TVM has been struggling financially due to city budget cuts and major building issues that devastated the nonprofit's budget to produce local programming as it cablecasts city council, school board, planning commission meetings, local high school sports and other community events and features.
City Manager Doug Adkins said instead of a straight grant of $20,000 to TVM, the cable station would receive the funds but will work with the city to provide additional television programming through the end of 2015.
“The concept is to develop new positive programming for the city while giving TV Middletown additional operational assistance,” Adkins said. “As it stands now, it would be a one-time purchase of programming. It could be incorporated into future years if council believe the results warrant future additional funding.”
Adkins gave two quick examples of TVM's work just in the past week — the filming of the groundbreaking of AK Steel's new Research and Innovation Center and the Middletown Rotary Club's 90th Anniversary dinner both on the same day.
“Their coverage of city and school district meetings and events along with civic events and high school sports programs is valued by the community,” Adkins said.
Once the details are completed, the proposal will go to council for approval at an upcoming meeting.
“What that $20,000 does will help us get through to the end of the year,” said Ty Thomas, TV Middletown’s executive director. “The city believes in us and would like us to cover more things positively Middletown.”
Thomas said the proposal has been discussed with his board, where Adkins and Councilwoman Anita Scott Jones are also TV Middletown board members and Adkins and Scott Jones discussed it again with city council at its last work session. However, Thomas said the final details haven’t been worked out yet, but the station would do its best as he and one other person are the only full-time employees and a group of volunteers to do the work.
“I definitely think this is going to be a ‘win-win’ for the us and the city,” he said.
Thomas said while the city has cut back its funding over the past few years, the organization has been faced with huge building maintenance and repair expenses — about $900,000 — higher insurance premiums as well as increased taxes following the last county property reappraisal that nearly doubled its tax bill. He said those expenses hampered the station’s ability to upgrade its equipment.
“We’re moving along well after the water damage and we’re open to selling the building,” Thomas said. He added that a real estate agent is working on listing the building on Central Avenue.
In an effort to raise additional community donations, the station conducted a six-hour telethon over two days during Mother's Day weekend and raised just more than $11,000. Thomas said another telethon is in the works.
Mike Scorti, who serves as the TV Middletown board chairman, said while the city cut its funding, they’re now trying to help the station stay afloat financially. He said the organization has done all that it can do and there is only so much private contributions can help.
“I like the cooperation were getting from the city,” Scorti said. “I’m glad to see Doug (Adkins) sees our problem and is willing to work with us. I’m happy with the proposal and we’ll work toward those goals.”
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