Community Television of Santa Cruz County

What Community Television of Santa Cruz County does

Community Television of Santa Cruz County (CTV) is a 501c3 nonprofit public access television station headquartered at 325 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz, California, serving residents of Santa Cruz County. The organization provides video production training, equipment, studio facilities, and broadcast distribution, with the stated mission of fostering dialogue, civic engagement, and self-expression through television and digital media. Its primary users are general community members (students, hobbyists, civic organizations), professional video producers, and local Santa Cruz businesses. A board of directors and finance committee provide governance oversight, with Becca Reed as Executive Director, Ethan Black as Executive Producer, and Guy Lasnier as Chairman.

CTV's core offerings combine physical infrastructure with production services. The RSVP (Really Simple Video Place) DIY Video Studio, launched in May 2019, is a self-service recording booth purpose-built for one-person use, featuring a 4K-compatible camera, acoustic dampening, automated lighting, four motorized backdrops plus a green screen wall, and instant recording to flash drive. The professional CTV TV Studio and the co-located Satellite Coworking & Digital Media Center (established 2016 via partnership with Satellite Flexible Workspace) provide state-of-the-art production equipment and facilities. Content distribution runs on cable channels 26, 27, 72, and 73, including CTV2 (government meetings) and the CRUZ Channel; original programming includes the volunteer-produced monthly Santa Cruz Currents news program and a recurring broadcast schedule. Additional facility offerings include a VIVE Virtual Reality Kit (added in March 2023) and instructional video training resources.

The business model is a hybrid community-access revenue stack: recurring membership fees for access to studios, equipment, and coworking; donations solicited via the website and PayPal; sponsorships for CRUZ Channel and CTV Access Programming; and CRUZ Professional Media Services for paid video production work for local businesses. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots outreach, social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr), email/RSS, website content, and partnership events with organizations such as Santa Cruz Voice and Think Local First. The customer base is fragmented across individuals, small businesses, and civic groups; no large enterprise contracts or external funding rounds are disclosed, and operations are confined to Santa Cruz County.

Name

Community Television of Santa Cruz County

Legal name

Community Television of Santa Cruz County

Website

https://communitytv.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Television of Santa Cruz County (CTV) is a 501c3 nonprofit public access television station serving Santa Cruz County, California. It provides video production training, equipment, studio facilities, and broadcast channels for community members, professional producers, and local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Access Television / Community Media Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Public access television
• Community media services
• Video production training
• Media education programs
• Studio facility rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Community members pay membership fees to access video equipment, studio space, and coworking facilities. Membership supports media education and public use for Santa Cruz County residents.
2. Donations: Generous donations from the public allow CTV to provide training, facility space, online programming and television broadcast to the Santa Cruz community.
3. Sponsorship Programs: Sponsors can support CRUZ Channel Programming and CTV Access Programming to gain visibility while supporting community media.
4. Professional Media Services: CRUZ Professional Media Services provides professional video production services for local businesses and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Television of Santa Cruz County (CTV) is a 501c3 non-profit community media organization that provides tools, training, and programming to foster dialogue, civic engagement, and self-expression through television, internet, and digital media. The organization operates a professional TV studio, a self-service DIY video studio (RSVP), and coworking facilities that members and local businesses can access for video production, while also broadcasting community-produced programming and producing the monthly news show Santa Cruz Currents on public access cable channels.

Product overview

Community Television of Santa Cruz County (CTV) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that operates as a community media center offering a portfolio of services rather than a single software product. The core offering includes a professional TV studio and the RSVP (Really Simple Video Place) DIY Video Studio for self-service recording, supplemented by professional production services (CRUZ Professional Media Services), equipment lending, and coworking facilities at the Satellite Coworking & Digital Media Center. The organization provides media education through training resources and produces community programming including the monthly news program Santa Cruz Currents. CTV also offers virtual reality experiences through its VIVE VR Kit and supports public access programming where community members can submit content for broadcast on channels 26, 27, 72, and 73.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRUZ Channel: Professional media services channel offered by CTV
• RSVP (Really Simple Video Place)
• SC Currents
• CTV2

Products and services

• RSVP (Really Simple Video Place) DIY Video Studio A self-service DIY video recording studio designed for one person to use without any crew. It features an automated camera, audio and lighting system that starts instantly, a 4K compatible video camera, 4 motorized drop-down backdrops plus a green screen wall, and simple recording to a flash drive. It supports switching between camera view and PowerPoint or browser-based presentations. Intended for CTV members who want to produce professional-looking video without specialized training.
• CTV TV Studio A professional television production studio available for member use, featuring state-of-the-art production equipment, acoustic dampening, and full video production capabilities for creating professional content. For community producers, students, and professionals producing studio-based content.
• Equipment & Facilities Access Equipment reservations and facility access for members, including video equipment, studio space, and coworking space at the Satellite Flexible Workspace and Digital Media Studio. Members book time online through the Satellite Deskworks reservation system.
• Satellite Coworking & Digital Media Center A coworking space at 325 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz that includes state-of-the-art TV studio facilities and serves as the home of Community TV. Provides shared workspace, media production facilities, and digital media resources to members and the community.
• CRUZ Professional Media Services Professional media production services offered by CTV for local businesses and organizations requiring professional video production assistance, including commercial video, marketing content, and broadcast production.
• VIVE Virtual Reality Kit Virtual reality equipment available at CTV facilities providing immersive VR experiences using HTC VIVE headsets with easy-to-use controls and setup instructions. Made accessible to CTV members as an experiential offering.
• Santa Cruz Currents (Monthly News Program) A monthly volunteer-produced news program featuring interviews, field video, a community calendar, and a science and news segment. Airs on channels 27/73 on Mondays at 6:00 PM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM for Santa Cruz County viewers.
• Training Resources and Instructional Videos Instructional videos and training materials available to members to learn video production skills, including tutorials on Final Cut Pro and other production tools. Supports the organization's media education mission for Santa Cruz County residents.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and unclear.

• Santa Cruz VoiceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 October 2024Joint networking event hosted by CTV and Santa Cruz Voice. Santa Cruz Voice conducted a live radio broadcast during the mixer at CTV facilities, demonstrating collaborative community media partnership.
• Think Local FirstminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 October 2024Joint networking event hosted by CTV with Think Local First, a local business organization. Collaboration aimed at supporting local business community through media exposure.
• Satellite Flexible WorkspacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2016Satellite Flexible Workspace and Digital Media Studio co-locates with CTV at 325 Soquel Ave. Provides coworking space and digital media production facilities. VR app development partnership for Santa Cruz history content.
• CMAPunclearOthersCMAP (Community Media Access Project) mentioned in board meeting agenda regarding proposed contract and regional partnership plans. Nature of partnership requires further clarification from internal documents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctvsantacruz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ctvsantacruz
• Facebookfacebook.com/CTVsantacruzcounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-television-of-santa-cruz-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Community Television of Santa Cruz County