Toronto Community Media Network Steering Committee

Ab Velasco Project Leader,

Digital Content & Innovation at Toronto

Public Library

Emilia ZboralskaPhD Candidate (ABD) , Media Policy, Ryerson

David Skinner York

University, Department of

Communication Studies,

Faculty Member, Media Studies

Darryl Richardson Toronto Media

Co-Op Local Representative,

Board of Directors

David Murphy Ryerson University, Communication and

Culture, Graduate Student, Game

Studies

Greg Warren Publisher, AtLiberty Magazine

Paul da SilvaCo-Director.

International Diaspora Film

Festival

Maggie ReidCHRY 105.5FM Radio Inc., Infoscape

Lab, York University

Stephen EllisZoomer media

Cathy EdwardsCo-Executive

Director CACTUS, Community

Media Convergence Co-

Cordinator

Dahne Jobson Chair,

TCMN/ICTV Toronto,

Consultant, JMG Media Group

Karen WirsigOutreach , Canadian Media Guild

The Basic Principle of The Toronto Media Hub Network

Independent

Community

Television

Video

Radio

Online Print

Audio Podcasts

Radio

OnlinePrintAu

dioVideo

Common Ground Media

Dames Making Games

Toronto Media Co-Op

City of Toronto

Toronto Library Systems

Centennial College

DistributionPrintHub

Client Content Source

Distribution Hub

Training Content

Production Hub

Production Training

DistributionHub

ContentProducer

Hub

Independent Community Television

Station

Radio Common Ground Media

Common Ground Media, a non-profit media newsroom, uses media to champion under represented voices and ideas and Centre for Social Innovation community partner.

Fostering understanding, facilitating communication, bolstering the stories of those often not at the table, and the ideas behind stories not often considered. This is the essence of Curtain Up Distribution in general, and the Common ground Media program area in particular. Such has been our purpose via radio and other media forms.

Common Ground Media is active in: arts, culture, civic, engagement, diversity, equality and human rights, international development, poverty, and social justice.

TCMN benefits for a non-profit, media-focused organization

An enhanced distribution of content to a wider audience on a commercial-free platform

Increased self-determination, decision-making power around programming channel, and community medianetworking opportunities, access, and support.

By having member groups that represent different sector populations, together we can insure the platform works to meet sector needs.

TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Kerry Ambrose, PartnershipDevelopment Coordinator, Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre

OnlineDames Making Games

Dames Making Games, is a not-for-profit organization founded in Toronto in 2012, and aims to highlight the achievements and stories of Toronto-based game makers and provide a community and venue for those who want to explore playing, critiquing and creating game; and where people with shared values can come together to take on specific issues, explore marginalized subjectivities and breakdown complex social structures and learn a broad range of skills in a short period of time. Dames Making Games was one of the first organizations to recognize the inherent benefit of a modern approach to sharing the unique stories not found in conventional media sources. They run a wide range of programs and events for women, non-binary, gender nonconforming, trans and queer folks interested in games and their development. The organization is member-run and member-funded, arts-focused, technology positive, collaborative, engaged, and welcoming.

The group champions multiple social issues, so the group is built around the idea that gender isn’t the only issue, issues of race and class matter to the group as well. For example, DMG created a project called Indigicade, where they taught indigenous girls to make games, as a way to provide a platform to tell their unique stories.

The developing partnership between TCMN and DMG creates a number of important firsts:

The inclusion of gaming into a community media strategy

The broader recognition of the social value of digital gaming

The use of games to put the user into the shoes of the author and their particular social situation – in particular, marginalized and disengaged youth

Dispelling the commonly held notion that financial means and advanced technical skills are required to design a game

TCMN Committee Member Outreach: David Murphy, Ryerson University, Communication and Culture, Graduate Student, Gaming Studies

OnlinePrint Media Co-Op

The Media Co-op is a coast-to-coast network of local media co-operatives dedicated to providing grassroots, democratic coverage of their communities and of Canada.

The Media Co-op is reader-funded and member-run. The result is the participation of hundreds of people and through discussion, transparent of coverage, photography, written accounts, videos and other forms of participatory journalism constitute the rich content found on the site.

Each Local of the Media Co-op consists of:

A local group of active contributors and organizers

A web site, connected to the Media Co-op Network

Membership of the Media Co-op residing in the vicinity with first-hand accounts of events and happenings

Each Local has a degree of autonomy, but also contributes to (and benefits from) the operation of the Co-op. In consultation with membership, Local editorial groups decide how to use resources in their area.

TCMN will benefit from the Media Co-Op’s well established network of delivery sources and central platform that TCMN aims to replicate with its planned network of media hubs.

TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Darryl Richardson, Local Representative , Board of Directors, Toronto Media Co-Op

AudioThe City of Toronto

Accessing Toronto

Web Revitalization Project

As the City's primary communications, service delivery and information sharing tool, toronto.ca is an important customer service channel. 

The goal of the Web Revitalization Project is to make the City's online information and services easier to find and use. In the end, they want a site that is accessible to everyone on any device.  

Toronto.ca is big, really big - it's made up of thousands of web pages, images and files. Information can be hard to find and once found, even harder to understand.  The great news is that the City is inviting public input as to how fix the problems!

There is a fantastic opportunity to develop a client/ contractor relationship with TCMN. For example, with financial assistance from the City, dedicated media resources can be tasked to assist with the City’s revamping of their message platform – in turn creating revenue streams for TCMN and its ability to provide paid work for members of the community – creating a cyclical opportunity for both the City and Toronto Community Network.

Web Stats for 2015:

TCMN City Hall Sub-Committee: Cathy Edwards, Dahne Jobson, Stephen Ellis, Greg WarrenSource: wwwhttp://www1.toronto.ca

Video Toronto Library Systems

The Toronto Public Library Systems are an ideal content distribution partner for the Toronto Community Network. Their established digital gateway throughout their 99 branches makes them an important distribution hub and constitutes one of the distinguishing elements of the TCMN initiative – Even without a television presence, community-centric content has the potential to reach over 2.3 million people a year.

Fast Facts

With 99 locations, it is the largest public library system in North America serving a population of 2.3 million

There are more than 400 Internet workstations in its network of library branches

Toronto Public Library is one of the world's busiest library systems

The Toronto Public Library reported more than 18 million visits to their 99 branches

72% of Torontonians use the Toronto Public Library

1.3 million people are registered Toronto Public Library cardholders

Circulation of e-content surpassed 2 million

There were over 30 million visits to torontopubliclibrary.ca site

There were 2.3 million wireless sessions in library branches

TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Ab Velasco Project Leader, Digital Content and Innovation at Toronto Public Library

Source: www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

Centennial College Story Arts Centre is poised to be the first in TCMN’s network of production hubs that provides hands-on training to the public. The $36-million cutting-edge Communications, Media and Design campus for the arts is the perfect place for the public to get a chance to acquire real-world skills sets and develop professional storytelling abilities. However, becoming a public, hands-on training centre on behalf of a non-profit organization requires investments of time, finances and other resources. Below are real questions posed by the Dean in regard to Centennial’s involvement with ICTV Toronto.

Mitigating Factors

What type of insurance coverage would you have to coverage would ICTV haveWhat is the level of involvement ICTV expects from the CCSAC staff and studentsWhat is your model and structure for running your production units and studio needsExactly what facilities do you imagine you will needHow many hours do you anticipate using a weekWho would manage and book facilities for ICTVWho would act as your crew? who trains the crewWould you expect to have offices on campusWould there be money to invest in the facilitiesWhat will Centennial receive in exchange for any use of the college facilities

Financing It is relatively easy in the current climate to obtain capital grants to enable digital media skills training and access. This can include start-up costs for a community media centre (equipment purchase, distribution infrastructure, etc.) The greater challenge is to develop sustainable operating income. With a bit of operational funding (many possible sources: recurring grants, advertising, sponsorship, municipal contributions), in addition to a strong branding campaign that could be added to the 'channel'. e.g. Station IDs, PSAs that explain the process for submitting content. Working toward universal GTA access to media skills training is a scalable undertaking. e.g. Supposing the various hubs say, "We could open our doors to this particular additional clientele if we could hire an extra person for this much $$“. If an organization discovers that it can bring in that much $$ through sponsorship or a municipal contribution, then a reproducible funding model can be structured to produce a workable universal public access hub and a sustainable source of additional income.

TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Darryl Richardson, Local Representative , Board of Directors, Toronto Media Co-Op

Video – Training – Production HubCentennial College Story Arts Centre

First things first...So...What is the point and purpose of taking on the challenge of founding a community television station and

community media distribution structure?

The answer is simple.

Conventional media is beholden to corporate structure and the mandates of capitalism. Even with funding models such as HBO and Vice and other avant-garde cable stations that give a platform to radical ideas and

views, the Everyperson’s voice is still marginalized.

The cultural, idea, concepts imbalance is unjust because community television is a Right that we all pay for and we are not getting the value we as Canadians are entitled to.

Diversity leads to Unity.

That’s why the development of the Toronto Community Media Network and Independent Community Television Station is so important... and worth the challenge.

First Nations

Media-Makers of Colour

Native Women in

the Arts

Six Nations Youth

Media Collective

Diaspora Film Festival

Real Asian Film Festival

Unionized Workers

IATSE OPSEU The Differently-

Abled Ethno-Racial People

of Colour with

Disabilities

Coalition of Ontario

Lights, Camera, Access

Paralympics Committee

LGBTTI2QQ

Toronto HIV/AIDS Network

Youth

Mozilla-Hive

Low-Income Neighbourhoods

(and associations)No One is Illegal

Seniors

Environmental Groups Youth Against Poverty Universities and Colleges