Dayton Access Television

What Dayton Access Television does

Dayton Access Television (DATV) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community public access television organization founded in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio, operating under legal entity Dayton Public Access Television, Inc. DATV provides training, equipment, and production facilities for local citizens to create non-commercial cable TV programs, web programs, and podcasts, serving approximately 400+ active members who collectively produced over 4,900 programs in the most recent year. The organization's core technical infrastructure includes a 10,000 square foot facility at 280 Leo Street with a 40x50 studio, four edit suites, professional production equipment (Panasonic HD cameras, Tricaster switcher, Avid non-linear editing, LiveText graphics, Sony robotic cameras), a mobile production truck for off-site event coverage, and a dedicated podcast studio. Distribution spans Spectrum cable channels 5, 6, and 23 across the Dayton metropolitan area plus Channel 992 for the DSTV (Dayton Spiritual Television) faith-based sub-channel, with digital extensions via Apple TV, Roku, YouTube, and Cablecast-powered live streaming and on-demand services. DATV holds a 10-year franchise agreement with the City of Dayton (signed January 2013) and has been nationally recognized by the Alliance for Community Media for programming excellence.

DATV's business model is a hybrid membership and sponsorship structure. Individual memberships are priced at $50/year or $5-$40/month across supporter tiers (VIP, Supporter, Crusader, Visionary), providing access to workshops, equipment, and facility use. Business memberships offer promotional exposure through a 24/7 community calendar and website presence. Underwriting and sponsorship generate the most significant revenue potential, with tiered programs ranging from Series Program underwriting at $250 per episode to Studio Level sponsorship at $20,000 per year. The Circle of Spirit church membership ($250/year) serves the DSTV religious programming vertical, and additional revenue streams include general donations, Kroger Community Rewards passive fundraising, and Life & Legacy planned giving. Target customer segments span individual community creators (aspiring filmmakers, civic activists, educators), local Dayton SMBs seeking community media exposure, and area churches seeking ministry outreach, with go-to-market executed through free monthly orientations, structured workshops (field production, editing, directing, audio, graphics, technical direction), and community-driven social media engagement across Facebook, YouTube, X/Twitter, and email newsletters.

Name

Dayton Access Television

Legal name

Dayton Public Access Television, Inc.

Website

https://datv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dayton Access Television (DATV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community public access television organization founded in 1978, serving 400+ member creators in the Dayton, Ohio metro area with production facilities, equipment, training workshops, and cable distribution on Spectrum channels 5, 6, 23, and 992, plus streaming via Apple TV, Roku, and YouTube.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Access Television and Community Media Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Public access television
• Community media services
• Video production training
• Cable broadcasting services
• Community media center

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Individual membership at $50 per year, with monthly payment options ranging from $5 to $40 per month across supporter tiers. Provides ability to create and submit programming, attend workshops, and use equipment and facilities.
2. Business Memberships: Business membership providing exposure for local businesses on DATV's community media channel. Includes dedicated page on community calendar, website presence, and two individual DATV memberships valued at $100.
3. Underwriting and Sponsorships: Multiple sponsorship tiers ranging from Series Program ($250/episode), Community Bulletin Board ($1,500/year), Underwriter of the Day ($100/day), Website Level ($1,000/year), Streaming Level ($2,500/year), Director Level ($5,000/year), Producer Level ($10,000/year), and Studio Level ($20,000/year).
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: General donations from community members, Kroger Community Rewards program, Life & Legacy planned giving program, and Circle of Spirit church membership ($250/year).
5. Film Dayton Joint Membership: Joint membership with Film Dayton organization at $70, providing cross-promotional benefits for film and media creators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dayton Access Television (DATV) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community media organization that provides training, equipment, and studio facilities for local citizens to create and broadcast non-commercial cable TV programs, web programs, and podcasts. Members produce content that airs on Spectrum cable channels 5, 6, and 23 across the Dayton metropolitan area, as well as through Apple TV, Roku, YouTube, and live streaming platforms. The organization offers a structured workshop curriculum covering field production, studio operation, editing, graphics, directing, and audio.

Product overview

DATV operates as a community public access television organization offering a unified platform for local media creation and distribution. The core offering consists of DATV (Dayton Access Television) on Spectrum cable channels 5, 6, and 23, alongside DSTV (Dayton Spiritual Television) on channel 992. Members gain access to production facilities, equipment rentals, and a structured workshop curriculum spanning field production, studio operation, graphics (LiveText), directing, editing (Adobe Premiere Elements), audio, and technical direction. Distribution is enabled through cable broadcast, live streaming, on-demand video via Cablecast, mobile apps (Apple TV, Roku), YouTube, and podcasts via SoundCloud. Revenue is generated through individual memberships ($50), business memberships, Circle of Spirit church memberships ($250), and tiered underwriting sponsorships ($100-$20,000 annually).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dayton Spiritual Television (DSTV): A sub-channel programming religious content, available on Spectrum channel 992

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ members created over 4,900 new local TV programs in the past year

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partnership for cable television content. DATV and DSTV are exclusively available on Spectrum cable systems across the Dayton metropolitan area, Riverside, Butler Township, northern suburbs, and surrounding communities on channels 5, 6, 23, and 992.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN): NYC-based nonprofit public access television organization offering production facilities, training, and cable/streaming distribution for community-created programming. Operates the same member-producer model as DATV at significantly larger scale in the NYC market.
• MetroEast Community Media: Nonprofit public access center serving Montgomery County, Maryland with production facilities, training, and PEG cable channel distribution. Functions as a near-identical operational twin to DATV in a different regional market.
• Minneapolis Television Network (MTN): Nonprofit public access television service for Minneapolis providing PEG cable channels, production training, and equipment access to community members. Directly comparable mission and operational model to DATV.
• Grand Rapids Community Television (GRTV): Michigan-based nonprofit public access center offering cable channels, production equipment, and training to community producers. Comparable mid-sized public access operation with similar sponsorship and membership revenue structure.
• Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV): Nonprofit community media center providing cable channels, production facilities, and training to Chicago-area residents. Operates five cable channels with the same nonprofit access model and member-produced programming as DATV.
• Open Signal (formerly Portland Community Media): Portland, Oregon nonprofit community media center providing equipment, training, and cable/online distribution for member-produced programming. Same nonprofit access model, member-producer structure, and revenue mix as DATV.
• Boston Neighborhood Network (BNN): Boston-based nonprofit public access television organization offering member training, equipment, studio access, and cable distribution. Directly mirrors DATV's community media mission with comparable revenue model (memberships, underwriting, donations).
• Cambridge Community Television (CCTV): Nonprofit public access media center serving Cambridge, MA with member production, equipment access, training workshops, and cable channel distribution. Closely comparable in mission, membership-based revenue model, and operational scope to DATV.

Broad incumbents

• WGBH (Boston) / WETA (DC): Major-market PBS affiliate stations operating in the same nonprofit public media category as DATV but at far larger scale, with professional production, full-time staff, and national programming distribution. Relevant as broader nonprofit public-media incumbents that share regulatory framework and advocacy interests.

Others

• Alliance for Community Media (ACM): National trade association representing public access television stations including DATV (which has won the organization's Hometown Video Festival Awards). Industry body rather than a direct operating peer, but sets standards and advocacy posture for the entire public access sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/datv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DATVDayton
• Facebookfacebook.com/datvdayton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dayton-access-television

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Dayton Access Television