CONFERENCE WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS & NOTES
Updated 12-17-25
PLENARY SESSION TOPICS
Breaking the Mold: New Models in Local Journalism
As the local commercial journalism model continues to collapse, public and noncommercial media institutions can serve as information safety nets. What sort of re-imagining work is happening, adopting new language, mindsets, practices, and partnerships between institutions like colleges, public radio stations, and Community Media Centers? This workshop will examine how several Sacramento-area news outlets are redefining how journalism is done—and is funded—and will explore a new and exciting entrant: Davis Media Access and Yolo Local.
- Abridged, a public media digital news startup, is applying lessons from past failures and emerging successes in the field.
- CalMatters, a nonprofit founded in 2015, has built a sustainable statewide model while forging strong local newsroom partnerships.
- Davis Media Access is mapping the information needs of Yolo County residents to reshape its services and impact.
How can Community Media Centers play a role? What does “journalism” mean in today’s world? What is the difference between “journalism” and being a provider of hyperlocal information? Panelists will share the editorial and funding strategies that have worked—and the hard lessons learned along the way.
Plenary Panel Leader: Joe Barr, Consultant, Communications and Media Strategy, Sacramento, CA
Speakers: Ryan Lillis, Associate General Manager, News, Abridged/KVIE, Sacramento, CA; David Lowe, President and General Manager, KVIE, Sacramento, CA; Neil Chase, CEO, CalMatters, Sacramento, CA; Autumn Labbe-Renault, Executive Director, Davis Media Access, Davis, CA
Legislative, Legal, and Policy Issues Facing Community Media at the State and Federal Level
In the face of declining cable fees, securing state-level support for community media is more crucial than ever. Learn about legislative activities in states like New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, and California. This workshop will update the status of: (1) pending legislation in a variety of states; (2) the ongoing rulemaking processes regarding cable TV at the California Public Utilities Commission; and (3) policy and legal issues facing community media at the state level.
This plenary session will also address the recently introduced HR 2289 (American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025). This bill is misnamed; instead of promoting broadband deployment, it allows corporations to break or alter agreements to provide broadband and cable in communities across the country.
This session will review how local governments and PEG Access organizations across the country are organizing, developing, and initiating actions to address PEG Access issues at the state level. Learn about model legislation developed by a collaboration between the Alliance for Communication Democracy (ACD), Media Alliance, and the Alliance for Community Media (ACM).
Workshop Facilitator: Sue Buske, President, The Buske Group, Sacramento, CA
Workshop Speakers: Mike Wassenaar, President and CEO, Alliance for Community Media, Washington, DC; Jeff Bayne, Partner, Spiegel & McDiarmid, Washington, DC; Michael Bradley, Bradley Werner Law, Minneapolis, MN; Jay April, President and CEO Akaku—Maui Community Media, Kahului, HI; Lauren-Glenn Davitian, Center for Media and Democracy, Burlington, VT
BREAKOUT WORKSHOP TOPICS
AI and the Community Media Center: A Transformative Tool
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming community media and government meeting workflows. This session will explore how AI is being applied across broadcast & business operations, with a special focus on accessibility compliance to meet the Department of Justice’s upcoming requirements for Captioning, Audio Description, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and to prepare for new accessibility regulations taking effect as early as April 2026.
AI topics with practical examples will include:
- Captioning, Audio Description, Secondary Audio Programming (SAP), and WCAG compliance
- Meeting summaries and agenda generation
- Sports recaps and highlights
- Production, editing, and generative content
- Content metadata, tagging, and search
- Intelligent playout scheduling
- Audience engagement
- Grant writing
- Marketing
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Kat Tracy, Director of Production and Education, Akaku—Maui Community Media, Kahului, HI
Workshop Speakers: Jesse Lerman, President and CEO, TelVue, Mt. Laurel, NJ; Vini Pimento, Akaku—Maui Community Media, Kahului, HI; Natalie Nigg, Outreach and Development Manager, CMAC, Fresno, CA.
Strategies for Collaborating with Schools
Learn from several Community Media Centers (CMCs) that have developed partnerships with schools to gather educational content that can be distributed on community channels, both cable and online. Think about all those sports events, student newscasts, concerts, and special events that are created at schools but are never shared with parents and the community. This session will also address collaborations between CMCs and both K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions, ranging from shared training and equipment to grants and fee-for-service relationships.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Candice Neu, Executive Director, Katharsis Media, Albuquerque, NM
Workshop Speakers: Bryan Harley, Executive Director, CMAC, Fresno, CA; Jason Seipp, Instructor, Broadcast and Digital Film Business, Murietta Valley School District, Murietta, CA; Neal Rivera, Senior Engagement Services Manager, Olelo Community Media, Honolulu, HI
Creating and Sustaining a Succession Plan
A smooth transition of leadership is essential to an organization’s stability and longevity, but most nonprofit organizations lack a succession plan. An unexpected departure at any level can create challenges that impact the quality of services and the funding available to deliver those services. Crafting a succession plan for your Community Media Center strategically prepares the organization for leadership changes long before they are needed. The succession plan should address top-level staff and Board transitions, as well as planned and unplanned transitions.
In this workshop, you’ll learn planning tips for leadership transitions, both at the executive director and board levels.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Sue Miller Buske, President, The Buske Group, Sacramento, CA
Workshop Speakers: Roger McKeague, President and CEO, Olelo Community Media, Honolulu, HI; Suzanne St John Crane, CEO, St Crane Strategies, San Jose, CA
Building a Foundation for Successful Grant Writing
This workshop will provide you with the fundamentals to help position your organization to secure grant funding support for projects important to your community.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Natalie Nigg, Outreach and Development Manager, CMAC, Fresno, CA
Workshop Speaker: Christina Marie Jeffers, Executive Director, Access Humboldt, Eureka, CA
Get in the Game with the Sports Productions
Live sports have never been more popular, with an ever-expanding array of viewing platforms. But does this surge in viewership translate to more diverse methods for producing live sports content? Absolutely.
Join us as we explore the spectrum of live sports production techniques, from single-camera streaming solutions and portable flypacks to remote production workflows and fully equipped live production trucks. Gain exclusive insights from three industry experts as they compare and contrast the dynamics of student-run productions, volunteer-driven public access broadcasts, and government-sponsored live coverage.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Scott Brosious, Broadcast Production Supervisor, Rialto Network, Rialto, CA.
Workshop Speaker: Jeff Stamps, Operations Manager, CMAC, Fresno, CA; Terry McCallum, Executive Director, Educational Television for the Conejo, Thousand Oaks, CA
Strategies and Tools for Proving the Value of Community Media
We all know that community media is effective in fostering civic engagement, as a crucial platform for amplifying diverse and marginalized voices, in holding local power accountable, and promoting a thriving local economy. But how do we demonstrate that value? What tools are most effective in marketing the media center and PEG Access channels? What tools are most effective for getting the word out to the community, to local government, to potential donors, and to reach broader audiences and promote engagement? In this workshop, you’ll learn from CMCs that have figured out the answer to those questions and have had amazing results.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Shelley Wolfe, Executive Director, Cambridge Community Television, Cambridge, MA
Workshop Speaker: Autumn Labbe-Renault, Executive Director, Davis Media Access, Davis, CA (Additional speaker to be announced)
Updating Member and Producer Policies
Most CMCs have policies or rules regarding producer use of content created with CMC equipment and facilities. However, a new challenge is producer monetization on YouTube or other platforms. Is it a conflict of interest to use station equipment and the studio to create content that is monetized on YouTube or other platforms? How do you define “commercial content?” Are there different expectations based on whether the content first airs on the PEG Access channels or not?
These are all new challenges for CMCs. Join your colleagues to discuss this topic and learn how CMCs are addressing these challenges.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Shelley Wolfe, Executive Director, Cambridge Community Television, Cambridge, MA
Workshop Speakers: Kat Tracy, Director of Production and Education, Akaku—Maui Community Media, Kahului, HI; (speaker from CreaTV San Jose to be announced)
Developing CMC Revenue Streams Using Digital Platforms
Learn from CMCs that are using YouTube and other platforms to generate income. Learn about the different forms of income that can be generated from both active and passive content. Find out how to monetize your content, including sports and more, with streaming paywalls and video ads. Hear from CMCs that have successfully launched such efforts. Once a video is published, it can continue to generate revenue through ads, affiliate links, and other monetization methods long after the initial creation effort is complete. Get tips on managing the process.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Richard Turner, Executive Director, Community Media Center of Carroll County, Westminster, MD
Workshop Speakers: Rory O’Farrell, General Manager, Tahoe Truckee Media, Truckee, CA (Additional speaker to be announced)
Tips for Starting Podcasting at Your Media Center
Are you looking to start a podcasting program at your access center? Do you have a dedicated studio but want to implement new educational programming? Have you developed a training curriculum for podcasting? Leaders representing small, mid-sized, and large operations will share their paths to creating comprehensive offerings that meet the needs of their communities.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Johnny Pecina, Community Media Manager, CMAC, Fresno, CA
Workshop Speakers: James Just, Radio Station Manager, Access Sacramento, Sacramento, CA; Carly Starr Brullo Niles, Executive Director, KOCT—Oceanside Community Media, Oceanside, CA
A.M.A.T: Ask Me Anything Technical
This workshop is just what it sounds like! A team of technical experts and engineers is here to answer your questions.
Workshop Facilitator: Randy Van Dalsen, Vice President, The Buske Group, Sacramento, CA
Workshop Speakers: Kevin Bennion, Technical Coordinator, Metro Cable 14/Sacramento Cable TV Commission, Sacramento, CA; Jason Seipp, Instructor, Broadcast and Digital Film Business, Murietta Valley School District, Murietta, CA; Carlos Hernandez, Education Director, Access Sacramento, Sacramento, CA
Producing Government Meetings: Lessons Learned
This workshop will explore the production of government meetings and how to achieve high-quality, visually appealing productions. This discussion will be beneficial, whether you have a large or small budget, and whether you are new to government meetings or currently broadcast 10 or more meetings per week.
Topics to be explored include best practices for control room and field shoots, general production tips for covering government meetings, maintaining comprehensive CG and staff lists, and providing standardized training and operational manuals for staff.
The importance of partnerships will be covered: coordinating with agencies on control room and chambers A/V equipment; working with clerks (understanding agendas and basic meeting protocol); and working with elected officials.
You’ll walk away from this session with tips and ideas to streamline your meeting coverage, so you won’t need to recreate the wheel!
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Chris Verdugo, Operations Director, CCTV, Contra Costa County, CA.
Workshop Speakers: Michael Eisenmanger, Executive Director, Community Media Center of Marin, San Rafael, CA; Zachary Hensel, Programming Coordinator, and Dalan Swenson, Multimedia Technician, Metro Cable 14/Sacramento Cable TV Commission, Sacramento, CA
A Call to Action: An Organizing Workshop Focused on State Legislation Supporting Community Media
In 2022, the ACM West Region’s California members were active in the state capital for the first time in many years. While we could not advance our bill out of the Assembly, we learned a lot. In 2024, we became a party to an ongoing rulemaking at the CPUC, and our issues were included in an ongoing rulemaking regarding HD for PEG Access as a customer service issue. We now plan to move forward in an organized, more experienced manner to introduce legislation that will address the funding stress our field faces.
This workshop will focus on our process and next steps. We’ll have the opportunity to learn from a community media leader from Vermont who led a successful effort to secure PEG Access funds at the state level, and from an experienced lobbyist who has represented nonprofit organizations in Sacramento for many years.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Tracy Rosenberg, Executive Director, Media Alliance, San Francisco, CA
Workshop Speakers: Michael Bradley, Bradley Werner Law, Minneapolis, MN; Jennifer Fearing, Lobbyist, Fearless Advocacy, Sacramento, CA; Lauren-Glenn Davitian, Public Policy Director & Co-Founder, Center for Media and Democracy, Burlington, VT
Going Beyond Cable Funding: Revenue Options, Opportunities, and Success Stories
In the past 4-5 years, cable dollars supporting PEG Access/Community Media Centers have shrunk by more than 50% in many cities. This makes it essential that PEG Access/CMCs identify and implement a variety of funding sources that go beyond cable funding. There is no one-size-fits-all. What works and what doesn’t work will vary between large and small CMCs, as well as between rural, urban, and suburban areas. Building up adequate funding doesn’t happen overnight. This workshop will explore various non-cable funding sources that have proven effective in filling the cable funding gap and, in the process, provide a more long-term survival strategy.
Workshop Facilitator/Speaker: Matt Schuster, Executive Director, Public Media Network, Kalamazoo, MI
Workshop Speakers: Jay April, President and CEO Akaku—Maui Community Media, Kahului, HI; Chad Johnston, Executive Director, CreaTV, San Jose, CA (Additional speaker to be announced)
Coping Strategies for Stressed-Out Community Media Leaders and Staff
Shrinking budgets, failure to achieve at Board meetings, staff shortages, major playback equipment malfunctions, unforeseen staff resignations, and “my child has a doctor’s emergency NOW!” You can feel stress as an individual, with the people you work and interact with, and at home. This workshop will set you on the path to addressing these workplace stressors.
Workshop Speaker/Facilitator: Hester Wagner, Senior Director of Media/Arts, Futures Explored, Sacramento, CA
Workshop Speakers: Additional speaker(s) to be announced