The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners cut a ribbon to celebrate the opening of the new Calvert Broadcast studio.
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – April 1, 2022 – The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) announces the launch of Calvert Broadcast, Calvert County’s public, educational and government (PEG) access broadcast studio. Calvert Broadcast represents the BOCC’s ongoing efforts to improve government transparency and expand public outreach, and provides the public with access to modern broadcast production services and equipment.
The BOCC commemorated the studio opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at the new studio Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Calvert Broadcast studio is located at 100 Skipjack Road in Prince Frederick. As a demonstration of Calvert Broadcast capabilities, the ribbon cutting event was broadcast live to Comcast channel 6 and 1070 HD. A recording is available to view on the Calvert County Government YouTube channel.
Calvert Broadcast is the county’s first and only PEG access television and streaming network, providing subsidized rental access to television production space, equipment and services to the public. The studio offers 1,000 square feet of production space, a 35-foot green screen, 4K and 8K cameras and a podcasting suite, all available to the public for rent.
“The opening of the Calvert Broadcast studio represents a unique milestone for Calvert County,” said BOCC President Earl F. “Buddy” Hance. “While PEG access is available in communities nationwide, few provide access to a high-quality production studio, equipment and services as part of their regular operations. This studio is an important community investment to provide increased government transparency to citizens that will also provide the public, nonprofits, small businesses, educational organizations and partner government agencies with affordable access to professional quality television production space, equipment and services.”
While county staff will use the studio and equipment during normal business hours, members of the public will be able to rent studio resources after hours and on weekends. This reimbursement model is designed to reduce the studio’s annual operating costs, while enabling access to production services and equipment that would otherwise be unavailable or cost prohibitive for the general public.
As agreed in the 2018 Comcast Franchise Agreement, Calvert County Government assumed control of the PEG access channel (channel 6 and 1070 HD) in 2019, under what is now the Communications & Media Relations Division, and began increasing county government news and information on the PEG station, including emergency information, public service announcements and live broadcast of public meetings.
Work began in 2021 to renovate a secure, multi-functional production space at 100 Skipjack Road in Prince Frederick. The $125,000 renovation was completed in March 2022.
Calvert Broadcast, a multimedia division of the Calvert County Office of the County Administrator, Communications & Media Relations Division, serves the citizens of Calvert County with programming that informs, educates, entertains and promotes inclusion and community. Citizens can tune into Calvert Broadcast news and information through the Calvert County Government YouTube channel, the Commissioners’ Reports headline news podcast and Comcast channel 6 and 1070 HD. Find more information on Calvert Broadcast online at www.CalvertCountyMd.gov/CalvertBroadcast and follow @CalvertBroadcast on Instagram.
Find information on Calvert County Government services online at www.CalvertCountyMd.gov. Stay up to date with Calvert County Government on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CalvertCountyMd and YouTube at www.youtube.com/CalvertCountyGov.
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