Open Signal
Open Signal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media arts center in Portland, Oregon that provides BIPOC, youth, and low-income communities with access to HD studios, a $650K+ equipment library, training classes, and five cable channels reaching 400,000 households, funded by franchise fees, grants, donations, and program fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Open Signal does
Open Signal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media arts center headquartered in Portland, Oregon, that provides community members with access to professional media production resources, training, and broadcast distribution. The organization originated as Portland Cable Access in 1981 and was re-launched in February 2017 as Open Signal after merging Portland Community Media's facilities and staff with programs acquired from the Hollywood Theatre and the Regional Arts & Culture Council. It serves BIPOC, low-income, disabled, English-language-learning, and youth communities, as well as adult filmmakers, activists, and storytellers, with a 40+ year mandate to expand equitable access to media production.
The organization's core technical and product assets include HD television studios (featuring a 2,000-square-foot soundstage), a professional equipment library valued at more than $650,000, 360-degree VR production capabilities, and five public access cable channels reaching 400,000 households in the Portland metro area, supplemented by 24/7 online streaming via watch.opensignalpdx.org. Programs span classes and workshops, a 5-month Production Cohort, a weekly Open Playground community studio session, the Open Signal Labs incubator for Black filmmakers, the New Media Fellowship artist residency, Fresh Paint (mural commissions), Night Lights (outdoor media projections), and the Wayback Playback digital archive of 3,000+ historic videos.
Open Signal's revenue model is multi-stream: cable franchise fees routed through the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission constitute the structural funding base, supplemented by foundation and government grants (NEA, Oregon Arts Commission, Jackson Foundation, Juan Young Trust, Metro, City of Portland), individual donations and a $1 community membership, sliding-scale class fees, studio and equipment rentals, and paid production services. The organization is governed by a board of directors and transitioned to a shared leadership model in 2021, operating without an Executive Director. Customer acquisition is community-led, relying on workshops, events, newsletter, partner referrals, and earned media coverage rather than a traditional sales motion.
Open Signal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Signal
- Legal name
- Open Signal
- Website
- https://opensignalpdx.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Open Signal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media arts center in Portland, Oregon that provides BIPOC, youth, and low-income communities with access to HD studios, a $650K+ equipment library, training classes, and five cable channels reaching 400,000 households, funded by franchise fees, grants, donations, and program fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Signal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Media Center
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Educational Services (611), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Media Center & Audiovisual Lending Operations (Equipment Checkout, Production Support) (EDAEAGAG), Local Translator/Repeater & Low-Power Stations (LPTV, Translators, Fill-In) (MPABACAM)
Keywords
Where Open Signal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Open Signal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Cable Franchise Fees: Primary funding routed through Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission from cable companies
- Donations and Membership: Individual donations, membership fees ($1 experimental program), and campaign fundraising through Give!Guide
- Class Fees: Sliding-scale class fees for fundamentals and certification classes, with reserved seats for those unable to pay
- Studio Rentals: Rental of facilities including 2,000-square foot soundstage with studio coordinator support
- Production Services: Hire production team to document events for online or TV broadcast
- Grant Funding: Foundation grants, government funding, and special program grants
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Community Membership |
| Subscription | Per class | Fundamentals Classes |
| Unit Pricing | Per class | Field Production Class |
| Other | Per booking | Studio Rentals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Open Signal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Signal is a nonprofit community media arts center that provides Portland metro residents with free and low-cost access to professional media production resources, including a $650,000+ equipment library, HD television studios, hands-on classes, and broadcast on five cable channels reaching 400,000 households plus 24/7 online streaming. It operates certification-based membership, sliding-scale classes, intensive production cohorts, studio rentals, and paid production services, with an equity-centered mission prioritizing BIPOC, low-income, youth, disabled, and English-language-learning communities.
Product overview
Open Signal is a community media arts center offering a comprehensive ecosystem of media production resources. The core offerings include professional HD television studios and an equipment library valued at over $650,000, complemented by educational classes and a 5-month Production Cohort for intensive project support. Members can broadcast on five cable channels reaching 400,000+ Portland metro households, with 24/7 online streaming. Additional programs include Open Playground (weekly community studio sessions), Open Signal Labs (Black filmmaker incubator), New Media Fellowship (artist residency), Fresh Paint mural program, and Night Lights outdoor projections. The organization serves as Portland's hub for accessible media production, prioritizing BIPOC, low-income, disabled, and English-language learning communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Media Equipment Library Professional-grade video and media production equipment available for checkout to certified members, including cameras, lighting, audio gear, and editing workstations. Free to access with membership and certification.
- Studio Rentals Rental of facility space including a 2,000-square foot soundstage, with support from a Studio Productions Coordinator & Trainer. Available to individuals, community producers, and organizations.
- Classes and Workshops Educational programs covering studio production, field production, cinematography, editing with Final Cut Pro X and iMovie, podcasting, and Mac basics for all skill levels. Sliding-scale pricing with reserved seats for those unable to pay. No membership required.
- Production Cohort A 5- to 6-month intensive program providing one-on-one facilitator support, equipment kits, and community connection for media makers developing video projects. For beginner to intermediate media makers.
- Cable TV Channels Five cable channels (Channel 11 Community Access Network, Channel 22 ITN1, Channel 23 Pulse of Portland, Channel 29, and others) reaching 400,000+ Portland metro households for broadcasting locally produced content. 24/7 online streaming also available at watch.opensignalpdx.org.
- Production Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Broadcast reach to 400,000 households
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Open Signal
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Open Signal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Open Signal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Outside the FramecoreLong-term partnership with nonprofit supporting homeless and marginalized youth in media education. Collaborated on 360-degree filmmaking program resulting in five films screened at OMSI. OTF provides youth participants while Open Signal provides equipment, training, and production support.
- Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)corePartnership on Fresh Paint temporary mural program supporting emerging artists of color with their first publicly funded mural commission. RACC has continued Night Lights outdoor media program and provides ongoing funding support.
- Metro (Portland)coreMetro's Community Placemaking program provided funding for 360-degree youth filmmaking project. Metro coverage highlighted homeless youth learning 360-degree filmmaking to tell their stories.
- City of PortlandcoreAnnual support through Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission funding. Primary government partner providing cable franchise fee funding. City of Portland is mentioned as ongoing supporter.
- Hollywood TheatreminorStaff and programs originally came from Hollywood Theatre in 2016 transition. Four staff members (Lindsay Kaplan, Desiree Montoya, Taylor Neitzke, Sarah Turner) joined from Hollywood Theatre bringing nationally recognized school and public programs.
- OMSIminorOMSI's Kendall Planetarium hosted screening of 360-degree films created by homeless youth. Provided venue for public premiere of immersive media works.
- Open School (North Portland)minorPartnership with alternative middle school in North Portland delivering curriculum-integrated media programming, in collaboration with Hollywood Theatre.
- Construct the PresentminorPortland-based consultant group hired to conduct DEI assessment and help develop equity-centered organizational future. Facilitated staff, board, and community feedback sessions.
- Willamette Week Give!GuidecoreAnnual partnership with Willamette Week's Give!Guide campaign raising funds for Portland nonprofits. Open Signal has participated for six+ years.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Open Signal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Alliance for Community Media (ACM): National trade association representing public access and community media centers. Relevant as an industry body that shapes federal policy on cable franchise fees and PEG access — directly affecting Open Signal's funding and regulatory environment.
Direct peers
- San Francisco Community Television (SF Commons): San Francisco's nonprofit community media center operating public access cable channels, production facilities, and training programs. Direct peer in public access cable broadcasting and community media education.
- Northern Lights: Minneapolis–Saint Paul's community media organization operating public access channels and providing production training and equipment. Direct peer in public access cable, classes, and community producer model.
- Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC): San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit providing media production facilities, equipment access, and training to underrepresented storytellers. Comparable in mission (media equity), training programs, and equipment-library model.
- PhillyCAM: Philadelphia's community access media organization providing cable channels, studio access, equipment lending, and media production training. Closely comparable in mission, funding model (franchise fees), and member-driven programming.
- Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN): New York City's public access community media center, operating cable channels and providing studio/equipment access and training to community producers. Directly comparable as a public access cable broadcaster with education and production services.
- Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV): Chicago's nonprofit public access organization providing cable channels, studio/equipment access, and production training to community members. Comparable as a major-city public access cable broadcaster with a member certification model.
- Cambridge Community Television (CCTV): Cambridge, MA's community media center providing public access cable channels, production facilities, equipment lending, and media education classes. Direct peer with overlapping nonprofit and education-focused programs.
Regional players
- Hollywood Theatre: Portland-based nonprofit cinema and cultural center that supplied staff and programs to Open Signal during its 2016–2017 transition. Adjacent cultural-arts peer with overlapping education and youth-media programming in the same market.
Broad incumbents
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS): National nonprofit public broadcaster with affiliated local stations. Comparable as a public/nonprofit broadcaster with educational mission and community programming, though operating at vastly larger scale and with different funding mechanisms.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Open Signal social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Signal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Signal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Open Signal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Signal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open Signal
What does Open Signal do?
Open Signal is a nonprofit community media arts center that provides Portland metro residents with free and low-cost access to professional media production resources, including a $650,000+ equipment library, HD television studios, hands-on classes, and broadcast on five cable channels reaching 400,000 households plus 24/7 online streaming. It operates certification-based membership, sliding-scale classes, intensive production cohorts, studio rentals, and paid production services, with an equity-centered mission prioritizing BIPOC, low-income, youth, disabled, and English-language-learning communities.
Is Open Signal a public or private company?
Open Signal is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open Signal founded?
Open Signal was founded in 1981. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Open Signal based?
Open Signal is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open Signal make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Cable Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Membership, class Fees, studio Rentals, production Services and grant Funding.
Who are Open Signal's main competitors?
Alliance for Community Media (ACM) is listed as an others. Direct peers are San Francisco Community Television (SF Commons), Northern Lights, Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC), PhillyCAM, Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) and Cambridge Community Television (CCTV). Hollywood Theatre is listed as a regional player. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Open Signal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Signal.
What industry is Open Signal in?
Open Signal's product category is Community Media Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAH, Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning), with a secondary code of EDAEAGAG, Media Center & Audiovisual Lending Operations (Equipment Checkout, Production Support). Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.