James Lane Post presents the “East End Community Spotlight” series, highlighting non-profit organizations doing work on the East End. To submit a non-profit organization to be featured in this series, email info@jameslanepost.com.
LTV is a non-profit public access television station for East Hampton Town. Its studios also serve as an event and performance space. We spoke with Michael D. Clark, the station’s director, to learn more.
Can you tell us about your organization?
Local TV, Inc. (LTV) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit Public Access Television Station. We allocate channel space and time to East Hampton Town residents, non-profit organizations, educators, and governmental bodies to cablecast their programs. We record and live broadcast the meetings of the East Hampton Town and Village Boards, Zoning Boards, Review Boards, Trustees, and School Boards. LTV began taping Town Board Meetings in 1980. By the time LTV was incorporated in 1984, the government and the people had grown to depend on the camera, and the Town Board Meetings became LTV’s most-watched show.
LTV’s overall goal continues to be to ensure public access to quality content and media services that educate, inform, and enlighten. We encourage community participation in media services focused primarily on East Hampton town. We also provide event and performance space for community theater, musical events, forums, lectures, and other activities that benefit and educate the East End community.
We are home to the Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton and the yearly Hamptons Festival of Music. We are also the community performance space for South Fork Performing Arts and Our Fabulous Variety Show.
Could you talk about the importance of this work on the East End?
As outlined by our founder, Frazer Dougherty, 40 years ago, LTV is “By the People, For the People,” and those words speak volumes. LTV programs more shows per week than any other public access station on Long Island. LTV belongs to the people of this town. And thanks to the Founders, LTV’s Board of Directors, the forward-thinking of East Hampton Town and Village, and countless producers and volunteers over the years, we do today what we promised to do 40 years ago in providing our community access to its own television channel on which they can connect and create for the community.
In LTV’s archive, there are over 25,000 tapes created by the people of East Hampton, ranging from serious debate to the eccentric and experimental. These tapes document a more than 40-year span of the life of a town that has seen enormous changes. LTV is now in partnership with the East Hampton Library in digitizing this important historical local programming and making it available to all.
LTV’s website, ltveh.org, provides live streaming of both channels. Everything you need or want to know about LTV is also there — including a Producers’ Portal, with everything a producer needs to start cablecasting their show on LTV. We also host a busy YouTube channel displaying our meetings, shows, and recorded events. That is just the benefit of the studio show side of the house. We also have affordable space available for public forums, films, debates, and performances. Some of these events are filmed and displayed on our channels. This has proven important so other community organizations can highlight and communicate their important work.
How can the East End community get involved?
There are many involvement opportunities available on many different levels at LTV. The most obvious is to have your own show or get involved with the development of other shows. If you are a resident of the Town of East Hampton or the Town of Southampton, you can produce your own show for a nominal fee to get your message out to the local community.
You can be involved in our Intern Programs either as an intern or as a volunteer. You can also volunteer for assisting on events held at LTV, and your volunteerism gets you free access to that event.
As a 501(c)3, we are always seeking sponsors and underwriters for our shows. You’d be supporting the community and LTV through this tax-deductible support. If you are more “hands-on,” you can submit your name to be considered for our Board of Directors and be involved in the strategic and creative plans.
Contact Michael D. Clark, Executive Director, for more information or if any of these possibilities interest you.