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BCTV Cable Channel 2
Belfast -- Searsport

Belfast Community TV’s mission is to reflect and strengthen the unique spirit and character of Belfast, Maine in order to enrich the lives of residents and visitors in the Midcoast region by fostering communication, free speech, artistic expression as well as creating opportunities through television and other electronic media.

BCTV Program director’s Report
November 30, 2006

Equipment and Facilities: We have been creating a comfortable space in the recently insulated portion of the boathouse attic. The cast from “a new vaudeville revue” has been rehearsing in the space and contributed some posters for the walls. Instead of fabric from Moss, I have been using carpet remnants to cover the plastic sheets that hold the blown in insulation. So far the room has been considerably warmer than the uninsulated attic space, but to be comfortable it still helps to dress warmly. We are only using the heat that rises from the lower floor to keep our space warm, but it seems to be working.

The logo inserter is up and running, so viewers of our channel will notice a semitransparent BCTV-2 logo on the lower right hand corner of the TV screen. With so many channels to choose from, it is useful to identify our channel.

Bob Nichols, who attended our last advisory group meeting is donating a server to BCTV. A server is basically a device that can play files off a computer at a pre determined time. Files can be shows, station ID’s ,underwriter messages etc. This will make it easier for us to offer more and varied programs. There is a learning curve, to figure out how to run the server, but I am getting familiar with the software, which Bob designed and has already installed in our PC. One benefit to the server is that we are able to download public domain and other programming off the web and easily move it into the server. I have been going to “archive.org” and downloading vintage cartoons and some rather interesting old government films.

A Printout on using iMovie HD, an editing program that comes with apple computers, has been assembled into a looseleaaf binder and is available to use with our new mini mac computer. We are now able to offer folks an opportunity to use a computer to edit their videos. We have a suggested donation rate of $10/hour for use of the computer.

Programming: We are in the midst of running the Camden Conference that took place last February. There are 6, 2 hour programs, and I am scheduling a new program each week. We recently showed the 3rd Waldo County fiddlers showcase, and A new season of “A new vaudeville revue” is in full swing, with the next live show happening this Saturday Dec. 2. We are also showing a half hour program this week provided by “Growsmart Maine” which discusses a recent Brookings institute report on the future of Maine’s economy. I have also recently completed a demo video for a local folk duo “Me and Martha” which will air on our channel. There is a local antique Auction show tentatively entitled “At the Auction with Andrews and Andrews” which should begin airing by the new year. Replays of Belfast High School basketball games will will be shown on BCTV. The live games will air on the high school channel. Insight productions will again be producing those games in association with the video crew from the high school. Other project in development include a Theater review show and a “sustainable living” show. We also hope to continue to make connections with other coastal community TV stations so that we might share some of our programming.

Respectfully submitted by Ned Lightner

Camden conference airs on BCTV-2

Last February's 19th annual Camden conference which concentrated on China will be airing in 5 segments over the next few weeks. This is a very interesting series of programs and we are pleased that the Camden Conference organization has made these programs available to us.

Bug me
We are pleased to have recently acquired a logo generator which will allow us to place a "bug" in the lower right hand corner of our channel output. some people suggested that we do this so folks will know that the channel they are watching is BCTV-2.
Producers may wish to keep this in mind when developing graphics for their programs. We are figuring out how to create the graphic and have yet to install the device but it should be on line in the next week or so.