Toronto Community Media
Network Steering Committee
Ab Velasco
Project Leader,
Digital Content &
Innovation
at Toronto
Public Library
David Skinner
York
University, Depart
ment of
Communication
Studies,
Faculty Member,
Media Studies
David Murphy
Ryerson University,
Communication and
Culture, Graduate
Student, Game
Studies
Cathy Edwards
Co-Executive
Director
CACTUS,
Community
Media
Convergence CoCordinator
Maggie Reid
CHRY 105.5FM
Radio Inc.,
Infoscape Lab,
York University
Emilia Zboralska
PhD Candidate
(ABD) , Media
Policy, Ryerson
Dahne Jobson
Chair,
TCMN/ICTV
Toronto,
Consultant, JMG
Media Group
Karen Wirsig
Outreach , Canadian Media Guild
Darryl Richardson
Toronto Media
Co-Op Local
Representative,
Board of Directors
Paul da Silva
Co-Director.
International
Diaspora Film
Festival
Stephen Ellis
Zoomer
media
Greg Warren
Publisher,
AtLiberty
Magazine
The Basic Principle of The
Toronto Media Hub Network
Video
Audio
Podcasts
Independent
Community
Television
Online
Print
Radio
Radio
Common Ground
Media
Dames
Making
Online Games
Content
Producer
Hub
Production
Training
Distribution
Hub
Print
Toronto
Media Co-Op
Independent
Community
Television
Station
Audio
Video
City of
Toronto
Toronto Library
Systems
Centennial College
Distribution
Print
Hub
Client
Content
Source
Distribution
Hub
Training
Content
Production
Hub
Radio
Common Ground Media
Common Ground Media, a non-profit media newsroom, uses media to champion under represented voices and ideas and
Centre for Social Innovation community partner.
Fostering understanding, facilitating communication, bolstering the stories of those often not at the table, and the ideas
behind stories not often considered. This is the essence of Curtain Up Distribution in general, and the Common ground Media
program area in particular. Such has been our purpose via radio and other media forms.
Common Ground Media is active in: arts, culture, civic, engagement, diversity, equality and human rights, international
development, poverty, and social justice.
TCMN benefits for a non-profit, media-focused organization
An enhanced distribution of content to a wider audience on a commercial-free platform
Increased self-determination, decision-making power around programming channel, and community media
networking opportunities, access, and support.
By having member groups that represent different sector populations, together we can insure the platform works to meet
sector needs.
TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Kerry Ambrose, Partnership
Development Coordinator, Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre
Online
Dames Making Games
Dames Making Games, is a not-for-profit organization founded in Toronto in 2012, and aims to highlight the achievements
and stories of Toronto-based game makers and provide a community and venue for those who want to explore playing,
critiquing and creating game; and where people with shared values can come together to take on specific issues,
explore marginalized subjectivities and breakdown complex social structures and learn a broad range of skills in a short
period of time.
Dames Making Games was one of the first organizations to recognize the inherent benefit of a modern approach to
sharing the unique stories not found in conventional media sources. They run a wide range of programs and events for
women, non-binary, gender nonconforming, trans and queer folks interested in games and their development. The
organization is member-run and member-funded, arts-focused, technology positive, collaborative, engaged, and
welcoming.
The group champions multiple social issues, so the group is built around the idea that gender isn’t the only issue, issues of
race and class matter to the group as well. For example, DMG created a project called Indigicade, where they taught
indigenous girls to make games, as a way to provide a platform to tell their unique stories.
The developing partnership between TCMN and DMG creates a number of important firsts:
The inclusion of gaming into a community media strategy
The broader recognition of the social value of digital gaming
The use of games to put the user into the shoes of the author and their particular social situation – in particular,
marginalized and disengaged youth
Dispelling the commonly held notion that financial means and advanced technical skills are required to design a game
TCMN Committee Member Outreach: David Murphy, Ryerson University, Communication and Culture, Graduate Student,
Gaming Studies
Online
Print
Media Co-Op
The Media Co-op is a coast-to-coast network of local media co-operatives dedicated to providing grassroots,
democratic coverage of their communities and of Canada.
The Media Co-op is reader-funded and member-run. The result is the participation of hundreds of people and through
discussion, transparent of coverage, photography, written accounts, videos and other forms of participatory
journalism constitute the rich content found on the site.
Each Local of the Media Co-op consists of:
A local group of active contributors and organizers
A web site, connected to the Media Co-op Network
Membership of the Media Co-op residing in the vicinity with first-hand accounts of events and happenings
Each Local has a degree of autonomy, but also contributes to (and benefits from) the operation of the Co-op. In
consultation with membership, Local editorial groups decide how to use resources in their area.
TCMN will benefit from the Media Co-Op’s well established network of delivery sources and central platform that
TCMN aims to replicate with its planned network of media hubs.
TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Darryl Richardson, Local Representative , Board of Directors, Toronto Media Co-Op
Audio
The City of Toronto
Accessing Toronto
Web Revitalization Project
As the City's primary communications, service delivery and information sharing tool, toronto.ca is an important customer service
channel.
The goal of the Web Revitalization Project is to make the City's online information and services easier to find and use. In the end, they
want a site that is accessible to everyone on any device.
Toronto.ca is big, really big - it's made up of thousands of web pages, images and files. Information can be hard to find and once
found, even harder to understand. The great news is that the City is inviting public input as to how fix the problems!
There is a fantastic opportunity to develop a client/ contractor relationship with TCMN. For example, with financial assistance from
the City, dedicated media resources can be tasked to assist with the City’s revamping of their message platform – in turn creating
revenue streams for TCMN and its ability to provide paid work for members of the community – creating a cyclical opportunity for
both the City and Toronto Community Network.
Web Stats for 2015:
TCMN City Hall Sub-Committee: Cathy Edwards, Dahne Jobson, Stephen Ellis, Greg Warren
Source: wwwhttp://www1.toronto.ca
Video
Toronto Library Systems
The Toronto Public Library Systems are an ideal content distribution partner for the Toronto Community Network. Their established digital
gateway throughout their 99 branches makes them an important distribution hub and constitutes one of the distinguishing elements of
the TCMN initiative – Even without a television presence, community-centric content has the potential to reach over 2.3 million people
a year.
Fast Facts
With 99 locations, it is the largest public library system in North America serving a population of 2.3 million
There are more than 400 Internet workstations in its network of library branches
Toronto Public Library is one of the world's busiest library systems
The Toronto Public Library reported more than 18 million visits to their 99 branches
72% of Torontonians use the Toronto Public Library
1.3 million people are registered Toronto Public Library cardholders
Circulation of e-content surpassed 2 million
There were over 30 million visits to torontopubliclibrary.ca site
There were 2.3 million wireless sessions in library branches
TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Ab Velasco Project Leader, Digital Content and Innovation at Toronto Public Library
Source: www.torontopubliclibrary.ca
Video – Training – Production Hub
Centennial College Story Arts Centre
Centennial College Story Arts Centre is poised to be the first in TCMN’s network of production hubs that provides hands-on training to the public. The $36-million
cutting-edge Communications, Media and Design campus for the arts is the perfect place for the public to get a chance to acquire real-world skills sets and develop
professional storytelling abilities. However, becoming a public, hands-on training centre on behalf of a non-profit organization requires investments of time, finances
and other resources. Below are real questions posed by the Dean in regard to Centennial’s involvement with ICTV Toronto.
Mitigating Factors
What type of insurance coverage would you have to coverage would ICTV have
What is the level of involvement ICTV expects from the CCSAC staff and students
What is your model and structure for running your production units and studio needs
Exactly what facilities do you imagine you will need
How many hours do you anticipate using a week
Who would manage and book facilities for ICTV
Who would act as your crew? who trains the crew
Would you expect to have offices on campus
Would there be money to invest in the facilities
What will Centennial receive in exchange for any use of the college facilities
Financing
It is relatively easy in the current climate to obtain capital grants to enable digital media skills training and access. This can include start-up costs for a community media
centre (equipment purchase, distribution infrastructure, etc.)
The greater challenge is to develop sustainable operating income. With a bit of operational funding (many possible sources: recurring grants, advertising, sponsorship,
municipal contributions), in addition to a strong branding campaign that could be added to the 'channel'. e.g. Station IDs, PSAs that explain the process for submitting
content.
Working toward universal GTA access to media skills training is a scalable undertaking. e.g. Supposing the various hubs say, "We could open our doors to this particular
additional clientele if we could hire an extra person for this much $$“. If an organization discovers that it can bring in that much $$ through sponsorship or a municipal
contribution, then a reproducible funding model can be structured to produce a workable universal public access hub and a sustainable source of additional income.
TCMN Committee Member Outreach: Darryl Richardson, Local Representative , Board of Directors, Toronto Media Co-Op
First things first...
So...What is the point and purpose of taking on the challenge of founding a community television station and
community media distribution structure?
The answer is simple.
Conventional media is beholden to corporate structure and the mandates of capitalism. Even with funding
models such as HBO and Vice and other avant-garde cable stations that give a platform to radical ideas and
views, the Everyperson’s voice is still marginalized.
The cultural, idea, concepts imbalance is unjust because community television is a Right that we all pay for and
we are not getting the value we as Canadians are entitled to.
Diaspora Film
Festival
Diversity leads to Unity.
That’s why the development of the Toronto Community Media Network and Independent Community Television
Station is so important... and worth the challenge.
OPSEU
Youth
The
DifferentlyAbled
Toronto HIV/AIDS
Network
Unionized
Workers
Lights, Camera, Access
Mozilla-Hive
Low-Income
Neighbourhoods
(and associations)
Paralympics Committee
No One is Illegal
Seniors
Environmental Groups
Youth Against Poverty
Universities and Colleges