Spencer Cable Access (SCA) is an independently operated 501(c)(3) corporation that implements public access television programming for the Town of Spencer. SCA continues to fulfill its mission to give the community a voice and a resource for sharing ideas, fostering creativity, and connecting with our town. SCA can be viewed on Charter Communications channels 191 (community bulletin board), 192 (public interest programming), and 194 (government programming). Recorded government meetings may also be viewed online live or on-demand at SCATV.org.
The unique challenges of 2020 caused SCA to rethink the way in which we deliver on our mission of keeping the public informed. How does a resident attend a public meeting when the building is closed? How do parishioners attend church when they can’t physically enter the building? How does the public stay informed about the many decisions being made by their local government?
Thanks to the technological advancements and improvements made by SCA in 2019 and early 2020, we were able to broadcast an unprecedented number of government meetings, public hearings, and church services; more than ever before. In 2019, SCA broadcast and streamed Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, and the Annual and Special town meetings live, and broadcast recorded School Committee meetings. In total, we covered 60 different meetings and public hearings, live streaming 15 of those events to Facebook.
In 2020, we were able to cover more than 90 meetings and public hearings both on channel 194 and streamed live to SCATV.org as well as Facebook. In addition to the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, School Committee, and Town Meeting, we added Planning Board, Board of Assessors, Board of Sewer Commissioners, Conservation Commission, School Building Committee, and Capital Improvements Planning Committee meetings. All meetings were broadcast on channel 194 live and streamed to Facebook and SCATV.org live to ensure the public had adequate access to these important meetings.
In December, SCA launched an initiative to start covering School Committee meetings live from Wire Village School. Construction for that project is scheduled to finish in February 2021. This will allow for live coverage of any event that takes place in the auditorium at Wire Village School.
Beyond our coverage of government meetings and public hearings, SCA produced original programs including:
- Exercise at the Senior Center
- Pedestrian Safety with Officer Valerie Morin
- Interview with Mary Madden
- Safety Tips at the Senior Center with Officer Valerie Morin
- Women’s Suffrage Presentation at the Richard Sugden Library
- Rhythm of Nature
- Norma Cormier’s 102nd Birthday Parade
- American Legion Memorial Day Service
- David Prouty High School Graduation
- Richard Sugden Library Programs and Services
- School Bus Safety with AA Transportation and SEBRSD
- DPHS Halloween Highway
- What is Ice Boating?
You can view all of these programs on demand.
While we were unable to hold our annual “Feeding Our Neighbors” event to benefit the Spencer Food Pantry, SCA donated $2,000 to help support their efforts.
SCA welcomes any Spencer resident to produce their own programming and is always looking for new volunteers to help in a myriad of ways. Please email SCA general manager, Aaron Keyes, at akeyes@scatv.org to find out how you can earn a stipend when you become a local content producer.