PCTV In the News
Princeton Community Televison experiences big jump in volunteers and programming
Princeton Packet Nov. 1, 05
At first glance, it's a small, dingy room. Two chairs sit behind a wooden coffee table decorated with two bouquets of fake flowers. Black curtains hang behind the chairs.
But turn on the camera and the room becomes a set — and well-known local faces fill the empty chairs. At the Princeton Community Television TV30 headquarters in the Valley Road building on Witherspoon Street, it's all part of a day's work.
One morning last week, volunteers at the station taped Princeton Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand in the "Meet the Mayor" program, and in the same afternoon featured the founding director of The Arts Council of Princeton, Anne Reeves, in a special issue of her program, "Connect." The episode was a tribute to the late Princeton Borough Mayor Joseph O'Neill and featured former Princeton Borough Mayor Marvin Reed and Princeton Township Committeeman Lance Liverman, as well as Mayor Marchand.
Since the beginning of the year, the television station has had a significant increase in volunteers and in programming. Now, roughly 60 volunteers staff the station, up from 28 in January. The channel offers a variety of programs — from series that run on a regular basis, like "Connect," to event programs to public service announcements. In June alone, 237 different programs aired.
TV30 also has a new executive director in George McCollough. Mr. McCollough spent 10 years working at the educational channel at Drexel University. He said he came to Princeton looking for new challenges and found a very active community.
"I believe in media democracy, having more access for people to actually produce and create media," Mr. McCollough said. "Putting up this wall where you only have professionals on TV is wrong."
Thirty to 40 percent of the shows aired on TV30 are original, meaning shot and produced in Princeton, Mr. McCollough said. At Wednesday's tapings, three volunteers and Mr. McCollough gathered to film Mayor Marchand with Susan Levin, New Jersey coordinator of the Lung Cancer Alliance, during "Meet the Mayor" and the local officials with Ms. Reeves during "Connect."
Two volunteers manned the cameras, set at different angles, while a third sat behind a screen, simultaneously editing the program.
Susan Mott, who edited the program, said she joined TV30 as a volunteer because she was looking for a hobby as retirement from her job at The Hun School of Princeton approached.
"Retirement was coming up, and I thought, 'What will I do with myself?'" she said. She began by working the TV camera but has learned how to edit as well.
For Mr. McCollough, the people who produce, shoot or otherwise create the shows are the most important element.
Jim Archer, who worked as one of the cameramen during both programs, is in the midst of trying to change careers. He previously worked in computers, but now wants to get into the television business. Though he had little experience before coming to TV30, he now is doing camerawork and working on directing and editing.
"You get to see things go from creative ideas to the finished product," Mr. Archer explained.
Experience is not a requirement for volunteering for TV30. Mr. McCollough said he can teach newcomers how to work the camera in just moments.
Robert Jenkins Jr. was teaching classes at The Arts Council of Princeton several years ago when TV30 was headquartered in the same building. With no experience, he decided to join the station's volunteer group, and he's now a committed volunteer.
As Mr. McCollough looks to the future, he said he'd like to make the TV30 programs available on the Web and raise more money for the station. He'd also like to institute screenings, possibly at the public library, where audiences could gather to watch the programs. Mr. McCollough said screenings would give TV30 a better sense of its audience as well as offer an opportunity for civic dialogue.
"A station like TV30 is extremely valuable," he said.
Summer 2009