Community Media Assets Survey Report
Download the full report here.
Community media centers (CMCs) are small but mighty forces essential to strengthening the civic health of communities nationwide. To learn more about their relevance, the Community Media Center Alliance Working Group has documented how they operate, their role in our communities, and their contribution to a flourishing civic media movement.
Our study suggests there is a prime opportunity and increasing need to:
Develop state-level organizing strategies that foster local collaborations and individual growth for CMCs.
Forge partnerships between CMCs and adjacent, values-aligned civic media (such as community-guided newsrooms).
Collect more data about the breadth and depth of CMCs’ social impact.
Galvanize a nationwide civic media policy agenda that includes advocacy for CMCs.
“Community media centers offer newsrooms valuable access to hyperlocal content, diverse audiences, production facilities, and local content distribution pathways.”
CMCs can be easily identified as communication hubs primarily responsible for distributing civic news, governmental information, and public interest programs via local cable television channels. CMCs also digitally stream their community programs via locally controlled websites and third-party platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and YouTube. Some, like PhillyCAM in Pennsylvania, Davis Media Access in California, and Grand Rapids Community Media Center in Michigan, also maintain community-operated radio stations.
The scope and quality of CMC-distributed programs are widely varied and typically aim to address regional interests. When you come across a channel showing high school graduations, intramural sports, town halls, municipal meetings, and an eclectic assortment of community-made programs, you’re likely watching content produced and distributed thanks to a CMC.
CMCs are rooted in the legacy of grassroots community television practices and social change philosophies that took shape in the U.S. and Canada in the 1970s. This North American community media movement gained traction as cable systems expanded, creating opportunities for advocates to request access to community channels, production facilities, and technical support staff. There was a burgeoning interest in employing new media technologies (such as cable television and portable video) to develop original programming that, in contrast to mainstream broadcast channels, represented neighborhood-level interests and concerns. In the U.S., the extension of this movement was driven by the Alliance for Community Media and guided by the core principles of localism, media education, public service, and freedom of expression.
As cable television boomed in the 1980s and ‘90s, over 2,500 community television operations provided hundreds of hours of locally made programming. These entities were also generally known as public access television because they typically offered services that allowed the public to make television on their terms, with little to no governmental and commercial interference. Distinct from state and federal government-funded public broadcast television and radio models (such as PBS and NPR), public access television operations are traditionally sustained by cable subscription fees. They also take pride in providing educational opportunities for non-professionals to operate production equipment and make editorial decisions that communicate authentic community perspectives.
In the 1990s, community television practitioners began using the broad term “CMC” to reference the expansive services of non-commercial media organizations that operated public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access channels. Many of these practitioners aspired to and succeeded in expanding their PEG channel operations into centers that also supported community-operated radio stations, public computer labs, and multipurpose spaces for community gatherings.
Unfortunately, in the early 2000s, seismic political and economic shifts in the telecom industry negatively impacted the growth potential of CMCs and PEG channels nationwide. It became increasingly more challenging for communities to access cable revenue, which paid for these media centers' operational needs (mostly staffing). Despite the decline that centers and channels have experienced over the past twenty years, the Alliance for Community Media has reported that, as of April 2025, over 1,600 entities (which many practitioners still call CMCs) program 3,000 local cable channels nationwide.
Recent academic case studies have found that CMCs attached to hyperlocal and regional cable channel systems still demonstrate relevance and value in a digital age. Academics have used these studies to argue that the infrastructure, which continues to sustain so many CMCs, should not be forgotten or overlooked. They have found that the participatory nature of this infrastructure, defined by its accessible channels, equipment, facilities, and knowledgeable staffers, promotes civic engagement and neighborhood-level local communication in ways unparalleled by other forms of public service media.
“Whether through citizen journalism, live broadcasts of municipal meetings, or coverage of neighborhood events, community media ensures that critical
local issues are brought to light, contributing to a more informed and engaged public.”
Critical perspectives from the News Futures community also suggest that CMCs and their local channels have a crucial role in guiding the development of today’s emerging civic media practices and philosophies. But even with these affirming claims, more data and insights are needed to articulate how public communication services provided by CMCs, including community-operated television and radio stations, can help communities address widespread local news and information deficiencies.
About the Project
In February 2024, with recruitment support from Dr. Antoine Haywood, News Futures assembled five CMC-based practitioners to create the Community Media Alliance Working Group. The practitioners in this group were chosen for their professional expertise and membership in the Alliance for Community Media. Their participation has ultimately helped News Futures and the Alliance for Community Media establish a productive working relationship.
The project's initial plan was to track the development of local news programs produced at CMCs. When the working group shared these plans and vision with other members of the News Futures collective, it became clear that people working in adjacent sectors were interested in learning more about the broad range of assets CMCs generally offer. Thus, the working group expanded its research scope and collected data that helped render a more expansive view of CMC infrastructure nationwide.
This report details the methods, findings, and implications of an online survey the working group conducted between June and August 2024. A wide net was cast to gather substantial data about CMC service environments, operational models, and public service offerings.
This project enabled the working group to start a new data collection process, ultimately enriching their anecdotal practitioner knowledge and paving the way for future research in their field. The synthesis of this data offers a contemporary perspective that focuses on how this field can serve as a pathway for civic media and community-centered journalism partnerships. This data ultimately renders a broader story about how CMCs help their communities fill local news and civic information gaps.
The Community Media Alliance Working Group
The members of this News Futures Community Media Alliance Working Group are:
Lead Stewards
Antoine Haywood, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Journalism Department at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. As a community-engaged scholar, Dr. Haywood is keen on understanding how communities use local communication infrastructure such as community-made video, radio, press, and digital publications to articulate regional identity, build social capital, and fill local news and information gaps. Dr. Haywood also has extensive experience serving, in various capacities, community-centered media organizations such as People TV, Radio Free Georgia, Philadelphia Community Access Media, Independence Public Media Foundation, and the Alliance for Community Media.
Kristen Clark is a narrative audio producer, community-centered journalist, and organizer based in Washington, D.C. Her recent work entails producing podcasts for National Geographic, co-creating a participatory journalism program with local teens, and facilitating a county-wide community visioning project with residents in Arlington, Virginia.
Contributing Team Members
Heather Adams is the Executive Director of Berks Community Television (BCTV) in Reading, PA. BCTV is a nonprofit organization committed to empowering people and engaging the community through media. With over 10 years of leadership experience in community media, Heather has driven content strategy and operational growth at BCTV, and she is passionate about revitalizing news and media ecosystems. She was selected to serve as the Spotlight PA Berks Project Lead in 2023 and led the research and planning for the launch of a Spotlight PA journalism bureau serving Berks County. Outside of work, Heather enjoys cooking and crafting and actively volunteers with several local organizations.
Jason Daniels is a multimedia project manager, video artist, and community builder with 20 years of experience in community media. He is currently the Executive Director of Access Framingham in Framingham, Massachusetts, and has served on the Alliance for Community National and Northeast Region boards.
Autumn Labbe-Renault is the Executive Director at Davis Media Access (DMA). Autumn, a former newspaper journalist, was a principal in developing the DMA-affiliated community radio station, KDRT, and has leveraged this platform to produce timely journalistic programs that responded to local news and informational needs at the onset of COVID-19. She is the executive producer of DMA’s long-running nonpartisan local election coverage and a widely published writer who contributes monthly columns on media and telecommunications in The Davis Enterprise. Autumn also has extensive advising and board leadership experience with organizations such as Arts Alliance Davis, the City of Davis’s Broadband Advisory Taskforce, and the Alliance for Community Media Western Region.
Matt Schuster is the Executive Director of Public Media Network (PMN), where he champions community storytelling, civic engagement, and equitable access to media resources. Under his leadership, PMN has become a hub for amplifying diverse voices, training emerging storytellers, and fostering transparency in local government. With 30 years of experience in community media, Matt is a frequent speaker and advocate for media equity. He holds a Master’s in Media Arts from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s from Western Michigan University.
Rebecca Smith is a director, photographer, and entrepreneur with over 15 years of leadership across legacy and community media, journalism, and strategic communication. As the CEO and owner of BFRESH Productions, she is dedicated to bringing communities together through storytelling to reflect a more accessible, inclusive, and collaborative people-first future. Rebecca is a descendant of the White Earth Anishinaabe and believes sharing personal histories and narratives can be a powerful catalyst for social change. Rebecca is currently the director of SPEAK MPLS, a member-powered community media center reimagining the future of media in Minneapolis through activating community connections and creative opportunities with two studios, media labs, equipment, and training.
Data CollectioN
To better understand the programmatic and operational assets of CMCs and the environments in which they operate, we did the following:
Conducted an active online survey from June 10 to August 2, 2024.
Collaborated with the Alliance for Community Media (ACM), the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), and News Futures to circulate and promote survey participation throughout their professional networks.
Utilized a survey instrument that included 46 questions, which were formatted as multiple choice, numeric entry, and short answer.
Synthesized data from 189 completed surveys (this is an averaged completion rate since some questions received more responses than others).
The survey questions were organized into three primary categories:
Service Area Characteristics
Organizational Models & Characteristics
Community-Benefiting Services
The following section presents our findings and explains the significance of what we have learned about the community-operated media entities represented in this study.
Summary of Findings
Service Area Characteristics
The first grouping of questions gathered information about the community environments where community media services are provided. We found that most respondents serve suburban and urban areas. Of the respondents, 38% indicated that their service area jurisdictions have under 50,000 residents.
These localities have a notable number of colleges and universities, with community colleges being the most prevalent.
The top three local media in these areas include:
Seven respondents indicated that their areas are not served by print or online news, and fourteen indicated they are the only local media outlet in their area.
Operational Models and Characteristics
When asked to identify their organizational structure, of the 186 participants that responded to this question, 90 indicated they were affiliated with a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, and 40 identified as being affiliated with a division or department of a local government. Other notable organizational structures included CMCs tied to local grade schools, colleges, and universities. Four respondents reported a tribal affiliation.
The response to the question about CMCs' operational budget range was a bell curve. The peak range is between $250k and $500k (average = $375k).
The leading revenue sources include:
Cable-franchise-related funding.
Donations.
Fee-based production services.
“No amount of money can replace genuine, respectful co-creation of community events that have as their foundation care for the community and its needs. ”
There is a near-even split between CMCs that do and do not require membership fees to access services such as borrowing equipment or using studio production facilities. For those not requiring payment, a proof of residency within the service area is typically needed.
Editing suites, live online streaming capacity, field video cameras (for borrowing), and TV/Video studio production facilities are the dominant physical assets of these centers. Audio production kits and studios were also notable.
Local governments, nonprofits, and arts and culture organizations are the leading partners for community media.
“Our team at the public high school provides mentoring and leadership opportunities for students to further develop real-world experience with broadcast and distribution technologies in a supportive setting.”
For those generating video content, local cable channels, YouTube, and organizational websites are the primary platforms for disseminating programming. Roku, Apple TV, Archive.org, and newsletters are additional notable local content distribution mechanisms. Many CMCs reported originating, streaming, and cablecast video programming in SD and HD. PEG channels are the dominant television platform used, and a significant number are, in some way, affiliated with an audio distribution platform (e.g., FM radio, podcast channel, online-only radio stream).
Facebook and Instagram are the dominant social media platforms that CMCs use to communicate information publicly. There was also a notable usage of LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). Thirty-two indicated the use of popular video-driven apps such as TikTok. Google Analytics, streaming counts, and social media online audience metrics are primary ways CMCs measure and track audience engagement with their content.
Community-Benefiting Services
The leading types of structured learning activities provided are internships and short training sessions (1 to 4 sessions long). 63 respondents reported supporting after-school programs for youth. The top three training services are field video production, editing, and TV studio production. Audio editing and podcasting were also reported at a notable rate. 98 indicated offering training services categorized as journalism/community reporting and nonfiction documentary production.
Respondents reported that the leading community media services they provide are:
Municipal meeting coverage.
Talk-based informational programs.
Community event and performing arts coverage.
Equipment borrowing.
Media production services for local businesses/nonprofits.
Of 184 responses, 112 respondents indicated they distribute or create content in multiple languages, and 40 provide captioning services in English and other languages. 84 indicated they provide English-only captioning services.
104 respondents reported using an electronic programming guide to communicate with audiences the titles and descriptions of programs playing on their channels.
“It is critically important for all candidates, and not just ones from major parties, to have access to media platforms to share their viewpoints and candidacies with the public without an intermediary.”
The primary programming support services offered include the distribution of public health and safety information, comprehensive coverage of local government meetings, and content aimed at connecting local audiences with community resources. Many CMCs also facilitate oral history programs, conduct community needs assessments, and collaborate with local news organizations to create and distribute content. Additionally, ten respondents noted their connection with the City Bureau's Documenters program.
Eighty respondents reported providing participatory journalism and documentary programs for youth and adults, and thirty-four have professional journalism/news staffers.
155 organizations reported producing editorialized community news content created by staff or volunteers. The most practiced format for local election coverage is community forums, with 93 organizations providing production services for local candidate statements and 72 offering live coverage on local election nights.
Top-level Takeaways
While the Alliance for Community Media has reported that over 1,600 CMCs exist, we captured a modest yet representative sample of what they offer their communities. Many of these offerings have great potential to benefit the growth of new civic media initiatives and local journalism experiments designed to be responsive to community needs.
The nonprofit status of most survey participants suggests they have an independent operational structure that allows them to develop programs and form partnerships that do not necessitate local government involvement. This is significant considering independent journalists prefer to produce content in environments free of commercial and governmental interference.
“As a cornerstone in the landscape of modern civic media, community media emphasizes the role of local voices in shaping public discourse, providing a platform for individuals and groups to share their stories, advocate for change, and participate in democratic processes.”
The following are additional takeaways that help us understand the relevance and value of CMCs.
They are accessible training sites for motivated volunteers/independent adult learners, high-school and higher-education interns, and teens in summer and after-school programs.
They sustain community news and information production services. Some are self-initiated; others are developed through partnerships with local community service organizations.
They provide production support services that entail making skilled labor, A/V equipment, and community gathering spaces accessible.
The distribution of these assets is not uniform nationwide; however, there are ample examples of models that should be built upon to address widespread local news and information access problems in novel ways.
Moving Forward
After assessing the survey’s results, we see great potential to:
Develop state-level organizing strategies facilitating productive connections between independent nonprofit news operations and civic media collectives. More examples of productive local news and information collaborations with CMCs are needed. Experimenting with collaborations that involve libraries, community colleges, and voter participation initiatives could be fruitful.
Forge collaborations with adjacent, values-aligned civic media and engagement data collection projects to craft a broader narrative about radio and television-based CMCs' role in local media environments.
Collect additional data about CMCs' social impact and the complex threats hindering their community-level progress. Practitioners who track, scrutinize, and challenge these threats have exceptional knowledge about the relationship between local politics, community needs, and civic communication infrastructure. They also truly understand how CMCs serve as powerful agents of change.
Galvanize a nationwide civic media policy agenda that includes advocacy for community radio and television-based media centers. Localism, community control, and environmental sustainability are potential organizing principles.
Strengthen the collective identity of CMCs while articulating a re-energized sense of purpose rooted in and nourished by the spirit of community television and radio activism legacy.
Additional Resources
Community Media Archive: Gathering the diverse local programs created through community access - including local non-commercial television channels on cable television systems serving a wide range of Public, Education and Government (PEG) purposes.
Alliance for Community Media: Representing over 1,700 Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) access organizations and community media center throughout the country.
National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA): A professional association made up of individuals and organizations responsible for - or advising those responsible for - communications policies and services in local governments throughout the country.
National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB): The oldest and largest national organization dedicated to community stations within the public media system.
Davis Media Access: Enriching and strengthening the community by providing alternatives to commercial media for local voices, opinions and creative endeavors.
Public Media Network: People-powered and community-centered storytelling that connects people. Your neighbors using media to inspire and inform others.
Speak MPLS: A member-powered media center reimagining the future of media in Minneapolis.
Access Framingham: Training and assisting members to produce video programming content, provides field production equipment and cablecasting facilities to air content on the channel.
Berks Community Television: Offers a platform for sharing community stories and amplifying local voices through digital media, which includes a web presence, local cable/obnline broadcasts, and a daily newsletter that delivers the latest content from across the bctv platform.
References
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Written and published by Antoine Haywood, Ph.D. in partnership with News Futures and the Community Media Alliance Working Group