Change is in the air at CMAP TV, your local community media center. Starting this summer, we will be moving into our new headquarters in downtown Gilroy. The new location – a spacious, 5500 square foot building at the corner of Fifth Street and Monterey Road – will house our new digital media studio and coworking center.
What’s “coworking,” you ask? It’s a new approach to work and community that is taking root across the country. Picture a shared work environment where members can create, connect, and collaborate. Freelancers can reserve a desk for their day-to-day tasks and then book the conference room to meet with clients. Small businesses can rent office space for their team, complete with office amenities like a professional copier, high-speed internet, and free coffee. Commuters can become telecommuters. Home business owners can escape the distractions at home. Startups can find a space to start.
And better yet, it’s not just an office space – it’s a community space. Members can connect with each other, share ideas, and hold social events. And of course, they will have access to CMAP’s video equipment, digital media suites, and television studio. We envision a vibrant community of creators that benefits individuals, organizations, and the community at large.
Since coworking is a new model for CMAP TV, we will be partnering with Satellite Telework Centers, a company with a proven track record in the field. Together, we aim to provide a valuable service for local residents and organizations – while also generating revenue to expand our programs in South Santa Clara and San Benito Counties.
Satellite Digital Media Center in Santa Cruz, CA. (Credit: Satellite Telework Centers)
Digital media is still the core of our work. CMAP TV will continue to offer our media access services, including low-cost equipment rental, affordable classes, and distribution on television and YouTube channels. Indeed, our new location will enable us to improve these services. The new facility will feature a larger studio space for filming television shows, interviews, and PSAs. We will have more space for classes and workshops. To top it off, the new studio will be easier to access – located right off Highway 101 in the heart of downtown Gilroy.
It’s all part of CMAP TV’s mission: empower our communities to thrive in a digital world. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with you to achieve this mission. So please get in touch; we want to hear from you as we begin this new chapter in CMAP TV’s story.
And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates during our transition as well as news about the grand opening of our new center!
Becca King Reed is the Executive Director of CMAP TV (www.cmap.tv).
She is an award-winning producer of television magazine shows, news programs and documentaries.