| Upcoming Classes & Events | |
Click the class titles to read class descriptions and register online.
6-9pm
April 3 & 4 6-9pm
April 5 7-9:30pm
April 9 & 10 6-9pm
April 11 6-9pm
April 16 6-9pm
April 17 & 18 6-9pm
April 20 11am-6pm
April 23 6-9pm
April 25 6-9pm
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Studio B is now HD! | 
Studio B has been upgraded to HD!
DOM members can now use our either of our TWO HD studios to record video content and broadcast their shows on Comcast channels 56, 57 and 219. All it takes to get on TV in Studio B is a Studio Producer membership and completion of the Intro to Studio Production class. There's a new certification class in April - you can register online now.
While both studios have been upgraded to HD, we are still waiting for HD channels on Comcast. Within the next 10 years, standard-definition channels will become irrelevant.
You can help! Contact a member of Denver's "Franchise Negotiating Commitee" to let them know that public access is important to you. OMF's two goals for the franchise negotiations are listed above in our ED Report, and you can read more in last month's newsletter.
These city representatives are here to represent you! But they need to hear from you first! If you live in Denver's District 2, 5, or 10, please write your City Council Representative (you can find your City Council Rep online). Otherwise, you can write the At-Large City Council Member or the Mayor's Representative on the Franchise Negotiating Committee.
Denver's Franchise Negotiating Committee Members:
Deborah Ortega - City Council Rep-At Large Erin Mewhinney - Mayor's Committee Rep Jeanne Faatz - City Council District 2 Mary Beth Susman - City Council District 5 Jeanne Robb - City Council District 10
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| New Volunteer Opportunity: Join the First Friday Subcommittee |
The Inclusiveness Committee just recently created a subcommittee for anyone that is interested in helping the Open Media Foundation select First Friday entertainment for the live broadcasts in Studio A. If you think you'd like to become a member or have questions about the committee, email inclusiveness@openmediafoundation.org.
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| Web Intern Spotlight: Marty Stewart | 
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Martin Stuart, I am 25 years old and just moved to Denver from Shreveport, Louisiana. I received an Associates Degree in Telecommunications from Bossier Parish Community College. I like to go golfing when the weather is nice.
How did you become involved in multimedia/web development work?When I started studying film in college, working on several student films and for the school's student news station, I realized how powerful different media platforms could be in having your voice heard in the community. From there I got into photography and eventually web development. Tell us about why you decided to do an internship with Open Media Foundation?The Open Media Foundation is a great organization to help nonprofits get their message out through all different forms of media. At one point in my life I worked at a golf course and almost all of the tournaments I helped organize were fundraisers for nonprofit organizations. Through that experience I realized that these people had great messages but had a hard time getting their story to the people who needed to hear it. When my friend Leo told me about OMF, I knew it was the place for me. What have you gotten out of your internship with OMF?Open Media Foundation has helped me turn my small talent in web development into a skill that I can use in the community. Why do you think community media centers are important?Media centers are important for the community so nonprofits that would otherwise not have an opportunity to get their message out have access to people and equipment that can effectively help them accomplish their mission. I think putting the power of the media in peoples' hands is a great thing. |
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| Executive Director Report from Tony Shawcross |
 This month's National Conference for Media Reform is a great opportunity for our community to engage with the other individuals and organizations working on this nation-wide effort to ensure our media system is more than just a tool to connect advertisers to consumers.
Its not too late to register, and you can get $75 off the regular price with this code: "CO-NCMR"
OMF will be in the Conference Commons at Booth #11 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, asking for help encouraging our City Government to include OMF/DOM's goals in their 10-year Cable Franchise negotiations with Comcast. Even if you can't attend the NCMR, you can still join our Friday Night parties, and you can still send a note to a member of Denver's "Franchise Negotiations Team," encouraging them to support OMF's two goals for the coming franchise:
- HD Channels: Within the next 10 years, SD channels will become irrelevant. All three Public Access channels need to have a path to HD laid out in the franchise.
- PEG Fees: The number of individuals and nonprofits using DOM's equipment increases 15% annually on average, yet Comcast is asking for the equipment fund (called the PEG fee) to remain the same or drop! We're asking for the fee to increase annually --at best-- keeping pace with DOM membership growth, and at worst with the rate of inflation.
For more information, including contact information for each member of the committee, look below at the Studio B HD Upgrade, or in last month's newsletter. |
April 5 First Friday at DOM, NCMR Conference Special
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 | | Ian Cooke, and Democracy Now's Amy Goodman |
Join Open Media Foundation for a special First Friday on April 5th during the National Conference for Media Reform. In collaboration with the conference, Denver Open Media will host a live studio conversation with Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, followed by a performance from Ian Cooke and his band . The Denver Voice, KGNU Community Radio, Just Media and Upworthy will also be on hand to join in the fun. Learn more about the conference at conference.freepress.net. Food will be sponsored by Illegal Pete's.
Time: Doors open at 6 p.m.
Show starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m.
Location: Denver Open Media - Studio A,
700 Kalamath St, Denver, CO
Watch the show live in DOM's Studio A, on Denver Comcast Channel 57 or on our website starting at 7pm. Don't forget to tweet @ #domff to share your First Friday Fun live on TV!
On the first Friday of each month, DOM hosts a
free community event with local performance groups, musical acts, and nonprofit partners. These events are broadcast live on Comcast Channel 57 as well as streamed on
Events are cablecast and streamed live in Denver Open Media'
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| RSVP for May Breakfast, 'Collective Perspective: A Higher Definition of Media' | |
The Open Media Foundation's annual fundraiser, 'A Higher Definition of Media,' is right around the corner! This year, we invite you to join us to learn how OMF's Services, Training, and Tools empower everyone to contribute to the Collective Perspective in our community.
This fundraiser will be held at the Mi Casa Resource Center, located at 360 Acoma Street, Denver CO 80223. Breakfast is complimentary. Please arrive no later than 7:15AM as the program will start promptly at 7:30AM.
RSVP online today!
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| Video Spotlight: Livestreaming with Colorado Trust | |
 Recently OMF had the privilege of working with one of Denver's top foundations in the Colorado Trust. Their mission is simple: to advance the health and well being of the people of Colorado.
OMF provided live coverage of a keynote speech entitled "From Health Disparities to Health Equity" as part of our expanding LiveStreaming services for NonProfits.
Live-Streaming is an invaluable tool for nonprofits, and is becoming simpler and more affordable with free software and streaming services from a number of providers, most notably YouTube. By live-streaming the Colorado Trust keynote, they were able to nearly double their audience. We are currently scheduling 4 more live events with Colorado Trust.
Thinking about live-streaming your next nonprofit event or speech?
Contact the video production team for a quote online or sign-up for our LiveStreaming for Nonprofits class in June and learn to do it yourself!
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| Denver VOICE joins OMF in our 700 Kalamath Workspace | Recently, the Denver Voice became the newest tenants in the OMF building, making our space representative of video (OMF), web (OMF), audio (KGNU), AND now print media (VOICE). Here's a little information about the Denver VOICE, provided by Executive Director and Managing Editor, Kristin Pazulski.
Please provide a brief summary of your organization. The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit monthly newspaper that provides an opportunity for homeless and impoverished people to earn an income. Each newspaper vended on the street is purchased by that individual for 50-cents and vended for a suggested $2. The difference they earn as income to cover the cost of their basic needs. Through the VOICE's journalism, the homeless community is given a voice, and both general interest and homeless stories come together to produce a newspaper that appeals to the public and gives perspective on the homeless and impoverished community.
What are the information/issues that you are trying to bring to a larger audience?
The Denver VOICE's editorial content, as mentioned previously, focuses on two things: the stories and voices of our homeless and impoverished community, and local general interest stories. The VOICE shares stories from those who don't typically have a voice, but the editorial also focuses on local general interest pieces in order to promote sales, a priority for our vendors who earn an income off the paper. In addition, through the International Network of Street Paper's wire service, we are able to share the VOICE's stories internationally, as well publish stories from street papers around the world, offering an international perspective on homelessness, poverty and more.
Why is your organization unique?
What's most unique to the Denver VOICE, beyond our blend of voice in the editorial, is our ability to empower individuals who, in many cases, have given up. We often hear from our vendors that vending the VOICE has allowed them to become an active and valued member of society, something that was lost to them when homelessness or job loss prevented them from working a typical job. Through the income earned and, more importantly, the interactions they have with the public while vending the VOICE, they are inserted back into a society that previously ignored them.
Why do you think community media (whether print or digital) is important?
I think it's the most important type of journalism these days. Digital accessibility has both hurt community and aided it -it's easy to find a meet up group of people with a similar interest to chat with, online or in person, but talking to our neighbor has in some cases been replaced with our Facebook and other social media communities. Knowing what's happening directly around you makes neighborhoods safe and gives individuals a healthy balance. From what I've seen in Denver, it looks like the focus on social media and web-based community is beginning to balance with actual person-to-person interaction. And at the VOICE, we're so fortunate to be focused on that interaction. The vendor's one-on-one communication with their customer is one of the strengths of our program.
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