How To Get Involved
HCTV always needs Volunteers
Membership at Helena Civic Television opens a broad spectrum of volunteer opportunities. With a little training, you can be an on-camera interviewer or moderator, or work behind the scenes as a director, a lighting, sets, and sound assistant, or a video editor. You can also get involved in the governance of HCTV by becoming a member of the HCTV Board of Directors.
Our current Board Members are:
President: Martin Baumann, V. President: Chuck Hunter, Secretary: Mignon Waterman, Treasurer: Geoff Feiss, Robert Person, Doreen Kutufam, Barbara Martin, Mike Murray, Chuck Butler and Mike McCarter.
HCTV always needs Money, too!
Member organizations (non-profit and commercial) and individuals are encouraged to consider becoming a program sponsor or a series underwriter. Program sponsors and underwriters are routinely identified at the beginning and end of the program. HCTV will happily feature your company name, address, phone number, website, and logo, as well as a tag line that idenifies your product or service. (No overt solicitation of business is permitted.) We encourage small businesses and non-profits to partner with each other in sponsoring or underwriting programs.
Sponsoring a one-time, stand-alone TV program produced somewhere else and appropriate for telecasting on cable channel 11 costs $50. For a program produced at HCTV and/or by HCTV staff, the cost is $50 per production hour. A half-hour program generally takes 2 or more additional hours of planning, preparation, titling, minor editing, and copying to complete, so the cost is generally $150. Multi-camera field production crews normally include a director and at least two camera operators.
Here are examples of our current basic production rates:
- For a new studio-based program of up to 30 minutes, the cost is $50 to $150. (HCTV currently sponsors a number of programs itself–see the “what’s on channel 11?” page for a partial listing.)
- For any studio or field production of over 30 minutes but under 2 hours, the cost is approximately $200.
- For a multi-camera field production of over 2 hours in length and taking up to half a day, the cost is $250 to $350.
- A day-long (over 4 hours) multi-camera “shoot” in the field costs $600.
Please note that all of these scenarios normally entail a minimal amount of editing. Programs or a program series involving substantial editing–a very time consuming process–will require a budget to meet additional editing costs. HCTV production staff will discuss your project with you, outline the budget and consider such projects on a case-by-case basis. Members are strongly encouraged to acquire their own editing skills, or seek help from others, rather than relying on HCTV’s limited staff resources.
Remember, HCTV’s “air” time on cable channel 11 is free to members: Any program YOU make as a member may be telecast at no charge!
You can help HCTV raise funds
Members are alway welcome to participate in our fundraising efforts, helping with organizing, publicity, and all sorts of fun stuff. Just contact the staff or a Board member by calling 447-1608 or send an e-mail to hctv@bresnan.net.
Donations and In-kind Contributions are welcome.
HCTV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, and contributions to it are tax deductible. We love unsolicited donations of cash and materials we can use in the studio and for field productions.
