Boston Neighborhood Network

What Boston Neighborhood Network does

Boston Neighborhood Network Media (BNN) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) non-profit community media center founded in 1983 and managed by the Boston Community Access and Programming Foundation (BCAPF). The organization operates three public-access cable television channels (Community TV, News & Information, and HD+) distributed through Xfinity, Astound, and Fios, and co-operates WBCA 102.9 FM, a Low Power FM community radio station under a City of Boston FCC license. Production infrastructure is housed at the LEED Silver-certified Charles J. Beard II Media Center in Egleston Square and includes two television studios, a radio studio, a 14-station Timothy Smith Network Media Lab equipped with Apple iMacs and Final Cut Pro X, a professional mobile production truck, field production equipment, and a conference room.

BNN serves four primary customer segments: Boston residents who produce or consume community content, nonprofit organizations and public agencies (which use BNNLive, the 24/7 Community Message Board, and channel time for outreach), youth (through the Youth Voices summer intensive and youth programming), and government/civic institutions (the City of Boston and Boston Public Schools, with whom BNN produces Boston Public School Sports and City TV programming). Content is also distributed globally via website streaming, video-on-demand through the Cablecast platform, and WBCA radio podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart, and other directories.

The revenue model is a non-profit hybrid: tiered annual memberships ($30–$290), tiered donations ($1–$2,500+), fee-based media education workshops ($50–$350), equipment and facility rentals, dub request fees ($20 per show), and a Community Message Board service. Operational reach extends to approximately 75% of Boston households via cable and reaches hundreds of young people annually through youth programming and internships sourced from 20+ New England universities. BNN holds no VC/PE ownership, has not raised external funding rounds, and operates from a single physical headquarters.

Name

Boston Neighborhood Network

Legal name

Boston Neighborhood Network Media

Website

https://bnnmedia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boston Neighborhood Network Media is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) non-profit community media center operating public-access cable TV channels, WBCA 102.9 FM radio, and professional production facilities to serve Boston residents, nonprofits, youth, and civic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media Services

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

Keywords

• Community media access
• Public access television
• Community radio broadcasting
• Media production training
• Nonprofit media center

Headquarters

HQ city

Maussane

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BNN generates revenue through various membership tiers including Basic Individual ($35), Full Individual ($85), Full Individual Plus ($120), BNN Limited Income ($42.50), Youth and Seniors ($30), Basic Organizational ($90), and Full Organizational ($290) memberships that provide access to facilities, training, and channel time.
2. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, BNN relies on tax-deductible donations from members and supporters. Donor tiers include Platinum Supporter ($2,500+), Gold Supporter ($1,000-$2,499), Silver Supporter ($500-$999), Bronze Supporter ($100-$499), and Friend (up to $99).
3. Workshop and Training Fees: BNN charges nominal fees for media education workshops and training classes including Basic Radio Production ($100), Television Studio Production ($100), Chroma Key ($50), Basic Audio Editing ($150 for members, $350 for non-members), and other specialized workshops.
4. Equipment and Space Rental: Revenue generated from renting production facilities and equipment to non-members for independent productions, meetings, conferences, and media projects not shown on BNN channels.
5. Dub Request Fees: BNN charges $20 per show for copies on flash drive or file download in HD 1080p format.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Boston Neighborhood Network Media is a non-profit community media access center operating public access cable television channels, a low-power FM community radio station (WBCA 102.9 FM), and video-on-demand streaming serving Boston residents. The organization provides media production training, professional studio and equipment rentals, mobile production services, and youth media programs, enabling community members and organizations to create and distribute programming across three cable TV channels, FM radio, and online platforms.

Product overview

Boston Neighborhood Network Media is a nonprofit community media organization operating as a multi-channel media platform providing television, radio, and digital content services to Boston residents. The organization operates three television channels (Community TV on Xfinity 6/Astound 83/Fios 2160, News & Information on Xfinity 9/Astound 15/Fios 2161, and HD+ on Xfinity 1072) and manages WBCA 102.9 FM, a low-power community radio station. The portfolio includes membership programs at multiple tiers ($30-$290), professional production services utilizing two TV studios, a mobile production truck, a media lab with Final Cut Pro X, radio facilities, and field equipment. Educational offerings span radio production certification, television studio production, audio editing, and youth programming including the Youth Voices summer intensive. Additional services include BNNLive programming for nonprofits, Producer Spotlight promotional spots, the Community Message Board for PSAs, Video On Demand, and Dub Request services for content copies. The Timothy Smith Network Media Lab provides multimedia editing capabilities while the Charles J. Beard II Media Center serves as the primary facility, a LEED Silver-certified building housing all production infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BNN: Common abbreviation used for Boston Neighborhood Network Media
• BNN Media
• WBCA 102.9 FM
• BNN Live
• BNN*Live*

Products and services

• Community TV Channel Public access cable television channel offering community-produced programming available on Xfinity 6, Astound 83, and Fios 2160, reaching approximately 75% of Boston households.
• News & Information Channel Public access television channel focused on local news and current events programming, available on Xfinity 9, Astound 15, and Fios 2161.
• HD+ Channel High-definition public access television channel delivering premium community content on Xfinity 1072.
• WBCA 102.9 FM Radio Low-power FM community radio station operated by BNN in partnership with the City of Boston, providing local news, talk, and music programming from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM daily under an FCC LPFM license.
• BNN Membership Program Annual membership program offering tiered access (Basic Individual $35, Full Individual $85, Full Individual Plus $120, BNN Limited Income $42.50, Youth and Seniors $30, Basic Organizational $90, Full Organizational $290) to BNN facilities, training, equipment, and channel time.
• Production Services Full-service media production assistance for community members covering studio, field, radio, and mobile production from concept to distribution, available to members and non-members on a fee-for-service basis.
• TV Production Studios (Studio A & Studio B) Two television production studios (Studio A: 25ft x 28ft; Studio B: 20ft x 28ft) equipped with HD/SD cameras, switchers, lighting systems, chroma key green screen, and teleprompter, available for member and non-member rental.
• Mobile Production Truck Mobile production vehicle equipped with 3-5 Sony PXW-X400 fiber HD cameras, Broadcast Pix 1000 1ME HD video switcher, AJA Ki Pro ProRes/DNXHD recorder, NewTek 3Play instant replay with slow-motion, NewBlue NTX graphics generator, shorepower, generator, HVAC; seats a 5-person crew.
• Timothy Smith Network Media Lab 17ft x 30ft media lab with 14 Apple iMac 27-inch computers (3.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, 3TB Fusion Drive, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB) with Final Cut Pro X editing software, projector, and AverVision for video editing and multimedia production.
• Radio Station Studio Radio studio (18ft x 21ft) with Wheatstone Digital Audio Mixing Console, 6 Audio Technica microphones, NECOh audio workstation, turntable, CD players, and dBX processors available for member and non-member rental.
• Conference Room Conference room (14ft x 20ft) accommodating 30 theater-style, 20 classroom-style, or 12 conference-style, equipped with smart board, projector, DVD player, and Mac computer, available for meetings and presentations.
• Field Equipment Rental Field production equipment including Panasonic AG-HMC40 HD cameras, tripods, lighting kits, on-camera lights, and shotgun and lavalier microphones, available for rent to community producers.
• Media Education & Training Workshops Fee-based media production training programs including Basic Radio Production ($100), Television Studio Production ($100), Chroma Key ($50), Basic Audio Editing & Mixing ($150 members / $350 non-members), Hosting & Interviewing Techniques, and Pre-production workshops for Boston residents and members.
• BNN Youth Programming (Youth Voices) Youth media programs including the six-week summer Youth Voices intensive covering radio, field, and studio production; youth tours; and partnerships with youth-serving organizations. Includes Youth Voices documentary production and studio appearances; programs have earned EMMY nominations and PEG Access Hometown Video Awards.
• BNNLive Programming Programming format dedicated to Boston-serving nonprofit and community organizations, public agencies, and institutions, providing them with BNN's technical production services, training, and studio access to create and air their own shows.
• Producer Spotlight Free promotional service creating 30-second professional video spots to promote community producer shows, featured on BNN channels and website.
• Community Message Board 24/7 community bulletin board service for nonprofits and public agencies to display public service announcements and event information on BNN cable channels between programs.
• Video On Demand On-demand streaming service for archived BNN programming accessible via the Cablecast platform globally through bnnmedia.org.
• Dub Request Service providing copies of BNN shows on flash drive or file download in HD 1080p format for $20 per show.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches approximately 75% of Boston households through cable channels and web streaming
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• City of BostonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Boston was granted an FCC Low Power FM license in 2015 and entered a sharing agreement with BNN and other community organizations. BNN operates WBCA 102.9 FM from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM daily, providing local news, public safety programming, arts and entertainment, and emergency information to Boston residents.
• Lasell CollegecoreTechnology or IntegrationSignal sharing partner for WBCA 102.9 FM, operating from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM under FCC guidelines for the shared radio license.
• Global MinistriescoreTechnology or IntegrationSignal sharing partner for WBCA 102.9 FM, operating from 2:00 AM to 10:00 AM under FCC guidelines for the shared radio license.
• Boston Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Boston City TV and Boston Public Schools to produce Boston Public School Sports programming with play-by-play commentary and sports analysis covering City of Boston High School sports.
• Timothy Smith NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTimothy Smith Network is a member organization of 34 active community technology centers. They have provided computers and hardware upgrades to BNN's media lab, including 14 Apple iMac computers in 2018, supporting BNN's multimedia training programs.
• New England and International UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBNN opens its doors to young people from educational institutions including AmeriCorps VISTA, Boston University, Brown University, Northeastern University, Emerson College, Suffolk University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and many others, providing internship opportunities in television, radio, engineering, and marketing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brookline Interactive Group (BIG): Brookline, MA's PEG access organization providing channels, training, and production services to residents. Closely comparable to BNN in geographic market (adjacent Greater Boston municipality), services, and non-profit community-media mission.
• Cambridge Community Television (CCTV): Cambridge, MA's PEG access center operating public access TV channels, training, and production facilities for residents. Directly comparable to BNN in mission, scale, services (studio rental, workshops, channel carriage on local cable), and Greater Boston footprint.
• Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN): NYC-based community media center operating four public access channels, training programs, and production facilities. Comparable to BNN in operating model (non-profit PEG access, multi-channel carriage, training/workshops) but at larger scale.
• Somerville Media Center (SMC): Somerville, MA PEG access center operating public access TV and providing media training and equipment access. Directly comparable to BNN in local PEG model, channel carriage on regional cable systems, and youth/adult training programs.
• Arlington Community Media (ACM): Arlington, MA PEG access center operating ACMi channels. Comparable to BNN in PEG mission and Greater Boston footprint; BNN Assistant Radio Manager Tommy Shenefield previously volunteered there, underscoring operational commonality.

Others

• TuneIn: Global audio streaming platform that distributes WBCA 102.9 FM content alongside AM/FM and internet radio. Comparable to BNN as a downstream distribution channel for community radio programming.
• Alliance for Community Media (ACM): National nonprofit supporting PEG access centers across the U.S. Comparable to BNN as the industry association framework; BNN staff serve on its foundation board, evidencing direct ecosystem participation.
• MassAccess: Massachusetts statewide association of community media centers and PEG access organizations. Comparable to BNN as a peer-network integration partner (BNN uses MassAccess as a content distribution platform) representing the broader PEG ecosystem BNN belongs to.

Broad incumbents

• WGBH (GBH): Boston's primary PBS affiliate operating public television and radio stations. Comparable to BNN in nonprofit public-interest broadcasting and Boston distribution but at significantly larger scale, with full-power broadcast vs. BNN's PEG/LPFM model.
• NYC Media (NYC TV): City of New York's government cable channel network operated by the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Comparable to BNN's Boston City TV partnership and government/civic channel carriage but at much larger municipal scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bnn_television
• Facebookfacebook.com/BNNTelevision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bnnmedia
• Instagraminstagram.com/bnn_media

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Boston Neighborhood Network