Marking a special occasion: Newington Community Television celebrates 40 years of programming
- Mark Jahne
- Aug 1
- 4 min read
by Mark Jahne
Editor
Photos by Mark Jahne
It started as a dream four decades ago. The evolution of cable television allowed for cities and towns to create their own community access TV channels.
It started in a basement. Residents including Ed Anderson and Ed Pizzella got Newington Community Television up and running and the volunteers who run the station never looked back. Community access channels in other towns have dropped by the wayside, but NCTV remains up and running.
It has long offered the opportunity for residents to create their own programs.
Staff members are creating a file of old shows and revisiting the archives. It’s all part of this year-long celebration. One of the shows that spans much of the station’s history is “Talk to the Mayor” hosted by Steve Parker. Viewers can call in and ask questions.
Gail Budrejko is a member of the station as well as a Town Council liaison. She recalled how much her mother enjoyed watching the various locally generated programs.
“This channel does a public service,” she said. “These are all volunteers. They have a lot of heart. They believe in what they’re doing.”
The station is led by five volunteers: John Donohue, president; Scott Greczkowski, vice president of technology; Brendan LaChance, vice president of programming; Paul Glotzer, treasurer and Sandra Austin Goldstein, secretary. There are two stations. Channel 14 is a public station and Channel 16 is assigned to local government.
They have adapted to changing times and that helps keep NCTV alive.
“We’ve automated a lot of stuff and changed with the times,” Donohue said. “We can dial into the laptops” and work remotely now.
That includes using Facebook Live.
“We’re not just a cable channel, you can watch us online,” Greczkowski said.
Donohue joined the organization more than 20 years ago and his first job was scheduling programs. He then learned how to handle the audio and video.
“I was filming school concerts,” he recalled. “In 1984 Cox had a general public access station. We started NCTV. We were on a shared channel for probably six or seven years.”
Now they are not only available on cable TV but on other options including Roku, Fire TV, Android and streaming. In the past you needed to live in Newington to be able to watch NCTV.
He said now people can watch it from anywhere in the world. All of this is done with a strong, but mighty, work force of volunteers. Nobody gets paid but they exhibit a strong sense of commitment and dedication.
“We’re gypsies. We’re in here at night,” Donohue added. “We have a pretty stable crew. That’s one of the things that keeps us going. Talk to the Mayor is one of the original shows,” he said.
Other programs tend to come and go.
“COVID shut down a lot of [the other] stations because they weren’t allowed in town halls,” a typical location for community access TV studios, he said. NCTV found a way to stay on the air while practicing safety protocols. The station was originally located in the old Town Hall that was torn down and is now in the new building that replaced it.
“We moved to our new studio during COVID. We were off the air for two hours,” Donohue said with pride.
Local celebrities who have appeared on NCTV over the years include the late sportscaster Arnold Dean, radio personality “The Litch,” Linda McMahon of wrestling and political fame, and concert promoter Jim Koplik.
“I’ve been involved with NCTV since September 2014. It began with curiosity and a chance to try something new, but over the years it has grown into something I’ve truly enjoyed being a part of,” Austin said.
“I decided to join because of a conversation I had with my son Jared. One day, he randomly asked me “if you could start your life all over again, what career do you think you would have chosen?” Without hesitating I said “something in television.
“That question stayed with me. I realized that while I couldn’t go back in time and choose a different path, I could still find a way to pursue that interest and make that wish come true in a different form,” she added.
“NCTV opened the door to wonderful friendships and allowed me to live out my dream of being in broadcasting. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to take on many different roles including producer, director, cameraman, writer and on-air host.
“I think community access television is important because it gives everyday people a chance to share their voices and their stories. It’s a place where town residents can showcase what’s happening in Newington while sharing their talents, interests and experiences with their neighbors,” Austin said.
“What I love about it is that it’s real. Whether it’s a town meeting, a community event, or someone sharing a creative idea or personal passion and turning it into something that goes on the air, community television gives people a platform to tell their own stories in their own words,” she added.
“NCTV’s volunteers capture the people, moments and experiences that make our town special and we bring those stories to every resident, free of charge, around the clock, every day of the year.”
One of the reasons community access television exists is to enable the public to take advantage of this electronic media. Anyone who has a program idea is welcome to contact NCTV and they will help make it happen.
“If you live in Newington, you can have a show,” Greczkowski said. “We’re not a town department, we’re a 501c3 nonprofit. If you want to do a show, we’ll get the volunteers to help you make it. Even if you record it on your phone we can take it and put it on the air.”
Cox Communications provides funding for the station to operate as does the town government. The current subsidies are $14,000 from Cox and $10,000 from the municipal budget.
“We’re very frugal. We can accept donations. We’re able to upgrade and stay with the times,” Greczkowski said.
He added that it’s important for the nonprofit to stay relevant. He’s busy working on a new website and reimaging campaign as well as video on demand and archival shows. NL
To learn more about Newington Community Television call 860-667-5814 or visit nctv.org.