Dublin Community Television


Dublin Community Television is a not-for-profit co-operative television station in Ireland, broadcasting from the country's capital, Dublin. The channel launched on 16 July 2008, and is currently available to over 200,000 households across Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford.

Programming

Programmes for DCTV are created and produced by a variety of sources:
The station also shows international material such as Democracy_Now! which has been broadcast nightly since 2010.

Background

DCTV is Ireland's only democratically-controlled TV channel. Its logo asserts that it encourages diversity, empowerment, and participation in its programming and activities. All content is Creative Commons/Non-commercial according to in the spirit of non-commercial community benefit.
Dublin Community Television is a new Irish TV broadcaster, which secured a 10-year Community Licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It is also Ireland's only TV station run by a members' cooperative and Dublin's only community TV station. With offices in the Digital Hub, DCTV has plans to base small-scale production facilities around the city, making video and television production and transmission as accessible as possible. Using new, low-cost, all-digital technology, DCTV is part of a global growth in alternative, community-focused media. The organisation itself is a members' cooperative, with schedules, programme commissioning and all other decisions being taken by members of the cooperative. There is no standard advertising: instead the channel has a number of innovative revenue models supporting the very low-cost operation of the station.
Special Schemes are initiatives which fall outside the regular funding rounds and have a distinct focus on partnerships and the fostering of industry development. While content will deal with the core themes of BCI Sound & Vision, the Special Scheme takes a holistic view of the programme making process, from development to production according to the BCI.

Co-operative Information

DCTV is a member's co-operative, with schedules, programme commissioning and all other decisions being taken by members of the cooperative. There is no standard advertising: instead the channel has a number of innovative revenue models supporting the very low-cost operation of the station.
DCTV is funded by membership fees and a variety of other sources: Dublin City Council, other Dublin councils and the Dublin Community Forum. Many of the programmes made for DCTV are funded by the BCI's Sound and Vision fund, which is generated from the Irish TV licence fee.
Membership costs €25 a year, giving the member a say in running the station and choosing programming and gives you access to the means to make programmes for DCTV.

Purpose

DCTV provides members with affordable access to transmission, training, basic production equipment and facilities for a broad range of individuals, community groups and activists broadcasting a wealth of innovative, creative, educational and entertaining programmes that focus on real people and communities in all their diversity.

Launch

Dublin Community Television was launched on 16 July 2008 by Minister Eamon Ryan, Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources.
The channel airs:
Creative Commons
DCTV promotes the widest possible distribution and use of programmes for non-profit use. Its own productions will be produced under
a Creative Commons license that allows non-profit use, subject to recognition of source. DCTV also
promotes sharing with other community channels.