About PortMedia

Who we are

We are PortMedia (Newburyport Community Media Center, Inc.), a Massachusetts Nonprofit Corporation (ID No. 000938242), organized on November 27, 2006. We are a 501(c)(3) US Federal Income Tax Exempt Corporation.

We manage Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Community Access Television on cable television channels 9 and 10 in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

To learn more about PEG/Community Access TV, click here.

Our Mission Statement (DRAFT 2007-07-13)

The mission of PortMedia is to promote free expression of diverse ideas and facilitate First Amendment rights of free speech of the people of Newburyport.

We accomplish our mission by coordinating the use of cable-access channels and our web site, and by providing video production facilities and technical assistance, to any interested Newburyport-based individual or group.

We support the production of any kind of non-commercial videos (including educational, governmental, cultural, entertainment, informational, or any other content of interest to the Newburyport community). We provide that support on a first-come, first-served basis, free from censorship and discrimination.

Some History

While we evolved from the cablecasting location on Hale Street in Newburyport, which formerly did cablecast PEG on cable television channels 9, 10, and 98 for Newburyport, Ipswich, Newbury, and Rowley, PortMedia does not have any relationship with PEG Access for those or any other neighboring towns. See the listing below for our best understanding as to PEG Access contact information for our neighboring towns.

Our Funding

We receive a percentage of the cable subscription fees charged by Newburyport cable television provider(s), as negotiated by the City of Newburyport and the Newburyport Cable Advisory Committee in 2006.

In the future, we may also derive revenue to support our mission through donations from like-minded individuals and corporate underwriters. We may also charge various nominal user fees to help cover our costs (such as for videotapes, digital disks, etc).

Contact Info

Our mailing address is:

PortMedia
PO Box 1605
Newburyport, MA 01950

In July 2007, we signed a lease for office and studio space on Graf Road in the Industrial Park area of Newburyport. We've built-out that space over the Fall 2007 and Winter 2008, and plan to move in during the May 2008--Stay tuned, as they say!

We are purposefully not publishing our email addresses and telephone and fax numbers on the web in an attempt to reduce junk. Please use the Contact Us form, and we will contact you shortly.

Corporate Officers

President: Sarah Hayden
Treasurer: Michael Morris
Clerk: Mark Sceery

Board of Directors

In addition to the Corporate Officers, our Board of Directors include:

Mark Bransfield
Richie Eaton
Andrea Egmont
Pete Jalajas
Jeff Reusse
Don Skane

Staff
Executive Director - Keri Stokstad

Robert Dunbar
Elizabeth Marcus
Ben Knight

PEG Access in our Area

Here is our understanding of PEG Access in our neighboring towns (please send us updates!):

Newburyport:
PortMedia, PO Box 1605, Newburyport, MA 01950
Serving Newburyport only.
Channel 9: Public, Educational, and Governmental Access for now. Later (late 2007?), we will show Public Access only.
Channel 10: Same as 9 for now (later will show Government and Eductional programming).
Channel 98: PortMedia does not control Channel 98.

Amesbury, Merrimac, (Merrimacport?), Salisbury, South Hampton NH:
Comcast, 194 Rear Street, Amesbury, MA 01913, (978) 388-4179, 978-388-3335

Georgetown:
Georgetown Cable Access, 1 Library Street, Floor 3, Georgetown, MA 01833,
http://gctv9.com

Groveland:
Cable TV Advisory Board, 181 Main St, Groveland, MA 01834,
http://www.grovelandma.com/Pages/GrovelandMA_BComm/cable

Ipswich, Newbury, Rowley (West Newbury?, Byfield?):
Comcast, 27 Hale Street, Newburyport, MA 01950, 1-800-COMCAST (1-800-266-2278), https://www.comcast.com/Customers/FAQ/FaqDetails.ashx?Id=2581
Town of Ipswich: http://www.town.ipswich.ma.us/town%20clerk/default.htm

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