2018 Hometown Media Award Winners

The 2018 Hometown Media Awards received over one thousand entries. They all are submitted and evaluated on several factors, including budget, experience and subject.

We appreciate everyone’s time and energy put into creating their productions and submitting them into this awards program. The ACM also thanks the volunteer judges for sharing their knowledge, expertise and time to evaluate the entries. Our judges review the submissions from their assigned category, score accordingly on a rubric and provide feedback to all entries which request commentary on their submissions.

The programs entered for the 2018 Hometown Media Awards had their first telecast on a local cable access channel or their initial stream/web distribution on or between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017.

The ACM is honored to announce the winners of 2018 Hometown Media Awards listed below. The 2018 winners are all invited to the 2018 Annual Conference’s Hometown Media Awards Celebration on July 12 in Baltimore.

Overall Excellence Category Winners

The Overall Excellence awards recognize access organizations for their overall operational activities and programming efforts. Access organizations are split into four budget-based divisions:

>$1,000,00
$650,000 – $1,000,000
$300,000-$650,000
< $300,000

Overall Excellence in Combined P. E. or G. Access Winners

>$1,000,000 division: NewTV: Your Vision Channeled, NewTV
$650,000 – $1,000,000 division: “Best of QCTV”, Quad Cities Community Television
$300,000-$650,000 division: Greater Northshire Access Television
<$300,000 division: Brattleboro Community Television

Overall Excellence in Public Access Winners

>$1,000,000 division: PhillyCAM Overall, PhillyCAM
$650,000 – $1,000,000 division: PATV’s Year in Review 2017, Public Access Television
$300,000-$650,000 division: Fall River Community Media
< $300,000 – Marblehead Community Access & Media, Inc.

Overall Excellence in Educational Access Winner

>$1,000,000 division: Youth Capitol Commentary 2017, Olelo Community Media
$300,000-$650,000 division: AISD.TV Overall Excellence Tiffany Saunders, Bobby Longoria, Garry Wilkison, Pamela Williams & AISD.TV Crew, Austin Independent School District
< $300,000 – Great Neck Public Schools, GNPS/TV

Overall Excellence in Governmental Access Winners

>$1,000,000 division: County Cable Montgomery, Montgomery County Governmen
$650,000 – $1,000,000 division: HOMTV
$300,000-$650,000 division: EGTV Highlights 2017, Village of Elk Grove Village – EGTV
<$300,000 division: The OMNI Centre for Public Media, Inc.

Standard Categories Winners

The Standard Categories awards recognize producers for their program efforts in a concentrated area/topic. Producers are split into three divisions based on their level of expertise:

Access Center Professional – Programs created by employees of community media or access centers.
Independent Producer – Programs created by producers independent of community media or access centers (no compensation).
Student Division – Programs created by current students enrolled in primary, secondary or undergraduate schools. Non-students may supervise the production, but the overall direction, control of the production and all technical tasks (camera, directing, editing, sound, etc.) must be performed by the youth involved.

About Access & Empowerment Winners

Access Center Professional division: “Surprise! There’s a TV Station in Brattleboro”, Brattleboro Community Television
Student division: Summer at the Firehouse, Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Youth Media Center

Access Program Promo

Access Center Professional division: Meet our 12 year old Reporter Lindsley Barrios, Sheyla Navarro, Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television
Independent Producer division: Shoes of Steel – Promo, Patricia DeGidio, Terry Gibbish, Tommy Platek & Debbie Smith
Student division: Youth Media Center Promo, Emerito Rivera Jr., Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Animation Winners

Access Center Professional division: Fairfax Fast Facts – How Our Budget Is Built, Sara Mingo, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: One Peg Boss, Travis Wood, Brooklyn Free Speech, BRIC Community Media
Student division: ECAT Promo by Anika Prasad, Anika Prasad, Easton Community Access Television

Audio Programming Winners

Access Center Professional division: AOTV and WVAO present A Christmas Carol Live, Athol Orange Community Television
Independent Producer division: Today In Space, Alex Orphanos, Norwood Public Access Television
Student division: The Youth Channel Podcast, Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Youth Media Center

Children’s Programs Winners

Access Center Professional division: Kids on Sports, Joe Nicholson, Levi Jones, Thomas Sheldon & Ann Hammerle, Greater Northshire Access Television
Independent Producer division: Nature Nerds Rule – Porcupine World, John Body, Northhampton Community Television
Student division: Original Pranksters: Mosaic Movie-Making Class, Ryan Scutt & Mosaic Movie Class, Catamount Access Television

Community Events- Activism/Rallies Winners

Access Center Professional division: The Big Fix, Falmouth Community Television
Independent Producer division: Legitimate Matters – Divided States of America and Affordable Housing Deception, William C. Parris & Alan Carlton, Legitimate Matters
Student division: #CASA Is Home, Miguel Alejo, Dominic Callender, Halima Abedin, Maggi Delgado & Richard Garrick, Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Community Events- General Winners

Access Center Professional division: Haunted Train Ride, Alvaro Tobar, Jordan Tynes & Jen Jacobs, Norfolk Community Television
Independent Producer division: Chef in the Market, Skyler Sabine, Connor Camenson, Kenyata Dibiase, Ben Weddell, DCBA, with support from BCAC & Friends of the Arts
Student division: GHS-TV: A 35 Year Legacy (35th Anniversary Special), Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Community Events- Parades/Festivals Winners

Access Center Professional division: Beyond Walls Mural Festival, Lynn Community TV
Independent Producer division: Ramblin in The Old North End, Tessa Tallagnon, Channel 17/Town Meeting TV
Student division: Dia de los Muertosm, Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Youth Media Center

Community Impact Winners

Access Center Professional division: Operation Warm Hearts, Office of Communications, Broadcast Services, & Community Engagement, Shelby County Schools
Independent Producer division: Alzheimer’s: Caring for Pat, Val Jeffery, Cupertino TV Productions
Student division: Crimestoppers Episode 3, Daeshionna Kimbrough & Micah Tubbs, Hardin County Educational and Community TV

Cultural Perspectives Winners

Access Center Professional division: On View: Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic, Regional Educational Television Network & the Fleming Museum
Independent Producer division: On The Banks of El Canal, Martha Yesenia Juarez & Luis Alcazar, Central Valley Community Foundation, Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC)
Student division: Perspectives of El Barrio, Kelly Dao, Bana Nour Eddin, Tanasha Makins, Malik Carlton Henry, Maria Isabel Parada, Brenda Leon, Richard Garrick, Andre Manning & Giomarie Levitt, Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Youth Media Center

Democracy in Action Winners

Access Center Professional division: Decision 2017: Election Night, Jenn Adams & Stephen M. Kessinger, NewTV
Independent Producer division: Billerica Votes 2017, Yaakov Reef, Billerica Access Television, Inc.

Documentary Winners

Access Center Professional division: The Johnny Effect, Andrew Filippone Jr., Brooklyn Free Speech, BRIC Community Media
Independent Producer division: Solo: The Evolution of the One Man Band, William Spillette, Mark Renie & Elaura Renie, MetroEast Community Media
Student division: Geijyutsu Wa Mirai “Performing Arts is the Future”, Saoirse Loftus-Reid, LexMedia

Documentary Biography Winners

Access Center Professional division: Ujamaa Rising, Rajesh Barnabas, Rochester’s Community Media Center
Independent Producer division: The Blessing and the Curse, David Kennedy & Cindy Wathen-Kennedy, Central Valley Community Foundation, Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC)
Student division: The Last Farmer, Abigail Davis, Madalyn Davis, CART & Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC)

Educational Activities Winners

Access Center Professional division: Reynolds School District High School Welcome, Emily Vidal, Ivana Horvat & John Lugton, MetroEast Community Media
Independent Producer division: Exploring the Natural and Cultural Ecology of Belize, Mark Cline, Lucey Graham Byers, Jennifer Cohen & Eugene Cleary, Regional Educational Television Network
Student division: “Thank a Veteran Program”, GNPS/TV Crew & Robert Zahn, Great Neck Public Schools

Educational Profile Winners

Access Center Professional division: Football Player Tackles Physical Disability – Video, Patrick Richmond, Tran Bui Smith & Stefani Everson, 88.5FM/C19TV Shelby County Schools
Independent Producer division: Shelby County Schools Report, Allison Long, Mallory Kenney, Mark Deal & Leonid Mazor, Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)
Student division: A Day in the Life, Black Hills High School & Tumwater Middle School

Entertainment & Arts- Series Winners

Access Center Professional division: Time Stamp, Hoss Wuerslin & Shawn Harrington, Manchester Historical Society/Greater Northshire Access Television
Independent Producer division: Mono, Steve Dunning & Jeff Linebeck, Greater Northshire Access Television
Student division: Town City, D.J. Fitszgerald, Delayna Fitzgerald & Bracken Stevens with support from BCAC.tv and Friends of the Arts

Entertainment & Arts- Single Episode Winners

Access Center Professional division: LHS Football Locker Room Pre Game, Rick Dorrington, LexMedia
Independent Producer division: Shoes Of Steel – EP4 Polocrosse part 1, Patricia DeGidio, Terry Gibbish, Tommy Platek & Debbie Smith
Student division: The Nathan Ernst Bourjolly Show, Nathan Bourjolly & Terry Samaras, LexMedia

Experimental Winners

Access Center Professional division: Crowdsourced Cinema: Back to the Future, Al Williams, Northampton Community Television
Independent Producer division: SCS Back to School 2017, Angel Ortez, Tran Bui Smith, Shawn Pachucki, Christian Ross & Stefani Everson, 88.5FM/C19TV Shelby County Schools
Student division: Woburn Memorial High School Lip Dub 2017, Brian Ouellette & the WMHS Yearbook Staff, Woburn Public Media Center

Government Activities Winners

Access Center Professional division: Adult Detention Center – Community Labor Force, Sean Metzger, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: The Kristal Hart Show /Civil Rights Legend Dorothy Height, Mark Saunders, Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Government Meeting Coverage Winners

Access Center Professional division: Pasco City Council, Jon Funfar, Pasco City Television

Government Profile Winners

Access Center Professional division: Protecting our Marine Wildlife with the New York State DEC, Carole Trottere, Alan Ginsberg, Samantha Hollinde & Zoey Peck; North Hempstead Television

Informational Talk Show- Single Episode Winners

Access Center Professional division: Driving Peabody Forward with Mayor Bettencourt, Gus Margiotta, Peabody Access Telecommunications
Independent Producer division: The Cambridge Calendar, Erin Tackney, Pete Septoff, Avery Dwyer, Andrew Gerzon, Kameel Nasr & Sean Effel, Cambridge Community Television
Student division: Crosstalk (Compilation), Allison Long, Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Informational Talk Show- Series Winners

Access Center Professional division: Around Queens with Luchia Dragosh: Materials For The Arts, Daniel J. Leone, Luchia Dragosh & Eddy Duran, Queens Public Television
Independent Producer division: Innovation Showcase: Team Hoyt, Jay Sugarman, NewTV
Student division: Crosstalk (Memphis Massacre of 1866), Allison Long, Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Instructional/Training Winners

Access Center Professional division: Folding and Disposing of an American Flag, Carmel Fire Department/City of Carmel
Independent Producer division: Genealogy Quickstart, Shamele Jordan, PhillyCAM
Student division: How To Make a YC Weekly, Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Youth Media Center

Local Performances Winners

Access Center Professional division: ‘Ham Jams with Eva Westphal, Shavarsh Morrissey, Access Framingham
Independent Producer division: Spotlight on Fine Arts – The Thursdays, Dianne Steimel, Chelmsford Telemedia
Student division: “SH Cultural Heritage Night”, Robert Zahn, Great Neck Public Schools TV

Magazine Shows Winners

Access Center Professional division: Around Town 12/27/17, Steve Marx & Laura Bean, Boston Neighborhood Network
Independent Producer division: Inside the Classroom with Ashli Dreher Featuring New York State Teachers of the Year, Ashli Skura Dreher, Rich Zapp, Tim Marcolini & NYSUT
Student division: POPPYN – Presenting Our Perspectives on Philly Youth News, PhillyCAM

Mixed and Transmedia Winners

Access Center Professional division: Quincy Recreation Department’s Dog Days of Summer, Barry Welch & Mark Crosby, Quincy Access Television
Independent Producer division: Pitching Match, Paul Ezzy, Brookline Interactive Group
Student division: Everybody Tells Me Everything, Nicholas Hall & Neely McKee, Cambridge Community Television

Music Video Winners

Access Center Professional division: Marissa the Librarian, Marissa Antosh, Chris Lawn & Andrew Barker, Norfolk Community Television
Independent Producer division: American Dreamer – Open Your Eyes, Melissa McClung, Northampton Community Television
Student division: Poloetic, Dajour Mckinley & Jordan Ribbon, MetroEast Community Media Community

News Winners

Access Center Professional division: AISD in 3 – September 18, 2017, Tiffany Saunders, Bobby Longoria, Garry Wilkison, Pamela Williams, Jerah Collaros & AISD.TV Staff, Austin Independent School District
Independent Producer division: PhillyCAM Voices, Voices Reporting Team, PhillyCAM
Student division: Newscast “Wake Up, Germantown!”, Allison Long, Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Original Drama/Comedy Winners

Access Center Professional division: The White Chalet, Erica Bradley, Norman Hall & Marcelo Mendez, Public Access Television
Independent Producer division: #37, Danny Kim, Public Media Network
Student division: “Just Film Things”, GNPS/TV Film Students & Robert Zahn, Great Neck Public Schools

Public Service Announcements Winners

Access Center Professional division: Spring Rabies Clinic, Ruth Jones & Mark Crosby, Quincy Access Television
Independent Producer division: How to Eat a Pizza, Jonny Finity
Student division: Get Involved, DCTV Youth Media Network

Spiritual/Inspirational Winners

Access Center Professional division: ‘Ike Pono – Episode 3, Na Leo TV
Independent Producer division: Lifeline In Concert, Joe Roueche & CJ Luck, Town Square Television
Student division: Unspoken Words, Peabody Access TV Work Study Program

Sports Coverage Winners

Access Center Professional division: Cottage Grove Pickleball, Ann Schweisguth & Brian Schmidt, South Washington County Telecommunications Commission (SWCTV)
Independent Producer division: The Body*Smith Workout, Larry Smith & Frank Martin, MetroEast Community Media
Student division: Belmont Football 2017 First Look 3.0, Lucas Tragos, Belmont Media Center

Underserved Voices Winners

Access Center Professional division: Ashley’s Story, Desiree McMahon, Ava Ludwig & Gus Margiotta, Peabody Access Telecommunications
Independent Producer division: A More Perfect Union: Ashes to Ashes, Natalia Muñoz, Northampton Community Television
Student division: More Alike than Different, Ryan Malle & Mack MacDowell, Regional Educational Television Network

Voter Education Winners

Access Center Professional division: Cape Cod Reginal Tech Vote, Lower Cape Community Access TV
Student division: Tell It Like It Is: Northampton Local Elections, Flor Castillo Rivas, Jarrett Smith & the NHS Technology Students, Northampton Community Television

Web Based Program Winners

Access Center Professional division: Shop Lakewood Spotlight – Aliacci Pizza and Pasta, Sallie Cordova Gallagher, City of Lakewood/CityTV
Independent Producer division: Real Biggest Movie of All Time: Dorking Out About Inflation, Christopher Allan Smith & Ben Weddell with support from BCAC.tv and Friends of the Arts
Student division: Trump’s Book Club Skit, Masio Doston & Maya Cohen, MATV Spring Video Blast 2017