Town Square Television

What Town Square Television does

Town Square Television is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community cable television station founded in 1987 (originally as NDCTV) in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, serving seven cities in Northern Dakota County: Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake, and West St. Paul. The organization operates five standard-definition and three high-definition channels on Comcast Xfinity (SD channels 14, 15, 16, 18, 19; HD channels 798, 799, 859), providing public access, government, and educational programming 24 hours a day. Its core technology consists of HD production facilities, studio rental, equipment checkout, and broadcasting infrastructure co-located with the Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4), the joint powers cooperative that has overseen cable franchise operations since 1982.

The organization's product portfolio includes the Community Channel featuring Game of the Week high school sports and Insight 7 news magazine, the Government Channel covering city council and school board meetings, the Public Access Channel for member-produced content, and original programs such as Town Square Talk (an interview show) and The Clinical Compass (a healthcare education show). Production services include HD camera, studio, editing, lighting, and truck production classes, studio rental, and podcasting services. Town Square Television generates revenue through seven diversified streams: cable company franchise payments, annual membership fees, low-cost production class fees, DVD/Jump Drive program sales (mostly $25 or less), custom video production services, local business sponsorships, and community donations. Distribution occurs through Comcast Xfinity cable carriage in the seven-city service area and globally via Vimeo on-demand streaming.

The organization serves as a PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) access provider under NDC4 oversight, with a community-led go-to-market model where residents become certified members to produce and broadcast their own content. The organization maintains active social media presence on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and has received multiple industry recognitions including Upper Midwest Regional Emmy nominations (2010, 2011, 2014), national awards (2010, 2011), and MACTA Northern Lights Awards nominations (2015).

Name

Town Square Television

Legal name

Town Square Television

Website

https://townsquare.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Town Square Television is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community cable television station serving seven cities in Northern Dakota County, Minnesota. It operates 8 channels on Comcast Xfinity, providing public access, government meeting coverage, educational programming, and local sports to local residents, schools, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Access Community Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Public access television
• Community cable channels
• PEG broadcasting services
• Government meeting coverage
• Video production classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Inver Grove Heights

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cable Company Payments: Payments from cable companies (Comcast Xfinity) for PEG (Public, Educational, and Government) access programming carriage on their cable systems.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to residents and non-residents for access to production facilities and equipment checkout.
3. Class Fees: Low-cost certification courses offered to members for HD Camera Production, Studio Production, Non-Linear Editing, Lighting, and Truck Production training.
4. Program Dub Sales: Sales of DVD and Jump Drive copies of programs, with most videos priced at $25 or less including taxes.
5. Custom Video Services: Custom video/production services for local organizations and community events.
6. Sponsorship Support: Sponsorship revenue from local businesses displayed on the website and programming content.
7. Donations: Donations from community members and organizations supporting public access television.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Town Square Television is a non-profit public access cable TV station that broadcasts five channels (Community, Public Access, Community Plus, Government, Government Plus) on Comcast Xfinity across seven Northern Dakota County cities, producing local programming including government meeting coverage, high school sports (Game of the Week), and original shows such as Town Square Talk and The Clinical Compass. The organization sells annual memberships, teaches production classes, rents its studio, produces podcasts, and distributes DVD/Jump Drive copies of programs, funded by cable payments, memberships, sponsorships, and donations.

Product overview

Town Square Television is a community television station serving the seven cities of Northern Dakota County, Minnesota. The organization operates a multi-channel public access television network with five distinct cable channels: Community Channel (Ch. 799/14), Public Access Channel (Ch. 859/15), Community Plus Channel (Ch. 16), Government Channel (Ch. 798/18), and Government Plus Channel (Ch. 19). The core programming portfolio includes locally-produced shows such as Town Square Talk (interview format), The Clinical Compass (healthcare education), and Game of the Week (high school sports). Additional services include production classes, studio rental, podcasting support, and show ordering in DVD/streaming formats. Funding comes from cable franchise fees, memberships, donations, and sponsorship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Channel (Ch. 799/14) Primary 24-hour community programming channel on Comcast Xfinity featuring local news magazine, high school sports, memorial celebrations, performances, concerts, graduations, parades, and live city meeting coverage for the seven-city Northern Dakota County service area.
• Public Access Channel (Ch. 859/15) 24-hour public access channel featuring programming produced and submitted by local individuals and organizations, with weekly LIVE government meeting coverage for Northern Dakota County cities.
• Community Plus Channel (Ch. 16) Community Plus channel carrying PEG (Public, Education, and Government) programs from local and non-local producers, plus a free community bulletin board of non-commercial event announcements for Northern Dakota County nonprofits.
• Government Channel (Ch. 798/18) Government meeting channel broadcasting city council meetings for Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, West St. Paul, Dakota County government meetings, and school board meetings for SSD6, ISD 197, ISD 199, and ISD 196.
• Government Plus Channel (Ch. 19) Government Plus channel featuring Classic Arts Showcase satellite programming with occasional government meeting broadcasts.
• Town Square Talk Interview show hosted by Caleb Werth featuring conversations with artists, nonprofit leaders, and philanthropists about their passions and community impact; distributed on TV, online, and as a podcast on Podbean and major podcast apps.
• The Clinical Compass Medical talk show hosted by Nurse Practitioners Chad Stencel and Jonathan Rohde that educates viewers on navigating healthcare, preparing for doctor visits, understanding insurance, advocating for patients, and current public health concerns.
• Game of the Week (GOTW) High school sports coverage program featuring local school teams across football, basketball, hockey, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and wrestling, available on TV, Vimeo streaming, and DVD/Jump Drive purchase.
• Production Classes Certification training program covering HD Camera Production, Studio Production, Non-Linear Editing, Lighting, and Truck Production, offered throughout the year to members of all abilities.
• Studio Rental Professional studio rental service providing production facilities to community members and local organizations for video recording.
• Podcasting Services Podcast creation and production service for community members and organizations, including hosting distribution on major podcast platforms.
• Show Ordering (DVD/Streaming) Direct mail-order service offering DVD, Jump Drive, and Vimeo streaming copies of recorded community programs, with most videos priced at $25 or less (including taxes) and free shipping.
• Custom Video Production Services Custom professional video production services for local organizations and community events in the Northern Dakota County area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 standard definition channels and 3 high definition channels for community programming
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ZenBusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor supporting Town Square Television's community programming and operations.
• West St. Paul/Mendota Heights Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity service organization sponsoring Town Square Talk podcast and local community programming.
• Key Community BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community bank sponsor supporting community television programming.
• Northern Dakota County Beyond the Yellow RibbonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVeteran support organization serving Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, and West St. Paul.
• Croatian HallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity venue and organization sponsoring local youth programming.
• B-52 Burgers and BrewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant and bar sponsor of community television.
• Living Waters Health and Mental WellnessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth and mental wellness organization sponsor.
• True North Medical CareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedical care provider sponsoring community television.
• Beissel RenovationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHome remodeling contractor and local business sponsor.
• Inver Grove Heights CVBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConvention and Visitors Bureau promoting local tourism and events in Inver Grove Heights.
• Volkswagen of Inver GroveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal car dealership sponsoring Graduation coverage on Town Square Television, providing complimentary graduation ceremony video copies to local graduates.
• Inver Grove Heights Public Safety FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit raising funds to assist public safety in the City of Inver Grove Heights.
• Inver Hills Community College and Dakota County Technical CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHigher education institutions that are members of Minnesota State, sponsoring community programming and graduation coverage.
• South St. Paul Lions ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity service organization We Serve, located at 1100 North Concord Street, South St. Paul, MN 55075.
• South Robert Street Business AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization supporting local businesses that support the community, sponsoring Town Square Talk podcast.
• Inver Grove Heights Community Schools (ISD 199)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward-winning school district serving Inver Grove Heights, with school at 2990 East 80th Street.
• Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint powers cooperative formed in 1982 by seven member cities to oversee cable television franchise ordinances and manage local government and education channels. NDC4 oversees Town Square Television as the non-profit public access provider. Both organizations are located in the same Inver Grove Heights facility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Berkeley Community Media: Nonprofit PEG access organization in Berkeley, CA operating cable channels with citizen-produced programming, government access, production training, and equipment access for members — analogous community-led model with similar revenue streams.
• Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN): Nonprofit PEG access media organization operating in New York City with member-produced local programming, government coverage, education access, and production training classes — the closest large-scale analog to Town Square Television's community-led public access model.
• Montgomery Community Media: Montgomery County, Maryland's nonprofit PEG access organization providing cable channels, production classes, government coverage, and member access — comparable in scope, regulatory structure (county-level PEG), and revenue mix.
• PhillyCAM: Philadelphia's nonprofit community media center operating PEG access cable channels with citizen-produced content, government meeting coverage, and production education — a structurally similar public access model serving a defined municipal footprint.
• BRIC Arts Media: Brooklyn-based nonprofit media organization providing public access cable channels, member production training, local programming, and studio rental — directly comparable community TV model with PEG carriage and educational programming.
• CAPS Media: Los Angeles-area nonprofit community media organization providing PEG access programming, member training, and government/school district coverage — relevant comparable for the urban/suburban public access TV operating model.
• Cambridge Community Television (CCTV): Nonprofit community media center in Cambridge, MA providing cable channels, production training, member access to equipment, and local government coverage — directly comparable in mission, member-producer structure, and revenue model.
• Portland Community Media (PCM): Portland, Oregon's nonprofit community media center providing cable access channels, member training, equipment checkout, and local government coverage — a comparable PEG access operator with similar scale and offerings.
• CCTV Center for Media & Democracy: Burlington, Vermont-area nonprofit community television center operating public access channels with member-produced content, government meeting broadcasts, and youth production programs — comparable community media nonprofit in a similar small-city footprint.
• Open Signal (Portland): Portland-based nonprofit community media center operating public access channels with member-produced content, production education, podcasting, and studio rental — closely matching Town Square's mix of cable access, classes, and digital distribution services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTkKPUscy6NyPdl0aDPxQqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/townsquare.tv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/town-square-television
• Instagraminstagram.com/townsquaretelevision
• Xx.com/TownSquareTV

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Town Square Television