Siskiyou Media Council Inc

Public Access Television has been an integral part of Siskiyou County since its inception in 1978, with the establishment of Yreka Community Television, known as YCTV4. It stands as one of the oldest public access television channels in the United States. In a similar vein, the town of Weed launched Mountain Community Television (MCTV15) on the College of the Siskiyous (COS) Campus in 1998. This endeavor led to MCTV15 incorporating as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2001. Subsequently, in 2007, the two stations decided to merge and collectively restructured under the banner of Siskiyou Media Council (SMC). This is our foundational identity.

Throughout its history, SMC has experienced its fair share of challenges and triumphs, akin to other nonprofits in Siskiyou County. Prior to the widespread advent of social media platforms, particularly around 2010 with MySpace, public access television received ample funding from franchise fees tied to cable subscriptions. However, the landscape shifted as large telecommunications companies gained prominence, leading to a decline in cable subscriptions and subsequently affecting our resources for system upgrades and operational costs.

An additional hurdle came in 2016 when we severed our affiliation with the College of the Siskiyous, leaving us without a permanent home for a couple of years. Undeterred, in 2018, we secured a new executive director and a studio location off-campus. Our efforts at revitalization were temporarily halted by the COVID-19 lockdown. Despite stringent restrictions, we persevered, producing shows such as "Inside Siskiyou," "Read Across Siskiyou" (for two years), "Youth Empowerment Siskiyou" promotions, and orchestrating two virtual COS graduation events, to name just a few accomplishments. Simultaneously, we engaged in successful advocacy to regain a location on the COS campus in Yreka. This move substantially lowered our operational costs and rekindled our commitment to serving the Siskiyou community.

In October 2022, we relocated to the COS campus and appointed David McAdams as our new executive director. Additionally, we welcomed Tim Rundel, Jason Ledbetter, and Patricia Lord to our board and formulated a fresh strategic plan to enhance SMC. The first phase involved acquiring new broadcast equipment to replace outdated and unsupported gear, which had been in use for over a decade. Thanks to grants bestowed by The Community Foundation of the North State and The Ford Family Foundation, we were able to achieve this upgrade, concurrently improving emergency notification and communication capabilities. This phase is an ongoing effort that continues to progress.

Our second phase centers on cultivating a new generation of Siskiyou residents interested in film and broadcasting. We have engaged in multiple discussions with high schools, colleges, and continuation education officials to develop a career pathway in this field, with the dual objective of providing training and generating employment opportunities within Siskiyou County.

This systematic approach lays the groundwork for a sustainable future, ensuring that SMC remains a vital service provider in Siskiyou County. It empowers the community through media and reclaims local control of information, which is often unattainable within the confines of social media platforms and their algorithm-driven dissemination of content. Together, we aspire to construct a platform that enables the people of Siskiyou County to become better-informed and more engaged in their community.