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Change in Site for GCTV

After more than a decade at its previous home on Soundview Road, Guilford Community Television (GCTV) is moving. The shift to a more centralized, updated facility at 725 Boston Post Road, set for mid-November, represents a major achievement for the non-profit organization.

"This is a big change for us," said GCTV President Terri Cain. "It's something we've been looking forward to for quite some time."

In addition to the physical improvements-dual editing rooms and a classroom come to mind-the first-floor location is welcoming and accessible to everyone, a factor of key importance to an organization that relies on community involvement.

"The first-floor access is a big improvement," said Cain, who noted that the old location had a formidable staircase that proved an obstacle to some. "Everything is going to be handicapped-accessible and much easier for the community to come in and out."

Programs created by residents run the gamut from politics to education, music, and sports-basically, any topic that someone wants to turn into a television show. The shows run on public access channels 18 through 20. The volunteer-run organization has one paid employee, Shannon Gale, who instructs the public on the use of the equipment.

"During our office hours the public is invited to come in if you want to produce a show," Cain said. "Shannon [Gale] trains the public on the use of the cameras, whether it's sporting, music, whatever you want to put on GCTV, and then you bring the tape in to us and we put it on the air.

"We're about local happenings, local news, bringing the community together-that's one of the missions of public access," she continued. "Anyone is able to put on something that they're passionate about or something they'd like to share with their neighbors and their town, and it makes it a real community builder."

A new multi-purpose classroom will provide additional space to educate students and members of the community about how to produce, film, and edit a television show.

"Another thing we're excited about is the multi-purpose classroom," said Cain. "It's a big space, so there will be room for many people to learn about editing or the cameras."

The new building will include studios of a similar size to the current ones, a reception area where people can share ideas, and two private editing rooms.

"Previously we just had one [editing] room," Cain said. "There was an issue with noise so you didn't have any privacy or control of the noise around you. The fact that we have private editing rooms is going to be a huge plus."

GCTV is also expanding its internship program for students in junior high and high school who are interested in pursuing a career in television. Beginning in January, it will offer an eight-week program for students in grades 7 to 9 who want to create a television program of their own.

"We're starting a Media Education Program that will take students through the whole process: developing, producing, broadcasting programs," said Cain. "Now we have the space that we can offer something like that."

Best of all, perhaps, is the freedom that those at GCTV had in planning the space.

"The fact that we put the floor plan together ourself and built it to our own specifications has made it more usable to the public," said Cain, who noted that GCTV will retain its broadcasting space at the Greene Community Center. "This has been our goal: to move to a more suitable space."

Visit GCTV at its new location at 725 Boston Post Road, behind Goodwill and The Organized Lifestyle. Office hours are Tuesdays from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Thursdays from 3 to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. GCTV is looking for volunteers. For more info, call 203-453-8453, email info@guilfordtv.org, or visit www.guilfordtv.org.