CACTUS Meets End-of-First-Year Targets for Trillium Foundation
CACTUS filed its end-of-year report for the first year in a two-year grant by the Ontario Trillium Foundation to promote digital broadcasting opportunities to communities across Ontario.
CACTUS had committed to engage at least 6 communities in the process of setting up a digital media centre by the end of year 1 of its grant, and 15 communities by the end of year 2.
Work during the first year focussed on a) salvaging broadcasting transmission equipment being decommissioned by both TVO and the CBC for use by communities and b) reaching out to municipalities, bands, and communities across Ontario about the potential of digital technologies for broadcasting to improve local communications.
Eighty-seven communities secured former TVO broadcast towers, and one community in Ontario has acquired a former CBC TV transmitter to date. Community groups in the following areas so far are exploring the potential for a digital community media centre to improve increase access to media skills training and local content (some using former TVO and CBC equipment):
- Toronto
- Manitoulin Island
- Sandy Lake First Nations
- North Bay
- Ottawa-Maniwaki
- Parry Sound
We look forward to working with these groups throughout the coming year, and in welcoming others to the process as our outreach to communities across the province continues.
For more information on the Ontario Trillium Foundation and its granting programs, click here.
Draft Powerpoint
CHCO-TV in St. Andrews, NB, Picks Up Content for Bell Formerly Available on Cable
Submitted by Cathy Edwards on Wed, 2013-03-27 18:16.(Condensed from original version in St. Croix Courier, March, 2013)
GRAND MANAN ISLAND-For close to twenty-five years the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Manan has operated a community television station, GMTV on cable channel 10. Village Council [stand-alone productions or publications take itallics; articles or segments within a longer production use quotation marks] on Monday, February 4th was the last telecast. Peter Sesplankis, the Boys and Girls Club manager, says the decision [what decision?] is due to lack of cable
subscribers on the island. "Most islanders subscribe to satellite," says Sesplankis. "We had to cancel our TV bingo last summer because we were not selling enough cards."
Rogers cable offers only 33 analogue television services--virtually the same service the company launched on the island in 1984--while satellite
offers hundreds of digital channels, many in high definition (HD). Rogers also failed to contribute funds allocated for community television to the Boys and Girls Club for their programming services.
"All is not lost for local television on the island," says Sesplankis. "We will continue production of local programs on Grand Mansn but we will now broadcast those shows on CHCO-TV."
CHCO-TV, also known as Charlotte County Television, is New Brunswick's only independent community TV broadcaster. CHCO-TV was uplinked by Bell TV (to satellite channel 539) on December 20th, 2012. "It was probably the best Christmas present any small TV station could ask for!", says Patrick Watt, CHCO-TV station manager.
Nearly 100 Communities in Ontario Acquire TVO Transmission Towers
Submitted by Cathy Edwards on Wed, 2013-03-20 18:23.Ottawa (March 20, 2013) Close to 100 Ontario communities have acquired transmission towers formerly used by TVOntario. The towers can be used by the communities to re-establish free over-the-air television services that their residents would otherwise have to obtain via cable or satellite, including TVO and the CBC; as well as highspeed wireless Interenet, community TV or radio, or cell phone service.
APTN, the CBC and TVO decided to stop over-the-air broadcasting in small cities and rural areas during the transition to digital TV, which wrapped up in 2012. The Canadian Association for Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) was concerned about the loss of free TV signals in small communities and saw an opportunity for them to use the equipment broadcasters didn’t want anymore.
"Transmission towers are gold in rural areas and we didn’t want to see them end up in dumpsters," said Catherine Edwards, CACTUS’ spokesperson. "There are still large regions of the country on dial-up Internet and without cell phone service because there are no financial incentives for commercial providers to build their networks to these areas. Even where commercial services are available, rural Canadians may be less able to afford them."
Several CACTUS members offer their communities low-cost rebroadcasting services. For example, the town of Valemount, BC, rebroadcasts six television channels and 3 radio channels for about $40 per household per year, less than 1/10th the cost of basic satellite. One is a community TV channel, airing exclusively home-grown content.
2012 Press Releases
Submitted by Cathy Edwards on Wed, 2013-03-20 18:18.Use the navigation bar at the left to search for 2011 press releases by date and topic.
2011 Press Releases
Submitted by Cathy Edwards on Wed, 2013-03-20 18:15.Use the navigation bar at the left to search for 2011 press releases by date and topic.
2010 Press Releases
Submitted by Cathy Edwards on Wed, 2013-03-20 18:08.Use the navigation bar at the left to search for 2010 press releases by date and topic.
2009 Press Releases
Submitted by Cathy Edwards on Wed, 2013-03-20 18:06.Use the navigation bar at the left to search for 2009 press releases by date and topic.
