OCA Media increasingly relying on YouTube channel for viewership and revenue growth

YouTube has become Oregon Community Access Media’s “go-to” for the viewership data that OCA’s director, Paul Zwicker, uses to be able to successfully solicit local business sponsorships.  

This past year, despite losing some large sponsors, Zwicker was able to secure $15,750 in sponsorships. While that amount may not have a huge impact on OCA Media’s overall operating budget, Zwicker says that the non-profit organization needs every dollar it can find. 

Over the past eight years, OCA Media has streamed content to YouTube at an ever-increasing rate. Back in 2016, OCA Media streamed 41 events, mostly government and school board meetings to its YouTube channel that boasted a subscriber base of about one thousand users. 

Fast forward to 2023: Last year, OCA Media streamed over 200 events to YouTube and ended the year with a subscriber base of 3,220 people who viewed live content over 185,900 times! 

These 2023 figures are a huge bounce back from the days of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, 74 programs were streamed by OCA Media as many events simply disappeared or evolved into virtual meetings. But just one year later, OCA Media streamed 162 programs including the Oregon School District’s performing arts and varsity sports events as well as meetings which had largely reverted to being held in-person.  

Since then, the workload for OCA Media continues to increase as their small staff some days finds itself streaming as many as three events simultaneously. As programming increases, so does the reliance on technology, a fact Zwicker notes brings with it frustrations as he says encoder can often stop streaming for no apparent reason. OCA Media’s equipment arsenal currently includes three Teradek VidiU Live video streaming encoders along with several streaming-capable cameras.  

While Zwicker feels that viewers do not fully understand everything that is involved in streaming content on a regular and consistent basis, he is grateful that the technology is there to allow for inexpensive and fairly consistent streaming and its due to that technology that he feels viewers have come to expect to find live local content looking as good as that coming from the broadcast networks. Zwicker marvels that OCA Media can stream as many events as it does at the excellent quality without a team of broadcast professionals.  

Zwicker again credits YouTube and its readily-available viewership data for giving community media stations like OCA Media cost-effective ways to reach an ever-increasing number of viewers. In February 2024 alone, OCA Media added 118 new subscribers who viewed YouTube content over 26,000 times! Zwicker notes that is more than the total number of views during all of 2016! 

Zwicker acknowledges the importance of his relationships with his video service providers Charter Spectrum and TDS, who carry OCA Media’s two channels. But the outlet that Zwicker counts on for data he can take to the bank is YouTube. 

Stoughton and Oregon cable channels are down again

Spectrum’s complaint line is (833) 267-6094

Editors note: Charter reports that both channels were restored on the evening of July 11.

Charter Spectrum cable TV customers started calling the City of Stoughton and the City of Oregon last Thursday to complain that their local “PEG” (Public/Education/Government) cable TV channels were down.  Six days later, both cities are still wondering when the channels will be repaired.

WSTO is the city’s PEG access channel.

Derek Westby, Senior Network Administrator with the City of Stoughton IT/Media Services Department which manages WSTO, said he received the first call around 10 am on Thursday from a resident and immediately emailed Mike Hill, Government Affairs Manager for Charter Spectrum.  The response he received was surprising --  an automatic email informing Westby that Hill had retired as of June 30.  “Mike Hill has been the primary contact for Wisconsin municipalities with PEG channels for as long as I can remember,” said Westby.  “We did not receive any notice that he was going to be retiring.”  The automatic email suggested two other contacts to try:  Teri Hatchell, Director of State Government Affairs and Adam Raschka, Senior Director of State Government Affairs.  Westby sent another email to Hatchell. 

On Friday morning, Paul Zwicker, Executive Director of OCA Media, followed up Westby’s email with another one to both contacts.  At the end of the day, Raschka responded that Hatchell had “routed the issue to the team Mike would normally interact with.” 

As of today, Tuesday, July 11, Stoughton’s cable channels 980 and 981 and Oregon’s cable channels 983 and 984 are still down.  Zwicker emailed the company again today.  “I told them that we are receiving complaints from their customers.”

Unfortunately, Westby and Zwicker have experienced PEG channel outages before.  “Both of our signals travel to a common hub before being inserted into the Charter Spectrum cable system, so when both channels go down, we know that the problem lies with their hub site,” said Westby. 

Charter Spectrum has not upgraded how they carry these PEG channels even though the world has moved on to HD, 4K and even higher standards.  To be compatible with the Charter system, both communities are required to use old analog modulators that could break at any time.

Viewers of cable television in Oregon and Stoughton are relied upon to let their cities know about Charter Spectrum outages.  Since video service providers charge municipalities for service, subscribing to more than one provider would be cost prohibitive.  Both municipalities subscribe to TDS, which carries the PEG channels in HD.

If you are a frustrated viewer, let the State of Wisconsin know. Go to WCM’s cable complaint page and click on the link to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection complaint form page. Help Stoughton and Oregon get faster action! And help us make state government aware of these ongoing problems.