November 30, 2020

GNAT-TV Takes Pride In Serving Our Community

GNAT Programs Posted On October 29, 2020
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Dear Friends,
GNAT-TV takes pride in serving our community and is a fundamental part of the eleven towns we serve. We have been with you, day-in and day-out for the last 25 years. People rely on us to keep them informed and connected to one another and to Vermont. GNAT-TV is the only local independent media outlet in the Northshire. Community Media strengthens our communities!
We feel a tremendous responsibility to be there for the people we serve. This has never been more evident than during these past eight months, as we helped the people of our communities navigate life during the COVID-19 pandemic. By all accounts, during these trying times, GNAT-TV has definitively become your “go to” local source for reliable information and a conduit for community connections. Even though our staff was as personally impacted as everybody else, we worked harder than ever to stay connected to our communities. Here are a few examples:
  • We shared critical COVID-19 information by creating a dedicated web page with up to date information.
  • We aired Governor Scott’s tri-weekly press conferences.
  • We offered video announcements and posted important timely information such as interim hours of operation, curbside service, and reopening for our nonprofit community, schools, and the business sector.
  • We worked with local schools to live stream graduation ceremonies, and handled the distribution and archival of those events.
  • We provided technical and educational resources, equipment, and training to our faith community to enable them to hold and share their weekly services.
  • We launched a “Kids Create Variety Show” with content submitted by local children, then compiled and distributed by GNAT-TV.
  • We expanded The News Project coverage and engaged community members to produce and share their stories on our open distribution network.
Even in the midst of working harder than ever to be there for the people we serve, our board and staff worked collaboratively to update our mission, purpose, and vision to better reflect what “community media” truly means. As we collectively emerge from this tumultuous period, we do so as a laser-focused, highly-effective organization.
Historically, we have been funded by a percentage of the revenue that Comcast collects from cable subscribers within our towns. As people move to other mediums for movies, shows, and news; cable subscriptions are declining. As we face this funding challenge, we are ahead of the curve in planning for our future sustainability beyond cable. We recognized this changing environment and developed membership and underwriting opportunities for local businesses and nonprofits. We have developed relationships with individuals who support our work financially, and help keep us moving forward.
  • We are expanding our production and technology training services, and seeking new ways to generate revenue for services provided.
  • We are investing in new digital distribution tools and resources to ensure essential local information can be accessed by all.
  • We are building relevance, while responding to community needs by expanding our content distribution platforms: Our cable channels are live streamed online at gnat-tv.org and our high-quality local content is available on demand on Facebook, Instagram TV, YouTube, Roku, Apple TV, GNAT-TV Podcast; in addition to our cable channels.
We are everywhere; we are doing it well; we are critically important to this community.
We will continue to innovate as we find new ways to serve our local communities. Our services are especially meaningful during this critical election cycle, and civic engagement is an important piece of our core mission. Over the past several months we have hosted debates among local candidates and hosted interviews with statewide candidates, including: Governor Scott, Lt. Governor Zuckerman, and candidates Molly Gray and Scott Milne to name a few. We created a local election resource webpage and we will offer our live election night coverage of local and state outcomes. We are committed to providing transparent access to local government.
We are, frankly, a much better, more focused and efficient organization than we were ten years ago. We have a remarkable staff of talented, dedicated professionals who are deeply connected to the people we serve. GNAT-TV is part of the glue that holds our community together.
We want to do more, but we can’t do it without your support. Please help us to continue the remarkable job we do for you, your family and your friends by making a gift. You can give online at gnat-tv.org or by mail to P.O. Box 2168 Manchester Center, VT 05250.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have and to tell you more about GNAT-TV. Please feel free to contact me or any of our Board members to learn more.
Warmest regards,
Tammie M. Reilly
Executive Director, GNAT-TV
802.362.7070

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