CMAP Blossoms Online and In Downtown Gilroy

CMAP TV has been bursting at the seams with new volunteers, youth programs and community programming, and has been looking for a new place to grow. Now serving over 600 youth and 200 adults annually in two counties, CMAP has developed into a hands-on 21st Century multimedia job training center and public access to the media for local residents.

CMAP has recently expanded to offer its cable access television programs online at www.cmap.tv, providing local content streaming live as well as archived content of local government meetings in southern Santa Clara County and San Benito County.

As part of this expansion to serve the community, CMAP is opening a new space in the Gilroy Foundation offices in downtown Gilroy. CMAP staff will be hosting First Friday events starting in June that allow residents to create their own news, music and videos on any topic for airing on CMAP’s online and cable channels.

Kathy Bisbee, executive director of CMAP, said “Classes will be held weekly at the downtown location, including digital storytelling classes, video production and editing, and residents will be able to reserve camera equipment at this location after attending an orientation and becoming certified on all CMAP equipment.”

On Thursday, May 3rd, from 6 to 8 p.m., CMAP staff and members will be hosting a “Community Night” grand opening event to celebrate the new downtown office space, located at 60 Fourth St. in Suite 207. Attendees will have the chance to meet members, staff and local filmmakers, and find out how to get involved in CMAP.

CMAP is also working with the to discuss a potential additional location at which is a digital media and performing arts high school. CHS currently has an existing public partnership with the City of Gilroy.

Details regarding this partnership will be available once an agreement has been approved by CMAP’s board of directors and the GUSD trustees at an upcoming meeting in May 2012.

Channel 18, currently the full-time higher-education channel where “GavTV” started, will soon be transitioning. GavTV productions, such as “Good Morning Gavilan,” “Gavazine” and “Let’s Ask Alice,” will still be available on CMAP’s public access channel 20 and educational channel 19, as well as online. Viewers will begin to see changes in the schedule over the next year as new programming is brought in for Channel 18.

CMAP has not yet determined the theme of the new programming, but discussions are in the works with K-12 educators in the region, as well as local news outlets.

CMAP is already partnering with BenitoLink.com to provide local video news stories, coverage of local events and high school sports in San Benito County. CMAP will continue to keep operations at Gavilan College through 2013, or until a new television studio building is complete at CHS or another location.

CMAP is also hosting two upcoming PSA Days for local non-profit organizations to record public service announcements that will be aired on CMAP.

Gilroy’s PSA Day will be on Friday, May 25th at Gavilan College in the television studio, and the Hollister PSA Day will be on May 24th from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, room 218.

Interested individuals should contact James Duisenberg, CMAP Access Facilitator at James@cmap.tv., to register.

About Us:
CMAP TV
CMAP is a non-profit, community media center serving the media and technology needs of residents of southern Santa Clara County and San Benito County. CMAP has aired thousands of local media programs online and on its cable channels for public, educational and for government access (Charter Channels 17, 18, 19, and 20). CMAP's channels stream live online at  www.cmap.tv.

GavTV
GavTV supports the Media, Communications and Television (MCTV) program at Gavilan College by providing media opportunities for students studying television, video, and theatre. The program offers certificates, degrees and opportunities to transfer to four-year universities. Students gain real world experience, professional instruction, construct portfolios, and learn about career opportunities. http://www.gavilan.edu/gavtv