BRATTLEBORO-For 50 years, Brattleboro Community Television (BCTV) has been a cornerstone of local storytelling - from covering local municipal and school board meetings to training community members in media production.
Founded in the 1970s with a mission to give everyone a voice on TV, BCTV continues to offer talk shows, podcasts, livestreams, and event recordings representatives say reflect the vibrancy of the region.
Selectboard meeting coverage was the organization's first production and remains its flagship program today. But BCTV is much more than Tuesday night meetings. It's powered by a creative community of volunteers, producers, and staff, bringing stories to life.
On Friday, Nov. 14, BCTV will be celebrating "those who have made the community media center vibrant and robust." From noon to 8 p.m., BCTV will host a telethon featuring a range of live programming on local cable, its website, and YouTube. From artistic performances to interviews with legislators, to news shows, to poetry and more, everyone is welcome to contribute their voice and enjoy this live programming.
Longtime shows like Here We Are and Energy Week will debut new specials in addition to one-off performances, such as Joel Veena and Vidhi Salla's production of "Kaa's Hunting," live at Rudyard Kipling's former house in Dummerston; and "Poets Unite!" a special featuring former Vermont poet laureate Chard deNiord and local poet Michael Carignan.
From 6 to 8 p.m., the broadcast will shift to BCTV's Producer Party at The Stone Church - a free, public event celebrating the creativity of BCTV's partners and volunteers. Attendees can have a drink, enjoy food from 802 Soul Kitchen, a live performance by songwriter Oh Dad, and the presentation of seven producer awards recognizing outstanding contributions over the past year.
For more information, visit brattleborotv.org/get-involved/50th-anniversary or contact johnny@brattleborotv.org. You can watch on Nov. 14 on local cable on Comcast Channel 1078, on BCTV's website, brattleborotv.org/live, or on BCTV's YouTube channel, @BrattleboroCommunityTV.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.