Charlottesville Public Access Television

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CPA-TV is one of three PEG (Public, Education, and Government) television stations operated by the City of Charlottesville to Comcast subscribers in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The entity is the successor to Jefferson Cable and Adelphia Cable. In 2019, the station moved its production studio into the Charlottesville Community Media Center at York Place. [1] The Charlottesville PEG-TV operation is managed by David Dillehunt.


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History

In 1970, Jefferson Cable began a local community access television channel in Charlottesville, WJCC Cablevision Channel 11, for both government and public interest programming. Ultimately making the move to channel 10, thousands of hours of local television would be produced over the next two decades.

In 1993, Adelphia Communications purchased the existing cable system. The City and Adelphia Cable entered into a franchise agreement, providing for the addition of two stations on Channels 13 and 14. Production resumed in the original studio facilities at 324 West Main Street in Charlottesville, and the three stations quickly grew with strong support from cable access advocates Meredith Richards and Mitch Van Yahres.

In 1998, Adelphia, the City and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center reached an agreement to house the access facilities at CATEC as part of a five year lease, in exchange for educational use of all production equipment by the school and its video production students. As a result, all three stations made the move from Downtown to CATEC in the spring of 1999, and was fully functional that August. Following a fifteen year partnership, CPA-TV moved into City Hall in 2014.

In 2015, the Charlottesville Fire Department agreed to allow CPA-TV to operate out of space it leased from the Virginia Department of Forestry near the Fontaine Research Park. The City paid $18,900 in annual rent for two buildings and a shed at that location.

In February 2019, The Ryal Thomas Show, LLC asked the City if it would consider a partnership for a new studio on the Downtown Mall. The City would lease the property, and Thomas would pay the rent in exchange for priority access to the City's space and broadcast equipment for a new commercial television show. Council approved the idea at its meeting on April 15, 2019. [1]

Awards

2020: Charlottesville PEG-TV was nominated for a regional Emmy Award in the category of Overall Excellence for its outreach efforts and technical achievements during the pandemic.[2]

2012: City staff member David Dillehunt was nominated for a regional Emmy Award for his interstitial promo showcasing The First Tee of Charlottesville.[3]

2003: The City's Office of Communications won the Savvy Award from the City-County Communications and Marketing Association for Government Access production.[4]

Former programs

  • Community History
  • The Trevor Moore Show
  • Defying Belief
  • Caught in the Act
  • Evoking Positive Dreams
  • Artistic Expressions
  • VOICES with Ryal Thomas
  • Politics Matters
  • Community Focus
  • Pigskin Pick'em

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Web. Agenda (with background) for April 15, 2019 Charlottesville City Council Meeting, City Council Agenda, City of Charlottesville, retrieved April 17, 2019.
  2. Web. 2020 National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter Emmy Awards
  3. Web. 2012 National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter Emmy Awards
  4. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, November 17, 2003.

External links

Official site