January News from the Open Media Foundation
January 2011
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Website Spotlight
| Our web team just completed a new website for the Colorado Channel. Have a look and be sure to tune in to Comcast channel 165 or visit the site on Wednesday, January 12th at 10am for the first day of the Colorado Legislative session.
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Upcoming Classes/Events
| DOM Help Desk Hours
Thursdays 4:30-6pm
Field Production Workshop
January 8, Saturday, 11am-5:30pm
First Day of the Legislative Session
January 12, Wednesday, 10am
Intro to Studio Workshop
January 15, Saturday, 11am-6pm
Your Voice. Your Media
January 19, Wednesday, 5:30-6:30pm
Final Cut Pro Workshop
January 19 & 20, Wednesday & Thursday, 6-9pm
Producer Orientation
January 26, Wednesday, 6:45-8pm
Field Production Workshop
January 26 & 27, Wednesday & Thursday, 6-9pm
Your Voice. Your Media
February 2, Wednesday, 5:30-6:30pm
Intro to Studio Production Workshop
February 2 & 3, Wednesday & Thursday, 6-9pm
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Executive Director Report
| Monthly(ish) Update by Tony Shawcross
The beginning of each year is a great opportunity to look back and reflect on the long-term growth of the organization. While our expansion and increased capacity to fulfill our mission may not always be apparent to us, looking back, it's important to note that our budget has, on average, doubled each year since we incorporated as a 501c3 in 2004. Our greatest area of expansion in 2010 was in our work to expand government transparency and civic participation. Through our partnership with the Colorado Channel, we began broadcasting the Colorado State Senate meetings as we have done with the State House of Representatives for the previous 2 years. Every meeting of the Colorado State House and Senate were broadcast live and archived online in the new website we built for the Colorado Channel at coloradochannel.net.
For 2011, we will maintain all the great services and resources we offer to the community, but our main area of growth will be in our education programs. Through our partnership with the City of Denver, and with additional support from the Denver Foundation, OMF will be expanding our educational programs this year, launching a state-of-the-art 20-seat learning lab. This lab will allow us to offer new educational programs and serve more students than ever before.We're also partnering with the Denver Center for International Studies in their exciting launch of DCIS at Montbello. We are excited to be a part of their vision for an innovative approach to learning that prepares youth for a future where most information is readily available via the Internet, and the role of teachers shifts away from being a conduit to information, and towards being a guide in synthesizing and applying the information that's readily available. We applaud their expanded definition of literacy, recognizing that emerging communications standards require more than reading and writing to effectively communicate. We're excited to help make the learning experience at DCIS publicly available in a way that will make the DCIS student part of a new kind of global learning community.Our ongoing partnership with the University of Denver and our internship programs with other local colleges and universities will also expand in 2011, aiming for over 10,000 hours of internship participation this year. We will complete our first ever young parent internship program, in partnership with Denver Human Services, helping young parents share their perspective on issues ranging from parenthood, sexuality, or child support.
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Updates for the DOM Community
| New Web-Streaming Now Available on the DOM site
Over the last few years we have struggled with creating optimal web-streaming for our channels. We are now in a trial period with a new service that we think vastly improves our delivery to you and viewers worldwide.
Please take a moment to check-out the streaming via the links below and send your feedback to ann@openmediafoundation.org.
Check-out Channel 56 livestream here.
Check-out Channel 57 livestream here.
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And the Winner is...
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Best of Denver Open Media Results
After four years of tweaking and revising our community-driven TV station, Denver Open Media hosted our first-ever "Best of DOM Awards Show" on Friday, December 3rd from 8-10pm. We presented awards and showed excerpts from the top-rated show in each of our ten programming categories.
It was great to see so many of the producers under one roof celebrating what we all love - community media. We hope that everyone continues to promote the voting feature on the DOM site, so that the channels truly reflect what the community is most interested in.Winner of Arts & Film: Brian Pytlinski, FILM 101, J. Searle Dawley and F.W. Murnau
Winner of Community Issues and Advocacy: Sam Thurman, A Just Cause, A Just Cause - Episode 2 - Church Panel Discussion and Attorney Harvey Silverglate InterviewWinner of Cultural Perspectives: Delbert Worley, Israelite Heritage, Documentary: The Curses Part 2
Winner of Faith-Based: Bola Odukoya, Deep Rivers Ministry, Inc., SGH The Protective Prayer
Winner of GLBTQ: Mia McKenzie, Some QPOC I know
Winner of Music & Entertainment: Dex Duff, Dope Show, Dope Show Ep 1
Winner of News, Business and Government: Colorado Progressive Coalition, CPC Puts The Power In Your Hands
Winner of Well-Being/Lifestyle: Colorado Progressive Coalition, CPC's Health Justice Organizing Outreach VideoWinner of Youth: Sacha Heppell, Lakewood High School Construction VideoWinner of Academic/Info: Zeitgeist: The Movie
Top Vote-Getter Winner: Sam Thurman, A Just Cause, A Just Cause - Episode 2 - Church Panel Discussion and Attorney Harvey Silverglate Interview
Raffle Winner: Bola Odukoya, Deep Rivers Ministry, Inc., SGH The Protective Prayer(Winner of a previously-owned Apple G5 editing system, complete with Final Cut Pro software, monitor and deck.)
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Spotlight of the Month: The Colorado Channel
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On Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 the Colorado State House and Senate will re-convene for the First  Regular Session of the Sixty-Eighth General Assembly. This year will mark the 4th year that this channel will be managed and operated by OMF, a project they are quite proud to be a part of. This month, Scott Nachtrieb, Legislative Council Staff, provides more information on this relatively new civic engagement tool.
Please provide a brief history of the Colorado Channel:
In 2006 Speaker Romanoff requested research on the feasibility of videoing the House floor proceedings. The research began by examining City Council video production operations in the Denver Metro area. Denver offered to extend their Comcast fiber optic cable to the State Capitol Building and offered to contract management of the Colorado Channel staff to help develop quality production standards. In addition, Comcast Cable offered to supply a dedicated channel (Channel 165) for broadcast of the General Assembly proceedings on their cable network.
The Speaker initially raised private sector funds to purchase and install the House video production equipment, live and indexed archived video on the internet, and the Colorado Channel web site. An operating budget was developed for 2008. The Senate video production system was built over the next couple years and Senate video broadcast began in 2010.
Deproduction (now the Open Media Foundation) was hired to operate the production system for the first year and that arrangement has continued to date. During the 2009 legislative session the General Assembly created the Colorado Channel Authority, a quasi-governmental entity. The Authority's Board of Directors sets the channel's policy and direction.
How can people access the Colorado Channel?
The Colorado Channel is available on Comcast's digital cable service, Channel 165 and on the web at coloradochannel.net.
Why do you think this project is important?
The Colorado Channel is designed to enhance public access to state legislature and increase educational opportunities, even when the legislature is not in session. It also provides the General Assembly with more resources to reach citizens in their homes and businesses. Citizens can experience the legislative process first-hand and not have to read, hear, or view a potentially biased third-party version of the General Assembly activities. Access to the General Assembly proceedings is no longer limited to the 120 days when the General Assembly is in session, nor to just individuals who are close enough to visit the State Capitol.
How is the Colorado Channel best used?
The best use is for education. The Colorado Channel provides a crash course in civics 101. Educators can have their students learn all about the floor proceedings and can track how a bill becomes an actual law in our state. The channel has not been in existence long enough to fully develop these resources, but the Board is certainly interested in investing in these opportunities.
Were there any other states that were used as inspiration for this project?
There are a lot of states that have state public affairs networks. The National Association of Public Affairs Networks (NAPAN) was a very good resource in finding appropriate examples. Connecticut (CT-N), Oregon (OPAN), and Washington (TVW) were all used as models for this project.
What is the long-term vision for the Colorado Channel?
The long-term vision of the Colorado Channel is to expand video casts to as many of the General Assembly's other activities as possible. These activities could include: standing committees during the session, the Joint Budget Committee, the Legislative Audit Committee, interim committees, and special committees. Bill signing ceremonies in the Governor's office may also be possible. In addition, the vision is to video cast as many of the state level public policy-making entities as possible on the channel. Entities such as the Colorado Reapportionment Commission, Wildlife Commission, Transportation Commission, Air Quality Control Commission, and the Public Utilities Commission could also be made available to the public. The Colorado Channel is also hoping to add the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals hearings to its broadcasts, beginning in May of 2013.
Anything else you would like to add?
Open access to the decision-making process in a democracy is essential for its existence. The Colorado Channel has the ability to provide citizens with the tools and resources to become more effective participants in the democratic process.
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| Denver Open Media's Youth Production Group: Open Media Generation |
 Do you know a student who dreams of being on TV? How about working behind the scenes? If so, they should join Denver Open Media's FREE Youth Production Group!
The Youth Group meets weekly! Anyone between the ages of 12-19 can plan to stop by any Wednesday from 3:30-6pm to join the fun.
Participants will learn field, studio and editing techniques. Students will learn how to produce youth-related content and will help solicit new youth-related programs. Please check out our website for more information or email ann@openmediafoundation.org
We are always looking for food donations to help keep our youth fed and alert during trainings/productions, please let us know if you have suggestions or information about youth group sponsorships.
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