Midpen Media

What Midpen Media does

Midpen Media Center, founded in 1990 and headquartered at 900 San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA, is a nonprofit community media organization serving the Midpeninsula region. It operates five cable TV channels (76, 27/28, 29, 30, 75) on Comcast Cable, viewable in Atherton, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Stanford, with channel programming split between two government channels carrying municipal and county meeting broadcasts and three community channels focused on youth/education, arts/issues/lifestyles, and diversity/culture content. The organization maintains searchable archives of Palo Alto City Council, Council Committees & Commissions, and Palo Alto Unified School District meetings dating to 2013.

The organization operates a professional 40'x35' TV studio equipped with four Hitachi Z-HD6000-ST1 HD studio cameras, a Newtek Tricaster 8000 production switcher, Soundcraft Si Performer 3 digital sound mixer, two Apple Mac Pro-based editing bays with Matrox MX02 encoders and Adobe/Final Cut Studio software, plus an equipment rental room stocking Sony, Panasonic, and Canon HD cameras, audio gear, stabilizers, and lighting kits. Educational programming spans youth camps and classes (ages 10-14), K-12 school and homeschool curriculum integration, a college prep film portfolio program, and adult classes in TV production and filmmaking.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring government contracts for meeting broadcasts (managed by a single Government Contract Manager), individual donations via Donorbox, youth camp and adult class fees (e.g., $599.99 Digital Animation Camp, $25 Television Production Workshop), TV studio rental for podcasts/interviews/livestreams, and equipment rental on three-day packages. Marketing is community-led, relying on the website, event registration, donor cultivation, and the 50+ active community-produced programs distributed via cable and YouTube. Strategic partnerships span municipal governments, two counties, PAUSD, and national bodies including ACM, NAB, NAMAC, and UNAFF.

Name

Midpen Media

Legal name

Midpen Media Center

Website

https://midpenmedia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Midpen Media Center is a nonprofit community media organization operating five Comcast Cable TV channels and a professional production studio in Palo Alto, CA, serving municipalities, counties, schools, and residents across the Midpeninsula with government broadcasts, youth and adult media education, and equipment rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Broadcasting Production Units & Studios (In-house/Member) (MPABADAF)

Keywords

• Community media services
• Public access television
• Media education programs
• TV studio rental
• Video equipment rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Individual Giving: Midpen Media Center relies on donations from community members and supporters. The organization maintains a Donorbox page for online contributions and conducts annual giving campaigns.
2. Youth Camps and Classes: Revenue from youth media camps and educational programs including Digital Animation Camp ($599.99), Film Production Camps, and Television Production Workshops ($25.00)
3. TV Studio Rental: Professional TV studio available for rental seven days a week for professional productions, podcasts, interviews, livestreams, trainings, and community media. Reduced community access rates available for qualifying noncommercial producers.
4. Equipment Rental: Well-stocked equipment room available to community members for in-studio, field production, and professional shoots. All packages include camcorder, tripod, external microphone, mic cable, and batteries based on three-day rental periods.
5. Government Contracts: Government contract for broadcasting municipal government meetings for cities including East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Managed by Patrick Campisi, Government Contract Manager.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Midpen Media Center operates five cable TV channels on Comcast Cable delivering government meeting broadcasts and community-produced programming to Atherton, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Stanford. It provides a professional TV studio and production equipment available for rental, alongside media education programs spanning youth camps, school and homeschool curricula, college portfolio prep, and adult classes in film, animation, and television production. Revenue is generated through donations, government contracts, equipment and studio rentals, and class/camp tuition.

Product overview

Midpen Media Center operates as a community media organization offering cable television programming, professional production facilities, and educational programs. The core offerings include five cable TV channels (Government Channels 76 and 29, Community Channels 28, 30, and 75) for local government meetings and community content, complemented by a professional TV studio available for rental, an equipment rental room, and a comprehensive suite of educational programs spanning youth camps, school programs, college prep, and adult classes in filmmaking, animation, and television production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cable TV Channels Five cable TV channels (Government 76, Government 29, Community 28, Community 30, and Community 75) on Comcast Cable delivering municipal government meeting broadcasts and community-produced programming to Atherton, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Stanford.
• TV Studio Rental Professional 40'x35' TV studio available for rental seven days a week, equipped with four Hitachi Z-HD6000-ST1 HD studio cameras, jib camera, green screen wall, 22-light Fresnel grid, Newtek Tricaster 8000 production switcher, and Soundcraft Si Performer 3 digital sound mixer. Suitable for podcasts, interviews, livestreams, trainings, nonprofit productions, and community media. Reduced community access rates available for qualifying noncommercial producers.
• Equipment Rental Rental of HD cameras (Sony A7III, NXCam, Panasonic, Canon C100), audio equipment, stabilizers, lighting kits, and miscellaneous production gear available to community members for in-studio, field production, and professional shoots. Three-day rental periods include camcorder, tripod, external microphone, mic cable, and batteries.
• Youth Programs Digital media education programs for children ages 10-14, including Digital Animation Camp ($599.99), Film Production Camps, and Television Production Workshops ($25.00), covering filmmaking, acting, journalism, studio television, and animation through summer camps and after-school programs.
• School Programs Custom curriculum programs for K-12 schools and homeschool groups in film, animation, acting, and visual media, taught at the Midpen Media Center studio or at school locations with flexible scheduling.
• College Prep Program College preparatory program helping teens and young adults build film portfolios for college applications through mentorship and hands-on project guidance.
• Adult Classes Adult education courses in TV studio production, video production, and filmmaking taught by industry professionals with hands-on experience using professional equipment at the Midpen Media Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• Searchable government archives since 2013 for Palo Alto City Council and PAUSD
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for documentary film festival programming and community engagement around international documentary filmmaking
• City of East Palo AltocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner for broadcasting city council and planning commission meetings on cable channels
• City of Menlo ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner for broadcasting city council meetings on cable channels
• San Mateo CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner for broadcasting Board of Supervisors meetings
• Santa Clara CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner for broadcasting Board of Supervisors meetings
• Palo Alto Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for broadcasting school board meetings and providing media education programs for students
• NAB (National Association of Broadcasters)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership supporting community media advocacy and best practices
• ACM (Alliance for Community Media)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational alliance providing WAVE Awards recognition and conference participation for community media centers
• NAMAC (National Association of Media Arts & Culture)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization supporting media arts and culture programs
• WCPA (West Coast Public Affairs)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional public affairs programming partnership
• CoGenerateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergenerational programming and community engagement partner
• CampwingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummer camp partnership for youth program promotion

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN): NYC's largest community media center, offering public-access cable channels, production studios, equipment lending, and media education classes. Directly comparable to Midpen's PEG-channel-and-education model.
• Cambridge Community Television (CCTV): Cambridge, MA community media center operating public-access channels, a production studio, and youth/adult training programs. Mirrors Midpen's cable-channel-plus-education hybrid model.
• Berkeley Community Media: East Bay community media center operating PEG cable channels, a production facility, and media education programs in the same Bay Area region as Midpen.
• Portland Community Media: Portland, OR community media center operating public-access channels, a production studio, equipment rentals, and youth classes. Same multi-stream community media business model.
• Austin Community Television (ChannelAustin): PEG channel operator serving Austin with public-access programming, media education, and studio/equipment access — operating a near-identical community media center playbook.
• Seattle Channel: City-operated public-access cable channel producing government meeting broadcasts, civic programming, and community content for the Seattle area. Comparable in mission and broadcasting focus.
• Twin Cities Television (TCTV): Minneapolis/St. Paul community media center operating PEG channels, equipment lending, and youth media education. Same community-media-center-with-cable-channels model.
• Brooklyn Community Access Television (BCAT): NYC borough-level community media center operating public-access channels, studio rentals, and youth/adult training programs. Closely aligned with Midpen's multi-channel + education hybrid.

Regional players

• Mountain View Community Television (KMVT): Adjoining Silicon Valley public-access channel serving Mountain View and surrounding cities with government meeting broadcasts and community programming — directly comparable cable PEG model.
• Access Sacramento: Sacramento-based nonprofit community media center operating public-access cable channels, government meeting broadcasts, and equipment/studio rental — directly comparable in California and model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/midpenmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midpen Media