Dublin Community Television

Programmes for DCTV are created and produced by a variety of sources:

• Not-for-profit TV production companies, such as NEAR TV Productions in Coolock
• Other DCTV member organisations, such as AONTAS (adult education), Cultivate (sustainable living), Project (arts); NALA (adult literacy)
• Individual members of DCTV

The station also shows international material such as Democracy Now! which has been broadcast nightly since 2010.

DCTV is Ireland's only democratically controlled TV channel. Its logo asserts that it encourages diversity, empowerment, and participation in its programming and activities. All content is Creative Commons/Non-commercial according to[2] in the spirit of non-commercial community benefit.

Dublin Community Television (DCTV) is a new Irish TV broadcaster, which secured a 10-year Community Licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). It is also Ireland's only TV station run by a members' cooperative and Dublin's only community TV station. With offices in the Digital Hub, DCTV has plans to base small-scale production facilities around the city, making video and television production and transmission as accessible as possible. Using new, low-cost, all-digital technology, DCTV is part of a global growth in alternative, community-focused media. The organisation itself is a members' cooperative, with schedules, programme commissioning and all other decisions being taken by members of the cooperative. There is no standard advertising: instead the channel has a number of innovative revenue models supporting the very low-cost operation of the station.

Special Schemes are initiatives which fall outside the regular funding rounds and have a distinct focus on partnerships and the fostering of industry development. While content will deal with the core themes of BCI Sound & Vision, the Special Scheme takes a holistic view of the programme making process, from development to production according to the BCI.[3]

DCTV is a member's co-operative, with schedules, programme commissioning and all other decisions being taken by members of the cooperative. There is no standard advertising: instead the channel has a number of innovative revenue models supporting the very low-cost operation of the station.

DCTV is funded by membership fees and a variety of other sources: Dublin City Council, other Dublin councils and the Dublin Community Forum. Many of the programmes made for DCTV are funded by the BCI's Sound and Vision fund, which is generated from the Irish TV licence fee.

Membership costs €25 a year (€15 for unwaged), giving the member a say in running the station and choosing programming and gives you access to the means to make programmes for DCTV.

DCTV provides members with affordable access to transmission, training, basic production equipment and facilities for a broad range of individuals, community groups and activists broadcasting a wealth of innovative, creative, educational and entertaining programmes that focus on real people and communities in all their diversity.

Dublin Community Television was launched on 16 July 2008 by Minister Eamon Ryan, Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources.

The channel airs:

• Features and shorts (both documentary and drama) selected from independent/non-profit film festivals around the world;
• Cookery programmes;
• Programmes for the deaf;
• Programming from community TV channels in other countries;
• Adult literacy programmes;
• Activist films;
• College films;
• Community Notice-board;
• Films by young/emerging film-makers.
• Studio shows (Autumn 2008);
• Live programmes, incl. news (2009);
• Music programming;
• Sports, with an emphasis on minority sports (e.g. cricket, basketball).

Creative Commons
DCTV promotes the widest possible distribution and use of programmes for non-profit use. Its own productions will be produced under a Creative Commons license that allows non-profit use, subject to recognition of source (see www.creativecomnmons.org). DCTV also promotes sharing with other community channels.

• Dublin Community Television's channel on Vimeo