$16,600 Grant Equips New Norwood High School Cable Television Studio-August 18, 1987

Programs written, directed, and produced by Norwood High School students will soon begin airing on cable television within the year, courtesy of a $16,600 equipment grant awarded by Norwood Community Television. The nonprofit local programming company provided the funding to purchase essential studio equipment required to complete the new cable television facility at the high school. In exchange for the financial backing, the school department has agreed to produce a steady volume of local programming, according to Donna Farnham, president of Norwood Community Television.

“Right now, some school events are shown on cable; a lot of it is sports,” Farnham said. “This grant is expected to expand that. The English or communication departments can get involved with students writing scripts, and they’ve already hired someone to teach production skills at the studio.” Farnham noted that officials hope training young people in television production will naturally extend cable access to other civic organizations throughout the town.

The studio was constructed as part of the high school’s broader $5 million renovation project and is slated to open in the fall. Grant funds were utilized to acquire two digital color cameras, three tripods, and necessary accessories. Additionally, a dual-channel digital time base corrector—used to adjust color and correct errors in finished videotapes—was donated to the studio.

Norwood Community Television oversees the allocation of funds generated from 1 percent of Adams-Russell Cable Television‘s gross annual revenue, a provision established under the cable provider’s municipal contract. The organization received $23,000 from Adams-Russell the previous year. Local residents and organizations interested in producing community programming can obtain grant applications at the library or by calling 762-0443.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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