Keep an eye on this page for the latest in what's happening with your community access television channels. You can also contact us to have your email address added to our monthly email newsletter (pbCAM-Corder) mailing list or read it here on our website.
Beginning October 2, Pemi-Baker Community Access Media will cablecast ‘Connect With Your Kids!’ every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on pbGOV-3. The program will cablecast through the month of October.
‘Connect With Your Kids!’ is a conversation with New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte focusing on educating the public about the dangers of the Internet. The program is hosted by Marty Bove, Londonderry Town Councilor.
For more information about the Connect With Your Kids! program or how to protect your family from online threats, visit www.connectwithyourkids.org.
A series of public service announcements encouraging teens to stay in school will also cablecast throughout October. These 30-second spots were produced by the New Hampshire Department of Education and will cablecast before and after every program scheduled on pbGOV-3.
Beginning July 21, Pemi-Baker Community Access Media will cablecast ‘Today’s Air Force’ every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on pbGOV-3.
‘Today’s Air Force’ is a weekly news show that tells Air Force stories in more depth. The program is made up of three segments and each runs approximately eight minutes.
Cablecast schedules for pbGOV-3 and pbACT-20 are available on the pbCAM website.
On March 14, 2007, at Town Meeting, the residents of Plymouth voted in favor of an amendment to increase funding for pbCAM. As a result, a lot of changes are happening right now to make community access television more available to the community at large.
The pbCAM office, located in the lower level of Pease Public Library, is now open every day of the week. The new open office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Fridays during Production Nights.
Regular Producers’ Meetings are held on Tuesday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Plymouth Town Hall. Producers’ Meetings offer an opportunity for members of the local community to plan their programs with pbCAM staff and volunteers, as well as reserve a time slot for Production Night.
Production Night is every Friday night from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the lower level of Pease Public Library. Equipment, facilities and pbCAM staff and volunteers are available to assist local producers with their programs’ technical needs. All interested producers must attend the Producers’ Meetings to plan production and schedule a time slot. Equipment Reservation Forms are not required to produce your program on Production Night.
In the near future pbCAM will be scheduling free workshops open to the public on a variety of topics from basic camcorder use to multi-camera production with the new mobile equipment donated by the New Hampshire Electric Co-op.
Any non-profits, schools or municipal governments in the viewing area are encouraged to contact pbCAM for more information on how they can participate and to arrange training workshops tailored to their specific needs.
For more information on pbCAM and how to get involved, contact us.
A documentary video airing on Plymouth's local community television channel (pbACT-20) during the month of June will focus on the local Food Depot that was established to assist area people with their basic nutritional needs.
The video, locally produced by Forrest Seavey and narrated by Paulette Brace, will air on Mondays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 2 p.m., and Fridays at 9 a.m. It takes an inside look at the Food Depot operation, which is located in the Whole Village Family Resource Center at 258 Highland St.
The video is the first of a series planned on the Plymouth Area Community Closet programs which also include the Thursday "Meals for Many" program, operated in the Plymouth Congregational Church Hall; the "2nd Comings Thrift Store" located on South Main Street; and a Financial Assistance office located in Whole Village.
Donations to the Food Depot are tax-deductible.
Press Release by Wallace Stuart
Have you seen Verizon’s ads on WMUR Channel 9 TV where they say great things about Verizon’s new FiOS fiber optic delivery to your home of voice, high speed Internet, and digital cable TV? There is a question whether Verizon may actually offer this new fiber optic line service any time soon to Plymouth area residents or anyone else living in northern New England.
On May 8, Verizon New England’s Vice-President for Regulatory Affairs Sean Nestor was in Plymouth speaking at a public statement hearing before the Public Utilities Commission. Mr. Nestor explained that Verizon New England and FairPoint Communications had petitioned the PUC to get permission for Verizon to make some transfers such that FairPoint would acquire Verizon’s “wireline telecommunications services” and network assets in New Hampshire. Following Mr. Nestor’s remarks, a representative from FairPoint briefly described for PUC commissioners and the public assembled in PSU’s Boyd Science Center her company’s plans for taking over Verizon’s wireline business in NH and expanding deployment of DSL technologies over existing wirelines. Then members of the public stood up and addressed comments to the commissioners about the advisability of the transfers for which Verizon and FairPoint have petitioned.
The one-hour video of this public hearing will be cablecast three times on Time-Warner’s public and educational access channel, pbACT-20, serving their subscribers in Plymouth and nine surrounding towns. Cablecast schedule of the video is:
Sunday, May 27, 4:00 PM
Tuesday, May 29, 8:00 PM
Wednesday, May 30, 3:00 PM
pbACT-20 is managed by Pemi-Baker Community Access Media (pbCAM), which operates under the direction of the Plymouth Selectboard and the pbCAM Advisory Board. Community volunteer and pbCAM Public Access User Wallace Stuart of Plymouth produced the video.
Speare Memorial Hospital’s very popular Health & Wellness presentation “Triple E, West Nile Virus & Lyme Disease: Understanding the Threats” will be cablecast on Pemi-Baker Community Access-Channel 20, serving the towns of Plymouth, Ashland, Holderness, Campton, Thornton, Wentworth, Warren, Groton, Rumney and Dorchester, on the following dates/times:
As Lyme and other mosquito-borne diseases have increasingly made news headlines, the program focuses on education as the key to prevention. Dr. Jason Stull, New Hampshire State Public Health Veterinarian and assistant clinical professor at the University of New Hampshire, has been actively involved in developing a state-wide surveillance, prevention and control program for these diseases. During the presentation he discusses the origin and prevalence of each of disease in the central New Hampshire area, ways to protect yourself from contracting the disease and what to do if you think you might be infected. He also answers questions from the audience who were in attendance.
Originally presented on May 16, the program is part of Speare Memorial Hospital’s annual Health & Wellness education and outreach series. Programs are typically presented September through November and March through May. The 2007 – 2008 series is currently being developed and dates will posted on www.spearehospital.com as details are finalized.
Speare Memorial Hospital is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth and the communities of central New Hampshire for more than a century.
Originally printed in The Clock.
by Samantha Kenney
Information pertaining to students became a little more accessible on Sunday, April 15 when the first installment of Plymouth State Student Meetings were aired on pbCAM, the Plymouth public access television station.
"I pushed really hard to have this on public access," said Trevor Chandler, chair of this year's Student Senate Communications Committee, "not only for town/gown relations, but also to make Student Senate more accessible to the student body."
"We've had great success in dealing with public access and they have been very helpful to us," Chandler said.
You can read the complete article in The Clock.Originally printed in the Laconia Citizen.
by Bob Martin
Selectmen have unanimously approved increasing the fee paid for Pemi-Baker Community Access Media, or pbCAM.
"What Channel 3 has done has been remarkable for the community," said Selectman Patrice Scott. "It's a very reasonable cost. I support raising it."
Residents were allowed time to ask questions and make comments about the proposed increase on Monday evening but only two offered comments, both of them in favor of the increase.
You can read the complete article in the Laconia Citizen. (NOTE: A free membership with the Citizen website is required to read the article.)Originally printed in the Laconia Citizen.
by Bob Martin
Representatives of Pemi-Baker Community Access Media, or pbCAM, addressed the Board of Selectmen recently about a proposed increase in the cable user franchise fee. pbCAM Advisory Board Chair Joanne Koermer said that she hopes it would increase to 5 percent, a number that she said is comparable to many towns of Plymouth's size.
You can read the complete article in the Laconia Citizen. (NOTE: A free membership with the Citizen website is required to read the article.)
Suzanne Banister, owner of Plymouth Jazzercise Fitness Center on 95 Main Street, Plymouth has arranged to have Jazzercise’s popular 30- minute "Jazz Cardio Strength Stretch" program series to air on the Pemi-Baker Public Access Channel 20 beginning the week of March 26th. Each 30- minute exercise session will include Jazzercise cardio, strength and stretch routines, as well as health tips on exercise strategies, weight loss and other fitness and wellness ideas. The program will air seven times during the week, with each week offering a new workout. The airing schedule is as follows:
"If you are crunched for time and can't get out of the house, this a great way to get some exercise in your day," says Banister. "Not to mention it is fun! And since the workout changes every week, you won't get bored and are more likely to stick with this exercise program rather than you would working out to a typical exercise video."
Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 6,800 instructors teaching 30,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on the Jazzercise program, go to jazzercise.com. For local class information, please stop by at 95 Main Street, Plymouth, or call (603) 536-2064.
On Wednesday, December 6, 2006, pbCAM received a new order of cameras, tripods and DVD playback decks to increase equipment loan inventory, expand playback capabilities and improve the quality or service for Public Access Users and local viewers.
Among the equipment received was: a new camcorder for use by local Public Access Users, two robotic cameras for government access use to replace the old and malfunctioning Panasonic cameras, three tripods with quick release heads, two new DVD playback decks (one for pbGOV and one for pbACT) and a variety of assorted new video cables for use with the new cameras.
The new digital camcorder will be available immediately to anyone trained in its proper use. Training will be made available immediately, also.
The new DVD decks were purchased in anticipation of increased use of both digital camcorders (old and new) and production of local programming using digital editing. It is also partially in response to an increase in DVD submissions from local Public Access Users.
Beginning with the November 2 Plymouth Planning Board work session, Pemi-Baker Community Access Media will cablecast Preparedness Minute after every live and recablecast Plymouth Selectboard, Planning Board and Zoning Board meeting. These meetings cablecast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on pbGOV-3.
Preparedness Minute is a series of short videos that help viewers plan and stay ready for emergency situations. The videos have been generously provided by the South Central Center for Public Health Preparedness and sponsored for local cablecast by the Plymouth Fire Department.
For more information on Preparedness Minute visit www.southcentralpartnership.org.
Beginning October 28, 2006, Pemi-Baker Community Access Media will cablecast Army NewsWatch every Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on pbGOV-3.
Army NewsWatch is an award-winning, bi-weekly television newscast that showcases the United States Army. The program is produced by Soldiers Radio and Television, a team of Army broadcast producers and correspondents.
For more information on Army NewsWatch visit www.army.mil/srtv.
Originally appeared in the October 2006 NHCCM Community TV Monitor
by Jamie Cadorette, pbCAM, Plymouth, NH
I had the great fortune to attend the ACM National Conference in Boston in July thanks to a scholarship from the NHCCM. This was my first national conference and I must say it was incredible.
In Plymouth we have been considering a transition to digital and I took the opportunity to look into it while at the conference. I started with an excellent pre-conference workshop on transitioning to a fully digital facility. What I enjoyed most about this workshop was that the presenters outlined not only what equipment and policies were needed to make this happen, but how a small, rural center like pbCAM can make the transition affordably and incrementally.
In addition to the pre-conference workshop I was able to visit vendors and get input on the Leightronix Nexus, our equipment of choice for the playback transition. I was able to get feedback from Kevin Long at Access A/V on how they've been selling in New Hampshire and the kind of feedback he's heard about use of the Nexus. I was then able to visit the Leightronix booth and get answers to specific questions on emergency messaging, remote operation and various other concerns I had about making the transition.
I also had the pleasure of attending a workshop on Energizing Your State presented by Rich Desimone of Jersey Access Group. I came away from the presentation inspired and ready to begin not only working harder for the NHCCM but also working toward improving communication between the NHCCM and other state access organizations. As a result, we are now opening communication with Vermont Access Network. I'm hopeful we may open up even more communication and cooperative effort with other states in our region.
Attending the conference gave me the opportunity to find specific answers to my unique needs, learn more about fundraising and non-profit operations, expand my understanding of a digital facility, connect with my colleagues in other states and open up opportunities for me to be more active in promoting and supporting PEG access. I left Boston with a list of goals for both the NHCCM and pbCAM.
If you were unable to attend the ACM National Conference in Boston, I hope you will consider attending the next time it comes around. Let us not forget, though, that the ACM Northeast Region conferences are just as valuable and informative. This is important to keep in mind as the NHCCM prepares to coordinate this year's spring conference here in New Hampshire. When the conference comes around, I hope to see many of you there!
Beginning Monday, October 16, pbGOV-3 will have a new cablecast schedule for Plymouth government meetings. The new schedule is as follows: Plymouth Selectboard meetings Mondays at 7:00 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:00 a.m., Fridays at 1:00 p.m.; Plymouth Planning Board meetings Mondays at 7:00 a.m., Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m.; and Plymouth Zoning Board meetings Mondays at 1:00 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 a.m.
There are three reasons for this new schedule of meetings.According to Executive Director Jamie Cadorette, “pbCAM has been rotating the schedule since live and repeat cablecasts of meetings began. This new schedule keeps the meetings rotating to accommodate viewers’ differing schedules while reducing wear and tear on playback decks.”
Secondly, room is being cleared to allow participation of other towns in the viewing area.
"As we approach other towns to cooperate with the Town of Plymouth on pbCAM, we need to make sure we can provide ample room in the cablecast schedule,” stated Cadorette. “By freeing up two days along with our usual open weekends, this gives us four days with which to work.”
Another reason for creating open time slots in the schedule is to encourage town departments to make more use of pbCAM resources and pbGOV-3 cablecast time for public awareness.Plymouth meetings will continue to be cablecast live at the usual meeting times.
Want to watch the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Parade but can’t make it to downtown Plymouth? You have another option: you can watch it live on your local community access channels.
On Saturday, August 5, Pemi-Baker Community Access Media (pbCAM) will have volunteers on Main Street with cameras in hand producing this rare event in Plymouth for anyone who can’t be there to watch.
“While I would certainly encourage people to get out and enjoy the parade live and in person,” stated Jamie Cadorette, Executive Director of pbCAM, “not everyone can get out to watch, especially the elderly. Live coverage helps people stay connected with this wonderful event when in the past they may not have had the opportunity."
The parade and live television coverage will begin around 12:00 noon with live commentary by Bill York. Live cablecast of the parade can be seen on both pbGOV-3 and pbACT-20 in Plymouth, Ashland, Campton, Dorchester, Groton, Holderness, Rumney, Thornton, Warren and Wentworth. The parade will be taped for later repeat cablecasts for anyone who is unable to attend or watch as it happens.
Read the Laconia Citizen article on our live coverage! (NOTE: Site requires free membership to read articles online.)
Small things can make a big difference. Such is the case with the latest equipment upgrade at Pemi-Baker Community Access Media (pbCAM).
Recently new computer equipment was purchased to allow local producers and pbCAM to tape video using a digital camcorder, capture the video to a computer and edit and produce a television program digitally and burn it to a DVD for playback.
“This is an important step for pbCAM,” stated Executive Director Jamie Cadorette.
With this upgrade pbCAM joins the growing ranks of community access media centers making the transition toward the emerging digital media.
Cadorette further added, “Our community access center spent many years trying to keep up with the bare essentials of access production. Now we are active in a young, cutting edge movement to bring our local community voice to the digital age and global environment.”
Not only does digital production afford Plymouth area residents the ability to learn video production with the ease and familiarity of computers, it also broadens the ability for them to have their message heard.
Digital production allows pbCAM to not only advance toward digital playback, a cost-saving and more efficient playback system, but also to enable local producers to save programming to digital formats that can be added to web pages and seen worldwide.
“Where community access was once about enabling the average citizen in a community to reach thousands of viewers in their community,” stated Cadorette, “we are now stepping forward and making it easy for someone in Plymouth to use the power of video to have their voice heard by millions worldwide, as well as here at home.”
The first ever digitally produced program using strictly pbCAM equipment was the DHART episode of Plymouth Today that was cablecast during the week of July 10, 2006.
For more information on pbCAM or community access media in general, you can call 536-8116 or contact us through the pbCAM contact page.
From the NHCCM Community TV Monitor, June 2006:
The New Hampshire Coalition for Community Media (NHCCM) is proud to announce the winners of this year's scholarships to the National ACM (Alliance for Community Media) Conference in Boston this July.
Jamie Cadorette, Executive Director at Pemi-Baker Community Access Media in Plymouth, NH was awarded one of three scholarships. Jamie is also the Vice-President of the NHCCM and is the webmaster for the NHCCM website. Jamie began his experiences with PEG Access as a volunteer and is now well respected in his community for the admirable way he has championed access on a shoestring budget. His goal at the conference is to further his professional development and to then share his experiences with the NHCCM and his community.
Read more of the article at the NHCCM website.
Over the past year and a half our local community channels have experienced tremendous growth. Now they’re shaping their new identity to reflect this.
As of Monday, April 17, 2006, the Plymouth Selectboard approved the name change of Plymouth Community Channels 3 and 20 to Pemi-Baker Community Access Media (pbCAM).
According to Executive Director Jamie Cadorette, “The reason for the name change is two-fold. First we wanted to identify the regional nature of our community media and to put out the welcome mat to surrounding towns in the viewing area to become involved in what we feel is a shared resource.
Secondly, we named each individual channel to clear up confusion about where to find certain programming.”
Pemi-Baker Government Access Television (pbGOV-3) is the government access channel for the ten-town viewing area. It provides live and taped cablecast of local government meetings, as well as live Plymouth parades and a bulletin board for government notices and announcements.
Pemi-Baker Public and Educational Access Television (pbACT-20) is the public and educational access channel for the ten-town viewing area. Channel 20 resources are available for local residents and schools to produce their own programming with some assistance from pbCAM staff and volunteers.
For more information on pbCAM or how you can get started producing your own program please contact pbCAM.
Starting in March the Plymouth Community Channels 3/20 Cablecasting Center will be expanding office hours to include Wednesdays from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
“The daytime office hours were a great start toward making resources available to the public,” said Jamie Cadorette, Executive Director of PCC3/20. “Now with nighttime hours the hope is that our community media resources will be more accessible."
Office hours are a great time for members of the general public to come in and learn how to use PCC3/20 equipment and resources or how to volunteer. Equipment and resources are available to help members of the local community put their own ideas onto video to share with 8,000 cable television subscribers in Plymouth and nine surrounding towns. These new office hours are intended to make the resources available to people who work or are busy during the day.
Other office hours include Mondays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will also be a PSU volunteer available on Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm through the end of May. The Cablecasting Center is located in the lower level of Pease Public Library. For more information you can contact PCC3/20 at 536-8116 or pcc3@adelphia.net.
At the January 23, 2006, Selectboard meeting the Plymouth Selectboard recognized PCC3/20 Executive Director Jamie Cadorette for his service to the community in advancing public, educational and government access television in the Plymouth area.
You can read the complete article in the Laconia Citizen. (NOTE: A free membership with the Citizen website is required to read the article.)
Host Bill York and guests of local interest will soon be back on the airways at Plymouth Community Channel 20 after a brief absence. “I had a bit of surgery and have been out of commission for several weeks, but am now up and about and looking forward to returning to television.” said York
Formerly co-host of “Plymouth Live” with Barry Walker, York has brought back the local “talk” format to television at the request of many. “Community Access television is a very viable and strong medium,” he commented. “I was amazed at how many were watching, and how many commented that they wanted to see a similar type program return.”
The first few programs will be tape recorded and shown several times each week, as before, according to Channel 20 Director Jamie Cadorette. Once a firm schedule is set, the program will return to its live format, likely on Friday evenings in the studio at Pease Public Library. “We now have live phone capability and plenty of room for studio audiences. We look forward to lively and interesting programs each week,” he concluded.
Suggestions for guests and topics are welcome. “We want to explore topics of unique avocation and human interest throughout our area” said York He may be contacted at 536-5521 or the Channel 20 studios by e-mail at - pcc3@adelphia.net.
For the first time in Plymouth’s history, two live access television programs were cablecast simultaneously. It was a very exciting moment that proved to be one of many benefits of having the new government access channel in the Plymouth area.
“In the history of community access television for the Plymouth area, there traditionally has been only one live program a year; the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Annual Auction,’ stated Jamie Cadorette, Executive Director of Plymouth Community Channels 3 and 20. “Since September 12, 2005, Plymouth has had two channels cablecasting approximately ten live shows a month in addition to several more weekly studio and event productions.”
Among the many live shows now produced are regular cablecasts of the Plymouth Board of Selectmen, Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings. The remainder of the live programming is the weekly public access talk show Plymouth Live.
Another new feature provided by the government access channel is the ability to cablecast Plymouth town parades live. The first ever live parade produced was the Veterans’ Day Parade on November 11, 2005. Cadorette and a local volunteer were able to run a live feed from the front lawn of the Town Hall to the PCC3 Cablecasting Center located inside and cablecast both the parade and the ceremony as it happened, as well as taping it for later repeat cablecasts.
“The ultimate benefit of having all this live local programming is that our citizens are better informed and finding more enjoyment in their own television channels,” noted Cadorette. “With this has come increased interest in the community to get involved and produce even more local television. It truly is free speech and democracy in action.”
Plymouth Community Channel 3 now cablecasts from Plymouth Town Hall with a focus on government access programming. Plymouth Community Channel 20 has assumed operation from the original PCC3 Cablecasting Center in Pease Public Library for public and educational access programming. Anyone interested in volunteering or learning how to produce a show of their own should contact Jamie Cadorette by phone at 536-8116 or by email at pcc3@adelphia.net.