What is BCA's Mission
Statement?
To encourage diversity and
freedom of expression by citizens in the public, educational
and government access community through the provision
of training, facilities and cablecast time.
What types of
programming does BCA air?
BCA airs several different types
of programs across our three channels: BCA 9, 12 and
98.
BCA Channel 9 (Public Access) schedule includes
programs ranging from cultural oriented to interview format,
informational to documentary, sketch comedy and local events.
For more information on the BCA Channel 9 lineup
click here.
BCA Channel 12 (Government Access) carries many local
meetings such as City Council Meetings and Financial Committee
Meetings as well as other government related programs.
For more information about programming on BCA Channel 12
click here.
BCA Channel 98 (Educational Access) airs Boxer sports
like football, hockey, volleyball and wrestling as well as
concerts, plays, the Brockton Public School Departments own
"School Scene", and much more.
How many people
watch your channels?
Although there is no way for us
to provide a specific number
such as the
"Nielsens" and similar research groups do for network and
cable, we can provide the following factual information:
Brockton's population is estimated (based upon recent census
data) as around 100,000 people and their are approximately
23,000 subscribers (which include home and business).
Aren’t
you guys the cable company?
No.
BCA is a non-profit Cable Access Television station. We
manage three channels for the residents of
Brockton (Public, Educational, and Government).
Unfortunately, we do not have a say in what
channels are carried by the cable provider (currently
Comcast).
I see a lot of
shows on your channels; doesn’t BCA staff do it all?
Absolutely not,
Community Access Centers the size of BCA do produce some
programming for the community; however, we survive and thrive
by our volunteers producing their own programming.
Paraphrasing the proverb, “you can give someone fish or teach
someone to fish”. Our primary mission is to train the
community to produce programs they want and then to manage the
three channels (Public 9, Government 12, and Educational 98)
in Brockton. We couldn’t possibly do it all and the
nature of community access it is neither possible nor
appropriate for everything to be produced by BCA.
Community Access is “Do It Yourself TV” or “TV for the
community by the community.
How do I get a show
on the air?
Here is what you do.
Fill out a television program application and submit it for
approval to the General Manager. Upon approval attend
the next available orientation session. Once the session
is complete you will attend the training programs that apply
to the program application you submitted. After being
certified in training and assuming your program application
was approved, you’re ready to produce.
How do
I get a message on your bulletin board?
Fill out the “Bulletin Board“
form and submit it to BCA by fax, mail or drop it off for
approval for posting OR you can submit it via our website by
going to the Bulletin Board page on
our website. Please keep in mind you must be a certified
non-profit organization to utilize our bulletin board.
What happened to channel 12 from Providence?
The
decision to remove two Providence channels from Brockton’s
cable lineup was made by Comcast. Our local government
channel was moved from channel 98 to channel 12, again this
decision was made by the cable the provider.From
Subject Received Size
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I saw a program on your channel I liked, how can I obtain a
copy?
BCA is
happy to make copies (“dubs”) of the programs that air on our
three channels for a minimal fee. Call us at (508) 580 -
2228 or email us at info@BCATV.org for more information.
Currently, we are only capable of producing the dub on a VHS
format, but stay tuned as BCA is heading towards DVD soon!
It
must be really tough to produce a show, right?
Actually it is not
that difficult. There are many aspects involved in a
production; however, through
Training,
through effort, through trying you will learn the skills
quickly and your product will reflect your growth. Youth
to senior citizens have produced TV programs for Brockton, so
we’re positive you can to.
Do
you offer training?
Yes we do! BCA proudly offers multiple training
programs. For more information see our
Training Page. One note, in
order to receive training from BCA you must be a
Brockton resident AND attend an orientation.
Can I still volunteer even though I’m not technically
proficient?
Yes. Our staff is here to assist you through production
and we offer training to hone your
skills.
Can I volunteer even though I don’t have an idea for a show?
Of course. You don’t need to produce a program to be
involved as a volunteer. You can participate by being a
member of a production crew.
Can
I utilize BCA equipment for my personal use?
No. We provide facilities and equipment for the
non-commercial purposes of programs to be cablecast in the
City of Brockton. Anything you choose to produce must
fit with in our policies and procedures to be cablecast on our
channel.
