What is Public Access TV?
History
“Public-access television came about with the rise of cable television in the late ’70s and early ’80s. In exchange for the rights to lay cable wires on public land, cable companies were required to donate a portion of their revenue to provide facilities and airtime to allow public comment. The idea was to give voice to ordinary citizens who otherwise wouldn’t have access to any media outlets. In 1984, the Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act prohibited cable operators from exercising any editorial control over public-access channels.” – PBS.org
As a Public Access channel, we broadcast non-commercial cable programming created and produced by local individuals, organizations, causes and groups, and by you.
GMATV serves residents of Hyde Park, Johnson, and Morristown, and broadcasts programming to over 1,500 households on Comcast Channel 15. We also now offer our past programming streaming On-Demand.
Our General Manager, Board of Directors, and our Members are inspired by the philosophy of public access — that empowering local people to make local television can make a difference!
Green Mountain Access Television aspires to be a fully integrated, contributing member of the Lamoille Valley community, offering an important resource to its members and tailoring its programming to the needs of the viewing community.
How do I get involved?
Volunteer
Do you have a point that you want to make? Maybe you would like to let people know about your non-profit organization. Do you want to broadcast your son or daughter’s sports game? Teach people how to fish? Or maybe you want to show people the intricacies of how to make dovetail cabinetry?
Our staff will guide you through every step of the way to get your program to air.
GMATV is YOUR television station. The best part is, it is all FREE!
After some training, you can even borrow all sorts of broadcast-quality equipment to help with your production. You don’t even need to have a history in video production to produce a program with us! For further information on producing a program with us, check out our LEARN page.
GMATV is always looking for volunteers to help with other community member’s video productions!
If you want to get some hands-on production experience, we encourage you to get in touch with us today!