Organizational Background

Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) is a nationally recognized public access media arts facility, named number one in the country by the national Alliance for Community Media six times with the presentation of the "Overall Excellence in Public Access Programming" award.

Annually, CCTV provides 130 media art workshops to over 500 participants;

Each year CCTV distributes almost 19,000 hours of programming on 3 community cable channels to more than 28,000 homes; 1,000 hours of live, interactive programming cablecast and streamed on the Internet from our BeLive set; over 2,300 hours of radio programming on cable and the Internet; 9 visual art exhibits in the Drive-By-Gallery; access to our equipment and facilities to 543 members, 6 days each week; 2,509 visits in computerCENTRAL during 1118 public drop-in hours;

CCTV hosts community open houses, screenings, and member networking events.

Since opening its doors in 1988, CCTV’s mission has been to prepare people from all walks of life for living and learning in a global media culture by helping them attain critical viewing skills, an understanding of how media is made, and the tools to produce media that accurately reflects their world. Beginning with cumbersome analog equipment and moving to state-of-the-art digital and computer-based technology, CCTV’s goal has always been to serve those least seen and heard in our society.

Through an extensive hands-on training program in video production and computer technology, CCTV has encouraged thousands of participants to share their views of their neighborhoods and the world.

In addition to offering workshops in office and multimedia applications, CCTV has developed a number of technology outreach programs designed to meet the unique needs of Cambridge’s underserved communities. Since 1990, CCTV’s Summer Media Institute (SMI) has provided youth with opportunities to develop media production and career skills while learning about their community. In 1996, CCTV opened computerCENTRAL to provide computer and Internet access to people who might not otherwise have it. The Tutorial for Non-English Speakers is a weekly program designed to teach computer skills to Cambridge’s immigrant communities, specifically speakers of Haitian Creole, Spanish and Portuguese. Seniors use computers and make media each Monday in Computers for Seniors.

In 2006, CCTV received a Cambridge First Day Award from MIT and the City of Cambridge, in recognition of our efforts to bridge the digital divide. CCTV’s Board of Directors, Member Advisory Committee, and staff, assisted by more than 30 interns, all play an instrumental role in implementing CCTV’s successful outreach initiatives and programming.