Blogs

Community Radio Permit Granted!

We recently received notice from the Federal Communications Commission that our application to build a Low Power FM community radio station was granted! This will take some time to put together and get off of the ground. For starters, we are putting together a group of interested community members who want to help bring community radio to our area.

Thanks to all of the respondents to the survey we put out back in the Fall, we have a growing list of people. How about you? If you would like to be added to the list, let us know by sending us an email ! The more, the merrier.

This is one of many new & exciting things happening at Okemo Valley TV. Our Board of Directors is currently engaged in a strategic planning process to map out the next 5 years, with all of this in mind. Be on the lookout this Spring for a notification about a community radio "listening session", which will be an opportunity for our Board to collect input & hear from those who want community radio.

For those interested in viewing the approved application, that is publicly available on the FCC's website here .

Town Meeting Coverage

It’s Town Meeting time! The annual Town Meeting Day happening Statewide on Tuesday, March 5th. Each Town in our coverage area is holding an informational meeting ahead of the Town Meeting Day vote. We will have boots on the ground to provide coverage. If you can’t make it to your town meeting in person and want to tune in before going to vote on Tuesday, we have you covered! Want to know when your meeting is playing?

Check out the playback guide here to find out which meetings will be playing when and where!

All of the Town & School Board Info Meetings will be posted here on the website as well, for viewing on demand.

FCC Application- Low Power FM Community Radio

In December, we submitted an application for a Low Power FM community radio license during the rare filing window offered by the FCC (it was the 3rd such opportunity since the turn of the Century). We did this after receiving favorable responses to our poll, asking if this is something community members wanted. Noting that there are no other applicants in the area nor interfering FM frequencies, the FCC listed our application as a "Singleton", which means it is on a fast track for approval! We should know shortly whether or not it is officially approved. If so, we will have three years to get a low power FM radio station on the air (with the community's help!). See the official notice below.

On December 15, 2023, Okemo Valley TV, applicant for a new LPFM station at 104.7 FM in Ludlow, Vermont, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for a new Low Power FM Station Construction Permit. Members of the public wishing to view this application or obtain information about how to file comments and petitions on the application can visit the Application on the FCC's website at HERE or by going to the facility search page on the FCC's website and searching there:
https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilitySearch.html .

A Look Back at 2023...

To end 2023 on a positive note, here's a cause for celebration as we look back at some of the "wins" for the year:

In FY2023 (fiscal year-ending June 30, 2023), we saw a 30% increase in the volume of local shows over the previous year!

During FY2023, there was a total of 1,221 new original shows! 943 of them were produced right here in our local area- the vast majority of this programming was created using our services!! That’s more than 18 LOCAL shows per week!!!

The new (free to download) Okemo Valley TV app was launched across all of the most popular streaming platforms (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Google Play, & iOS), making our live TV channels and video-on-demand even more available. SEE the “Ways to Watch” graphic below for more info!

Thanks to Will Harris, who retired from his position in December- he had been scheduling the TV channels for the past 2 years.

In 2023, we provided “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of more than 200 local government meetings- including Selectboards, Planning Commissions, & school boards!

We assisted the Towns of Plymouth & Mount Holly with the installation of new AV systems in their Town Offices to support the recording, live streaming, & broadcasting of hybrid meetings.

We further developed the partnership with our neighboring colleagues at SAPA-TV (Springfield Area Public Access), aka our "sister station".

Thank you to all who have supported our efforts, including our individual members, and our local business underwriters: HWC Financial, VT Properties / William Raevis Real Estate, Open Door Vacation Rentals, Mountain View Law (formerly Marylou Scofield, Esq.), & VTel.

Thank you to the Towns of Ludlow, Cavendish, Plymouth, Mount Holly, & Andover for supporting Okemo Valley TV through annual appropriations.

Thanks also to Governor Scott's Administration and to the State legislature for supporting community access media through the $1m statewide appropriation made to Vermont Access Network (our membership organization, through which all 24 of us community TV stations in VT are affiliated).

We look forward of what's to come in 2024!

Support Okemo Valley TV

We are undergoing our annual membership drive. This is the time to show your support for all of the local programming that Okemo Valley TV provides across our TV channels & digital platforms, and all of the free & low-cost media resources we provide to community members, such as:

Training workshops and individualized trainings

on loan equipment

consultation on media projects

access to performance & recording studio

access to professional audio & video recording & editing equipment

Please consider becoming a member or renewing your membership:

Want Community Radio? We Need to Hear from You!

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be accepting applications for new Low Power FM community radio licenses from non profit organizations between Dec. 6-13, 2023. As an established non profit media organization already serving the community, Okemo Valley TV is willing to submit an application, if there is enough local interest. The application itself would be non-binding; there is no obligation nor commitment required at this stage. If an application was approved, we would have time to work everything out. A committee of interested committee members would be formed, and that committee, with guidance from us & others, would make the key decisions and help shape the radio station's future. That is how we got things started with community TV, 23 years ago. It's a formula that worked then, and could work now, with radio. This is just a small first step - right now, we just need to gauge the interest level in the community before proceeding.

If you live in the area, please take the survey below.

Create your own user feedback survey

We're Hiring

We are looking to fill an immediate need for someone to take over the day-to-day scheduling of programming (on our 2 TV channels and streaming platforms) and to also fill-in as a back-up Field Producer. Between these two roles, the position would average approximately 20-25 hours per week. (10-15 of it to be program scheduling). There is opportunity for growth for the right person. Candidates should have a strong technical background with computers and web-based applications, some experience with AV production, excellent communication & critical thinking skills, and access to reliable transportation. Above all else, we are looking for an energetic and dedicated person who is interesting in joining our small team and to help independent community media thrive!

See more and learn how to apply here.

Photo of the Week

We've rebooted our "Photo of the Week" submissions. Do you have any photos showing off local places & scenery? Send them to us, and we will use them in community videos. And each week, we will select one to feature in our e-newsletter and social media feeds. Credits will always be provided. Send your photos to us by email.

Photo credit this week goes to Cara Philbin. Thanks, Cara, for sharing this Fall image!

Community Project

The community’s strength and recovery has been documented by nearly everyone, and now we are asking you to share that with us! Send us your flood recovery photos and videos by clicking HERE. We're looking for Town, State, and Federal officials doing their jobs, or volunteers helping to clean up, pick up, muck out, etc. , as well as before & after images showing damage and the repair work. Selections of the images we receive will be shown in various future media projects (short video segments, documentaries, etc.). We want to once again show off the strength and resilience of this community. Thank you in advance!

Program Scheduler & Field Producer

We are looking to expand our team by adding a part-time Program Scheduler & Field Producer, to cover municipal meetings & community events around the local area.

Job Description Summary:

Reporting to the Operations Coordinator, this position shall be responsible for the following:

1. Schedule daily programming on our two television and streaming channels, using web-based software;

2. Plan out program scheduling for coming weeks and months in coordination with other staff;

3. Produce video coverage of local government meetings and community events on location, including "hybrid" meetings;

4. Operate technology and equipment related to in-person as well as hybrid meetings and events (with remote participation). This includes (but is not necessarily limited to) cameras, microphones, audio mixers, computers, video conferencing software, streaming software & hardware, and sound systems.

5. Perform post-production and basic video editing tasks.

Hours: An average of approximately 20 hours per week to start. There is some flexibility with the program scheduling work, but will ideally be performed during weekdays. The production work will be at various times, as assigned, but mostly will be weeknights, with an occasional daytime assignment.

Qualifications: Candidates should have the following:

1. Strong overall technical aptitude with audio-visual equipment and computers, along with experience in digital media production.

2. Excellent oral communication skills and a good attitude

3. Critical thinking skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and problem solve

4. Access to consistent and reliable transportation.

Compensation: $18 - $22 per hour, depending on experience. Mileage reimbursement is provided for assignments when traveling more than 20 miles.

To Apply: Contact Patrick Cody, Executive Director, to express interest. Include a resume and any other information that you feel would be useful. Email pcodyokemovalley.tv

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