeting with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to discuss the new Telecom Bill that was passed this year impacting local franchises, including ours. Next Thursday we are broadcasting the Salvation Army Christmas program for the first time, which has always been a traditional favorite on the radio and hopefully in the future on television. And Friday night we are having our second live television auction, with lots of items from local merchants to bid on and win.

So I almost forgot that it was one year ago today that I joined WCTV.

A lot has happened in that year. I was told upon arrival that local news and sports were important to our viewers. So we partnered with Kicks-96/WHON to bring you a nightly newscast, and we provided the first professionally-produced high school sports broadcasts this fall, teaming up with high school A/V classes to provide students learning experiences alongside WCTV staff.

We are currently programming more than 16 hours a day across three channels, averaging between 75-85 programs a week, locally produced or of local interest. We have close to fifty local producers generating content for Channel 21. We expanded from six to seven nights of programming, offering a Friday night Reading Service for the elderly and the visually impaired as well as a “By Request” time slot where viewers can ask to see their favorite WCTV programs. We also expanded our election coverage and broadcast our first live parade.

Our local producers have access to more equipment than before; we have added new cameras, and will be adding more edit bays soon. For the first time we have offered noncredit training classes through the Continuing Education Center at IU East, and will repeat those courses in the spring. Our members asked for more events, and we provided them, including a premiere party, a holiday open house, and a summer cookout. We have offered longer hours, including some weekend hours, for those wanting more access to our facility. For producers who need help with their programs, we now offer “House Calls,” where trained volunteers and professional staff come to your location and give advice on how to produce the best program for your viewers.

Equipment upgrades in our headend have improved our signal quality, and we have institutionalized procedures for troubleshooting problems with playback of our programming.

Our Board of Directors is filled out to fifteen members, and worked on developing a new Lottery system that is fair to everyone, as well as looking at other ongoing policies and procedures.

For those who asked for more information on what’s going on at WCTV, we updated the website, added a blog, and developed comprehensive email and traditional mail mailing lists. If you have yet to receive a copy of our new brochure, or would be interested in seeing our corporate media sampler DVD, please let me know.

I have always believed in grassroots and independent media, so it has been very rewarding for me to do professionally the things that I have always believed in and supported personally. The great staff and Board of Directors here have made this a good year for me.

But there are some storm clouds on the horizon. Public access television is facing great challenges on a statewide and national level. Now, more than ever, we need our friends and supporters to be with us. The longstanding motto of WCTV has been “Bringing the Community to the Community,” and I think we show that every day. I hope you will come with us as we continue to take that message forward. We are just getting started on where we are going, and I am excited for what’s to come in 2007.