LPCTV’s 2010 Summary: Onward and Upward

An Open Letter from LPCTV:

LPCTV serves the Black River Valley and Okemo region by:
- operating two community television channels on local cable TV (8 & 10 in Ludlow, Plymouth, and Cavendish; 20 & 21 in Mount Holly), 24 hours per day, 365 days per year
- providing free and low-cost media production and skills training to community members
-providing channel time, a TV studio, and production equipment to individuals & organizations on a first-come, first-serve basis
- operating a website that features “video-on-demand” of local programming and community announcements
- publicizing local community events, news, & information
- recording & broadcasting “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of local government meetings
- assisting local organizations with outreach & communications strategies
- promoting local arts & culture
- providing educational & recreational opportunities for youth through after-school programs, summer camps, & more
- sharing video programming from around the state through participation in the Vermont Media Exchange (VMX)

LPCTV has spent much of the last year on building a sound business model, by developing and increasing new revenue streams, such as business underwriting, fee-based production services, membership fees, and Town support (through appropriations). Strengthening our revenue streams has become increasingly important and is even more so now, as we prepare for the upcoming move to our new home on the former Ludlow Armory property, now scheduled for late 2011. The projected budget for the LPCTV build-out in the new building is $235,000. In addition, LPCTV’s monthly expenses will be increasing approximately 300% in rent and utilities. Our newly-refined business plan addresses these issues head-on.

LPCTV realizes that those added costs are far outweighed by the benefits our new home will bring to the community. By providing a much larger, more accommodating, and inviting facility, we will be dramatically enhancing our services to individuals and organizations throughout the region. Such enhancements will include:
- educational opportunities such as classes, workshops, and group trainings
- the ability to host community events and public screenings
- support for the arts with performances from theatre groups, live bands, and more
- a more accommodating / larger space for community members to make their own TV shows, which will include a much larger studio set, a portable kitchen, & audience seating area.
- sound / edit room for the recording or oral / visual histories (we will be working with local historical groups on a documentary & archiving project

The LPCTV Board of Directors completed a strategic plan in 2010, which included a new vision, mission statement, goals, as well as the aforementioned business plan.

Vision: LPCTV strives to be a primary source for exchanging information in our region by increasing and enhancing the delivery of locally-produced media and expanding the reach of its service area and modes of delivery.

Mission Statement: LPCTV gives voice to the community by facilitating the production and delivery of media and providing state-of-the-art facilities.

With 2010 coming to a close, it’s worth noting that the upcoming year will be LPCTV’s biggest. LPCTV will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2011. As we mark that occasion, we will be in transition from the “little TV station” based in the Ludlow Elementary School into becoming a true community media center with in a new state-of-the-art facility.

We would like to thank those who have already assisted in making this move to the former Ludlow Armory “tank barn” possible- the Town of Ludlow, the votes of Ludlow, the Ludlow Armory Advisory committee, the LPCTV Board of Directors, and the Vermont legislature. Without the support from these key parties, we would not have this great new location for a future home.

We have our work cut out for us through the first half of this upcoming year, but the payoff will be tremendous.