CCTV Unveils 25th Anniversary Celebrations
REWIND & FAST FORWARD: In November 1983 we went to Cox Cable to ask for equipment and access to local cable channels. In April 1984, the Vermont Public Service Board ruled in favor of public access and ordered funding for greater Burlington, Rutland, Montpelier and Middlebury to start channels. On June 13 1984, CCTV aired the first programs on Channel 8--now Channel 15 (VCAM). In 1990, we launched Channel 17 with the support of seven local governments. Within a few years, RETN took charge of the educational access Channel 16. Today, there are 25 community access operations in Vermont that manage 43 local channels.
TV WORTH WATCHING: CCTV’s own programs—from Burlington: This is You to the Media Makers to “CCTV Goes to Montpelier” dig back into Vermont history. After 17 years, Channel 17 continues to produce 100 hours of new regional affairs programs each month, now available 24-7-365 on Channel 17, BT317 and www.channel17.org
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU! CCTV has a lot to celebrate with hundreds—possibly thousands—of people who have contributed to the on-going story of corner of Vermont, the Champlain Valley. We are going to have some FUN and dig into the archives and look to the future of free speech in the digital era.
LOCAL COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY? In the next year, we are going to do some hard thinking about how to protect free speech and make sure there is continued public access to the media making and communication networks in our community and beyond. We’ll need your help with this work too. Democracy depends upon this.
PARTY TIME! So please, consider yourselves invited to each and every one of CCTV’s 25th Anniversary Events. And feel free to bring your friends and family.
Check the growing 25th Anniversary Calendar of Events… http://www.cctv.org/learn/upcoming-events And start by joining us on 12/18.