MATV staff attended the annual Alliance for Community Media conference in Minneapolis earlier this summer. The event brings together public television stations and local community media centers from across the country to share knowledge, discuss common issues and share ways of bringing better services to their communities.
The theme of this year’s event was “Rivers To Cross,” a reference to the fast-changing landscape of what the terms “community media” and “public access” mean today, as well as how they are governed.
A major topic of discussion was the future of funding for community media, in the face of “cord-cutting” as well as regional consolidation, trends which are both undercutting support for local stations and centers. Much more information, including strategies to address these issues, can be found on the ACM’s policy page by clicking here.
The good news is that Massachusetts has done perhaps the best job in the country as far as protecting its community media outlets and keeping them local, so you, the citizens, can continue to have a voice. But that can only stay that way if you stay involved!
Aside from that, we learned a lot about new technology that is becoming ever cheaper and faster, 360-degree video and virtual reality, partnering with community organizations, and a whole lot more…and we’re eager to share it with you so you can use it for your own projects!
