SAPA-TV announces video on demand; seeks donations to further broadcasting

Screenshot of SAPA-TV’s website, where you can now view videos of some select board and school board meetings.

By Shawn Cunningham
©2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC

If living on a Class 3 road out in the woods has always meant missing the thrill of watching a Chester, Springfield or Weathersfield select board meeting in your pajamas, you won’t be deprived any longer.

As Springfield Area Public Access Television begins its video on demand service, you can stream your local school board and select board meetings, as well as a number of programs produced by the staff and volunteers of SAPA, from the Internet.

According to executive director Jared Gunnell, SAPA-TV has been recording and broadcasting local programs including public meetings, events, sports and studio shows since 1998.

But, until now, only cable subscribers have had home access to this programming. Residents who don’t subscribe and many who can’t subscribe because the wire infrastructure did not reach them, were left out. Now anyone with an Internet connection can go to sapatv.org, choose “video on demand” from the top menu to select from a variety of programs from December 2014 forward.

By law, a small portion of cable subscription goes to the operation of local public access television, but if those channels want to provide service to non-subscribers, the cost of doing that must come from sources other than the cable provider. To improve access to its programming, SAPA has begun raising funds.

With appropriations from the towns of Springfield and Weathersfield to help start the service, Gunnell and the SAPA board have set their sights on raising $10,000 per year through individual donations and corporate underwriting. The income will help the organization offset the costs incurred by offering the video stream and to add and improve services.

To donate using a credit card or Paypal, go to sapatv.org and click on the “Support SAPA-TV” button on the home page.  You can also take a survey to help the organization and be entered to win an HD video camera and other prizes. Just click on the SAPA-TV ad to the right. Donations can also be made by check, mailed to SAPA-TV, 303 South St., Springfield, VT 05156.