Posted: 2:00 p.m.Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016

Middletown considers future of Channel 24after TV Middletown

By Ed Richter

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

Thefuture of community television in Middletownremains unclear as the city has yet to say whether it will keep Channel 24 ornot.

Lastmonth, the TV Middletown board, which provided content and programming thatoperated on Channel 24 on the Time Warner Cable grid, gave notice to the cabletelevision provider that it will permanently cease providing a signal on Jan.10 citing that TVM could not depend on regular financial support as the leadingreason of several reasons.

Thenonprofit organization has been struggling financially for the past few yearsand many of its former viewers were seeking local information on social media,an outlet that TVM could not support. TVM, which launched programming 18 yearsago, was required to provide 30 days notice to Time Warner Cable per itsagreement.

Forthe past several months, TVM and city officials have gone back and forthconcerning funding. The non-profit organization sought additional funding fromthe city to make ends meet but did not provide a financial plan that wassatisfactory to city officials. TVM operated on a budget of $150,000 a year —$112,000 from the city and $38,000 from the Middletown City Schools. MiddletownCity Council has budgeted $112,000 for TVM in the 2016 budget.

Inlate September, TVM announced it was going to a social media format. It alsoannounced the layoff of its entire 2½-person staff as well as placing itsequipment and put its building 1131 Central Avenue up for sale. TVM board presidentMike Scorti also requested a $20,000 loan to shutter the community televisionstation and that it would be repaid once it sold its building.

Scortisaid the end of TVM on Channel 24 is “very sad” and noted that it produced 400programs a year. He said the TVM board is actively trying to sell the equipmentand already has two prospects interested in buying their building at 1131 Central Ave.

“Thebuilding is in great shape,” he said.

Oncethe equipment and building are sold and the city loan is repaid, Scorti saidthe board is required as a nonprofit organization to distribute all funds tocharities before it can dissolved.

“Allgood things come to an end,” Scorti said. “We did the best we could.”

CityManager Doug Adkins told Middletown City Council at its Dec. 15 meeting of theTVM board decision to end operations. At that time, he told council that he hadcontacted Time Warner Cable and informed them that the matter would bediscussed further at council’s annual goal setting retreat that is set for Jan.23.

Adkinswas on vacation this week and could not be reached for additional comment forthis story.

Atthe Dec. 15 council meeting, Adkins recommended loaning $20,000 to TVM assistin shuttering the community television station. He also wanted to look at theTVM’s equipment as well as getting an understanding to determine if bringing itin-house was a viable option. Adkins said the city is already upgrading thecamera equipment in the council chamber.

“Ifit doesn’t work out, we can shut down TV Middletown or put out an RFP (requestfor proposals),” he said.

Adkinsalso said he received an unsolicited proposal from He also said that OurTownTVhas submitted a proposal to pick up programming where TVM stopped. Since lateOctober, OurTownTV began producing various community interest features that arestreamed via the internet.

New proposal offers new opportunity

Inhis proposal, Kevin Stamper of OurTownTV was seeking a five-year contract at$62,000 a year that also included a probationary period, to provide management,production, implementation of both on demand and live stream programming viaChannel 24 and through various social media avenues, including, but not limitedto FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. He said that the city, community and schoolprogramming would be delivered on all devices “and no one would be leftbehind.”

Amongthe various items in the proposal that included two to five new shows per week;three to five streaming events per week; and two to four uploaded, nontime-sensitive, shows per week; monthly reports on social media reaches andprojections; monthly strategy and production meetings with city officials; abi-monthly class/workshop for community content providers; and astudent/community intern/apprentice program.

“Withall of the new things coming (to Middletown),it’s a terrible time to lose coverage,” Stamper told the Journal-News.

“TVMiddletown did a great job and we want to do those things that are now beingmissed.”

Stampersaid he has met with Adkins and other city staff members as well as Time WarnerCable to discuss the picking up where TVM left off. He said the new OurTownTVhas been getting viewers and that he has received calls for event coverage.