About Us..

Funding: CAT-TV is primarily funded through the franchise fees paid by the area cable provider, Comcast Cable. Franchise fees are levied on the cable provider for using the community’s public rights of way in order to provide cable service to their customers. In Vermont, franchise agreements are regulated through the Public Service Board, with individual contracts between area access centers (CAT-TV) and the cable providers that determine the exact amount of funding. CAT-TV receives 5.77% of the gross annual income which Comcast earns from cable subscribers in the five towns we serve, Bennington, North Bennington, Woodford, Pownal and Shaftsbury. Our organization will enter into a contract renewal process with Comcast in 2011. Future funding considerations as well as other important contractual issues will then be determined.

Membership: Membership to CAT-TV is free to local citizens who reside, work or attend school fulltime in Bennington, North Bennington, Woodford, Pownal or Shaftsbury. People outside those towns still wishing to join CAT-TV may do so as an Associate Member for $25 per year. Membership begins with a free one-hour orientation session. As a member, one is able to participate in our training courses, use our production equipment and facilities, and submit programming to the channels.

Programming: Programs seen on CAT-TV are predominately created by local citizens who have been trained to use our production equipment. Our production staff produces many local programs, including the school and town board meetings. The remainder of programs originate from other access centers in Vermont, neighboring states or even from across the country, as well as from satellites. Priority is given to locally produced programming, and then to statewide and regional programming. All programs are sponsored by or produced by local community members making local television truly for the community, by the community.

Training & Equipment: CAT-TV maintains a state-of-the-art facility in a historical home right in the heart of downtown Bennington. We offer community members the opportunity to utilize all of our field and in-house production equipment. Included in our inventory are consumer level and professional grade digital video cameras, professional digital video editing stations, and a full 3-camera studio. We also have sound equipment, lighting kits, and all of the other equipment you would expect to find in a production facility. Our production staff is knowledgeable and experienced in training new members in all areas of video production. Courses are offered regularly and enable students to become proficient in specific areas of interest. Once courses are completed, members receive certification to borrow and use the equipment related to the course. Technical support is always available and ongoing from the production staff.

Community: CAT-TV is about community. We are here to help the community learn and use technology to create television programs for all to enjoy. CAT-TV is your television station; it is a place for your voice to be heard, a place for you to stay informed, a place for your nonprofit organization to deliver services, a place for you to learn technology and a place for you to volunteer your skills. CAT-TV is the place where Bennington comes together.