The nonprofit organization has been struggling financially for the past few years and many of its former viewers were seeking local information on social media, an outlet that TVM could not support. TVM, which launched programming 18 years ago, was required to provide 30 days notice to Time Warner Cable per its agreement.
For the past several months, TVM and city officials have gone back and forth concerning funding. The non-profit organization sought additional funding from the city to make ends meet but did not provide a financial plan that was satisfactory to city officials. TVM operated on a budget of $150,000 a year — $112,000 from the city and $38,000 from the Middletown City Schools. Middletown City Council has budgeted $112,000 for TVM in the 2016 budget.
In late September, TVM announced it was going to a social media format. It also announced the layoff of its entire 2½-person staff as well as placing its equipment and put its building 1131 Central Avenue up for sale. TVM board president Mike Scorti also requested a $20,000 loan to shutter the community television station and that it would be repaid once it sold its building.
Scorti said the end of TVM on Channel 24 is “very sad” and noted that it produced 400 programs a year. He said the TVM board is actively trying to sell the equipment and already has two prospects interested in buying their building at 1131 Central Ave.
“The building is in great shape,” he said.
Once the equipment and building are sold and the city loan is repaid, Scorti said the board is required as a nonprofit organization to distribute all funds to charities before it can dissolved.
“All good things come to an end,” Scorti said. “We did the best we could.”
City Manager Doug Adkins told Middletown City Council at its Dec. 15 meeting of the TVM board decision to end operations. At that time, he told council that he had contacted Time Warner Cable and informed them that the matter would be discussed further at council’s annual goal setting retreat that is set for Jan. 23.
Adkins was on vacation this week and could not be reached for additional comment for this story.
At the Dec. 15 council meeting, Adkins recommended loaning $20,000 to TVM assist in shuttering the community television station. He also wanted to look at the TVM’s equipment as well as getting an understanding to determine if bringing it in-house was a viable option. Adkins said the city is already upgrading the camera equipment in the council chamber.
“If it doesn’t work out, we can shut down TV Middletown or put out an RFP (request for proposals),” he said.
Adkins also said he received an unsolicited proposal from He also said that OurTownTV has submitted a proposal to pick up programming where TVM stopped. Since late October, OurTownTV began producing various community interest features that are streamed via the internet.
New proposal offers new opportunity
In his proposal, Kevin Stamper of OurTownTV was seeking a five-year contract at $62,000 a year that also included a probationary period, to provide management, production, implementation of both on demand and live stream programming via Channel 24 and through various social media avenues, including, but not limited to FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. He said that the city, community and school programming would be delivered on all devices “and no one would be left behind.”
Among the various items in the proposal that included two to five new shows per week; three to five streaming events per week; and two to four uploaded, non time-sensitive, shows per week; monthly reports on social media reaches and projections; monthly strategy and production meetings with city officials; a bi-monthly class/workshop for community content providers; and a student/community intern/apprentice program.
“With all of the new things coming (to Middletown), it’s a terrible time to lose coverage,” Stamper told the Journal-News.
“TV Middletown did a great job and we want to do those things that are now being missed.”
Stamper said he has met with Adkins and other city staff members as well as Time Warner Cable to discuss the picking up where TVM left off. He said the new OurTownTV has been getting viewers and that he has received calls for event coverage.
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