About Us
Who is NCCMC?Who is NCCMC?
New Castle Community Media Center is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit community media facility located in Chappaqua, New York.
Our Mission
The mission of NCCMC is to foster community dialogue and individual expression through television, the internet and other electronic media.
How is NCCMC Funded?
The cable companies serving New Castle are contractually obligated to give the town a percentage of their gross revenues. The town allocates a portion of that money to NCCMC to operate Government, Education and Public access channels for the community.
Our Board
A volunteer board of directors governs NCCMC and oversees the work of the Executive Director who supervises NCCMC staff and volunteers.
The History of Public Access
Community access television is a great way to express views and learn about the people and organizations within our area!
Looking back to the history of access television as described by Professor Douglas Kellner, at The Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, “the rationale was, as mandated by the Federal Communications Act of 1934, that the airwaves belong to the people, that in a democratic society it is useful to multiply public participation in political discussion, and that mainstream television severely limited the range of views and opinion. Public access television, then, would open television to the public, it would make possible community participation, and thus would be in the public interest of strengthening democracy.
Beginning in the 1970s, cable systems began to offer access channels to the public, so that groups and individuals could make programs for other individuals in their own communities.
In 1984 Congress adopted the Cable Communications Act, which provided for public access to the airwaves. The basic idea was that if cable companies were going to run their cables through a community, they should give something back. Giving back includes a franchise fee to the town and channel space for community access television. In 1997, New Castle Community Television (NCCTV), now doing business as New Castle Community Media Center, was established to operate, oversee, and help New Castle residents utilize three community access channels. The studio and facilities were located in Horace Greeley High School, in a space shared with Greeley’s audio/visual department.
The emergence of new technologies in the 21st century have given individuals and organizations enhanced methods to communicate, create and consume video content. In order to better serve the community in the new media environment, NCCMC has reconfigured its operations to become a community digital media hub. Currently the NCCMC channel line up is Verizon 45, Cablevision 75 (Public access), Verizon 46, Cablevision 77 (Educational Access) and Verizon 47, Cablevision 78 (Government Access). Programs are also available On Demand on the NCCMC website, nccmc.com.