SCAT started the year with 3 full time and one part time employee
The Annual Meeting was held on January 26. It was a fun-filled evening with great food from local businesses, awards, and words of congratulations and encouragement from Mayor Joseph Curtatone, US Re. Michael Capuano, and State Rep. Pat Jehlen. Certificates of appreciation were given to all SCAT member series producers, and attendees were entered into a raffle for door prizes. The event was cablecast live.
Kindred Elliott left the position of Technology and Training Coordinator and the position was changed into two part time positions: Charlie Tesch became Technology Coordinator, and James Mayhew became Studio Manager. Christy Park, SCAT’s Membership and Arts Coordinator left SCAT. Dacia Kornechuk was hired for the newly named position of Membership and Community Projects Coordinator. Programming Coordinator Christian Montenegro left SCAT to go back to school, and his position was filled by Prince Charles.
SCAT contracted with a consultant to set up a server for all office computer operations, allowing staff to share files, including the SCAT database and website files.
SCAT held a “garage sale” of old, unused equipment that had been stored at SCAT for years. Mostly members participated in the sale, which raised over $1,200 for SCAT.
The SAY Media! Program returned with “Studio SCAT,” a series of 14 workshops for Somerville teens. They created a dating game show called Modern Love which was cablecast on Channel 3. Teachers were Christy Park and Tufts student Rachel Greenspan.
Tingle Television began a new collaboration with the City Channel. The City Channel staff tapes Jimmy Tingle’s monthly, hour-long program at the Jimmy Tingle Off Broadway Theater. SCAT serves as co-producer of the show that is edited by SCAT member Elissa Mintz.
Union Square Main Streets Design committee commissioned a colorful mural for the firehouse’s back fence. The beautiful garden scene was created by Susan Charbonneau.
The National Alliance for Community Media conference was held in Boston. Many members and staff volunteered to help out at the conference, attend workshops, and network with access folks from all over the country.
For the second year in a row, SCAT won the national award for Overall Excellence from the Alliance for Community Media. SCAT also had awards for best children’s program, which was won by JoJo LaRiccia for JoJo’s Dreamcart, best access center promo, produced by Christian Montenegro when he was an intern at SCAT, and best youth-produced empowerment program, which was won by a SAYMedia! teen film on the gentrification of Somerville. Wendy, JoJo, and Christian attended the award ceremony at Fanueil Hall where they received the award plaques. The SCAT Board of Directors threw a party for members at The Neighborhood Restaurant to celebrate the Hometown award.
SCAT produced programs were posted on the web on BlipTV.
Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services began producing a monthly half-hour show, Active Aging, that promotes the independence of older people and people with disabilities. Critical Focus: A Forum on Media Today began as a six-part series that is produced in collaboration with Cambridge Community Television. The show is cablecast live in both Somerville and Cambridge and streamed live from the CCTV website.
The Cambridge/Somerville interconnect was reinstalled by Comcast using digital fiber.
