Celebrating 25 Years the Year Was 1988…
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CELEBRATING 25 YEARS THE YEAR WAS 1988… VCRs were the “must have” electronic device; a hashtag was simply called a pound sign and your smartphone was actually a beeper. Having a beeper meant that you were kind of a big deal. In 1988, cable television was just getting its start and something transformative in telecommunications was taking shape. Mayor Marion Barry and Cable Commissioner William Lightfoot wanted to make sure that there were some powerful public benefits from cable’s emergence. Thus launched DCTV, a new concept for a community television network that gave District residents the power to create television programming. DCTV began broadcasting with one cable channel 25 years ago serving its first members out of a small cubicle in the basement of a DuPont Circle apartment building. For many years, DCTV did not even have its own studio. The cable company provided specific hours when DCTV members could enter their studio space, which was located a good distance from DCTV’s basement office. Programs had to be transmitted from yet a third location—a small, former gas station attached to Petrovich auto repair at 14th and Florida, then briefly from the Manhattan Laundry building, and then from a third floor office in the old Anthony Bowen YMCA on W Street NW. In 2002, DCTV began operating wholly out of the historic Brooks Mansion. Today, from the Brooks Mansion, DCTV transmits 7 channels on Comcast, RCN and Verizon, and provides its members with accelerated media training courses, meeting rooms and access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, including HD cameras, editing suites, and studios. DCTV’s programs are now also streamed live, 24 hours a day, 7 days Photo Credit: a week, accessed through DCTV’s website DCTV.org. Ed Savwoir for The Exposure Group of African American For 25 years, DCTV has made a significant impact on the landscape of Washington, DC by giving voice Photographers to people traditionally unheard and underrepresented in media. Association 2 | DCTV AnnUal REPOrt 2013-2014 DCTV Staff. Photo Credit: Ed Savwoir and George Toblert for The Exposure Group of African American Photographers Association FROM THE BOARD CHAIR AND CEO It is extraordinary what people can create and build with imagination! Imagination is a powerful force, dynamically and vigorously reflected in what DCTV and its members over the years have accomplished together. We have taken this opportunity of the Silver As you read through this Annual Report, we invite we will improve DCTV’s channels to look like the youth to explore their interest and possible careers Anniversary of our first telecast of community you to celebrate DCTV’s roots and history serving local broadcast stations, and have accomplished in media, increased advanced and career training, programming to celebrate our accomplishments, the city, to enjoy the examples of many people and upgrading to HD throughout the facility. We also and to provide the strongest experiential training and as a time to inspire and imagine DCTV’s future. organizations whose ideas and work are the engine laid the foundation for DCTV’s future, working with program in the region. We envision expanded of DCTV’s successes serving DC’s communities, Compass’ volunteer teams of business experts partnerships, which provide additional resources, This has all been possible because of the great and we invite you to imagine with us all the ways on a three year project for strategic visioning extend DCTV’s reach and impact in ever-widening support we receive! So, first, we would like to thank DCTV can continue to grow into the future. and planning, while also preparing to update our circles of stakeholders, and provide our partners all of you—including the consistent commitment branding, and planning for a new website for 2015. an essential key to supporting their success in and support of Comcast, RCN and Verizon which We experienced a great year in 2013-2014! We intend to greatly increase how DCTV interacts developing strong community networks. And, we provide the funding, channels and other resources We expanded community programming on our with our viewers and members. envision continuing regular refreshment of the that make what we do possible. We thank every channels to 24-hours a day, 7 days per week. technical facilities supporting our community Mayor and Councilmember since Mayor Marion We took the opportunity of our 25th Anniversary As we look at where we have been and imagine producers to create high quality programming. Barry brought cable television to the city in 1985— to reach out and market DCTV to new people, the possibilities that lay before us, we are also these leaders provided ongoing, strong leadership new audiences and new communities, including creating our future both for ourselves and for the In short, we envision DCTV at its best bringing to create DCTV and then have continued to ensure hosting a very successful launch event honoring generations that follow us. We invite you to join us the power of our communities’ cable television DCTV can grow and flourish. We thank DCTV’s key leaders who have had a positive impact on in building DCTV to its greatest potential! In laying channels and media, now and to the next committed, talented Board of Directors for building DCTV, producing a dynamic live televised speaker the foundation for the next 25 years, we envision generation, as Your Voice, Your Network. and developing the resources, supports and series, conducting a “Your DC” video contest invigorated, dynamic community programming facilities to create and telecast the programming with outstanding winning entries, and hosting an originated from every neighborhood of the city, Kojo Nnamdi you create that serves our communities. We incredible Community Day attended by more than including compelling local programming created Chair, Board of Directors thank the DCTV staff for their hard work, and for 1400 people, most of whom were new to DCTV. by DCTV, all beautifully presented on our channels. their commitment every day to making DCTV a We worked closely with the Office of Cable We envision integrating the maximum potential of Nantz Rickard welcoming place that supports all of your hard Television to ensure new cable franchise media and communications technology for robust President & CEO work creating community programming. And agreements provide strong support for DCTV. interactivity among viewers, producers and DCTV. we also thank, with great admiration, the many volunteers who invigorate DCTV with their We completed Phase IV of a whole-facility We envision a large and diverse membership from time, their creativity and their hard work that technical refreshment and upgrade including throughout the city who are easily able to access has been the lifeblood of DCTV and community adding HD DSLR field cameras and making Studio and participate with DCTV to develop and enjoy programming in our city for over 25 years. B into a full room green screen set. We also the best local programming by, for and about our continued to develop Phase V, to upgrade our city and its residents. We envision an expanded automation system so that beginning in 2015, training program, with more opportunities for 1988 Telecast of First Program from 14th & Florida Ave NW (Petrovich Auto Repair yard) on 1989 DCTV adds second channel; new channel numbers District Cablevision Channel 34; All telecasting was performed manually by volunteers until 2002. 25 and 26; community bulletin board 2013-2014 SnAPSHOT Members Members spent more than 4,000 hours using DCTV 370 produced facilities and equipment to produce programs members During the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014, 2500 shows DCTV members received a total of 22,375 hours of instruction in training courses valued at $228,418. Additionally, members spent more than 4,000 hours using DCTV facilities and equipment valuing $253,673 to produce community focused programs. Dedicated DCTV-certified volunteers contributed thousands of hours in support of their fellow members’ productions. More than The cable providers who fund DCTV have granted 690 people 300,000 it exclusive use and programming control of seven follow DCTV In FY2014: public access channels on which DCTV schedules viewers on 7 and transmits community programming, most on Twitter of which is produced and provided by DCTV cable channels members. Use of the channels is collectively valued at $176,423,239 based on a per subscriber cable industry standard established for Public Educational and Government (PEG) channel usage. DCTV fulfills its primary mission to transmit community programming on the cable systems in the District of Columbia by scheduling and telecasting programming at no charge to DCTV members. DCTV also provides and subsidizes supporting resources, training and facilities to 141 members became 3200 create community programming to its members. 25,000 certified as producers, Facebook viewers online studio technicians, videographers and editors connections 1993 Nantz Rickard, acting Executive Director, is hired December 1994 6 | DCTV AnnUal REPOrt 2013-2014 DCTV AnnUal REPOrt 2013-2014 | 7 SPECIAL PROJECTS 25th Anniversary Celebration DCTV turned 25 with a grand celebration of yearlong events and programs that engaged the community in important discussions and served as a thank you to residents for their contributions. We had lots of fun along the way! Election Programming DCTV’s Candidate Open House welcomed all Board of Elections & Ethics confirmed candidates running in the 2014 General Election to tape a five-minute public service announcement about their campaign platform. Youth Training Institute Through a grant received by Events DC, DCTV’s Youth Training Institute worked with young people to produce “Sports without Boundaries,” a show focusing on nontraditional. The students invested 6-months into honing their skills in media production. DC’s Summer Youth Employment Program For another year, DCTV participated in The Summer Youth Employment Program, a locally funded initiative sponsored by the DC Department of Employment Services.