Pittsburgh Community Television
1300 Western Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Contact: John H. Patterson, Executive Director
412-322-7570, ext. 302
For Immediate Release
Pittsburgh, PA—The Pittsburgh City Controller released a performance audit of Pittsburgh Community Television on July 12, 2021. In his release of the report, Controller Lamb stated that “PCTV is a wonderful community asset. From students of all ages who are interested in TV production to adults who look to inform the public with interesting content, there is something at PCTV for everyone in our region”.
The report assesses PCTV’s operations including policies, community participation, funding, and future direction. Also included are recommendations for improvement. The report covers the period from January 1, 2013, to June 30, 2020.
The following findings and recommendations were included in the report:
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PCTV should consult the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to have an attorney craft a non-discrimination clause on their written materials and website. Many other organizations across the country like PCTV have such a clause.
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The report found that PCTV’s training programs can prepare individuals for careers in TV Production. This remains particularly true since the closing of Pittsburgh Filmmakers in 2019.
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Enrollment and class fees provide a substantial portion of PCTV’s non-cable franchise income stream. PCTV should continue to seek ways to augment fundraising capabilities without raising rates on community producers.
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Content produced by PCTV staff has increased steadily over recent years and has been among PCTV’s most popular programs. Staff-produced programming is focused on local events and personalities.
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PCTV should continue to cultivate relationships with local entities with the aim of strengthening social connections. The ability for individuals to professionally document neighborhood homes, landmarks, meetings, and celebrations is a good selling point.
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PCTV should contact other public boards and special interest groups that may be interested in having PCTV broadcast their meetings for a nominal fee. For example, the Historical Review Commission may want to record and televise their meetings for future review.