THURSTON COMMUNITY MEDIA
Our Story
TCMedia began as an informal study group, the Capital Area Community Television Association (CACTA), in the fall of 1982 and was incorporated in 1983 as a nonprofit corporation. In 1986, CACTA became Thurston Community Television (TCTV). Olympia granted a new cable television franchise to TeleCommunications Inc. (TCI) in 1985, requiring the company to provide a community channel, space for a facility, production equipment, and other services to support the development of community access television. TCI sold the cable system to ATT Cable, which was later acquired by Comcast, the current cable operator.
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In 1986, TCTV signed service contracts with Olympia, Lacey, and Thurston County to manage the public, educational, and governmental access resources and to develop educational and governmental access programming. Tumwater signed a contract with TCTV in 1995. In 2016, recognizing the changes in television technology and distribution platforms, Thurston Community Television registered a new tradename and became Thurston Community Media (TCMedia).
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In 2023, we ceased providing governmental and educational access, but maintained operation of the Public Access cable channel. TCMedia began transitioning to operate primarily as a media arts organization that provided tools and training for media makers with distribution opportunities through the internet and cable channel 22.
TCMedia makes programming that reflects the interests and serves the needs of every segment of the community available to viewers of our cable channels and internet streaming platforms. TCMedia is unequivocally committed to the expression of lawful free speech. Our responsibility is to assist residents, nonprofit organizations, schools, and local government agencies in Thurston County to produce their programs.
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We encourage high technical quality while acknowledging that the programs' content is the producers' responsibility. We hope that this will lead to entertaining, diverse, informative, challenging, and exciting media that, in the aggregate, will appeal to a broad spectrum of the greater community.
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You can watch TCMedia content on channel 22, on the Comcast and Consolidated cable systems in greater Thurston County. We also have channels on Roku, AppleTV, FireTV and on our YouTube channels and through our website.
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Board of Directors
TCMedia is seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to join our Board of Directors! If you have a strong commitment to community media and a desire to help shape the future of TCMedia, we encourage you to apply.
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The Board of Directors plays a crucial role in guiding our organization, ensuring we continue to provide valuable media resources and educational opportunities to the Thurston County community. Board members meet once a month for regular Board Meetings and may also convene for additional Work Sessions as needed. Meeting dates are coordinated to accommodate all members, and sessions may be canceled if there is no pressing business or if a quorum is unavailable.
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Serving on the Board is a rewarding opportunity to contribute to the mission of TCMedia, support local storytelling, and help expand access to media tools for all. If you’re interested in making a difference, consider submitting a nomination today!
For more details and to apply here.