Stoughton WSTO starts streaming on Roku and Apple TV

Like a lot of other community media centers before it, Stoughton’s WSTO TV recently launched two Over-The-Top (OTT) channels.  Working with TelVue Corporation, WSTO TV began putting its programming on both Roku and AppleTV in early October and has plans to add FireTV, Android and iOS applications.  Derek Westby, Senior Network Administrator for the City of Stoughton said, "We're very excited about serving new audiences with these apps.  It will enable all Smart TV viewers to receive WSTO TV." 

These additional OTT viewing options have come on the heels of TDS cable television adding WSTO TV in HD.  "We are very excited about being carried in HD on TDS cable on channel 1012 (SD is on channel 12).    Westby notes that even though Charter Spectrum viewers cannot view WSTO TV in HD, they can now switch over to one of the OTT channels like Roku, to see local programming like city meetings and high school sports in HD.    "These apps also allow for video-on-demand viewing, which makes it so much easier to watch our programming and most importantly, boosts the transparency of Stoughton city government.  We will be making available the last several months-worth of meeting coverage as well as adding new shows all the time to these apps."

Many other WCM member media centers also use commercial streaming services to distribute their local programming in HD.  For example, Marshfield Broadcasting, Rice Lake Television,  Columbus Cable and Wausau Area Access Media (WAAM) are all on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire.   To find Columbus Cable and WAAM, go to the Cablecast TV Channel on these apps.  WSCS Sheboygan and Madison City Channel are on Roku and Apple TV.

Rice Lake Community Media shines a spotlight on T-Mobile grant to Main Street Association

Rice Lake Main Street Association members accept a $40,000 check from T-Mobile.

by James Wyngaard, Director, Rice Lake Community Media

Rice Lake Community Media was called upon recently to help get the word out about a major grant provided to the Rice Lake Main Street Association. T-Mobile presented a $40,000 grant for a new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant kayak launch and the Main Street Association asked Rice Lake Community Media to cover the event and spread the good news.

Chris Olsen is a board member for the Main Street Association and said, “With our relationship between the Main Street Association and Community Media, we felt it was important for James [Wyngaard] and Community Media be there to help us inform the community about this important addition to our city’s lakefront.”

The Main Street Association does a monthly program with Rice Lake Community Media to discuss activities and news from around Rice Lake’s central business district.

WSCS Celebrates (the first) 40 Years of Community Media in Sheboygan

By Scott Mealiff,  Program Director, WSCS, City of Sheboygan

Plans are underway to celebrate the 40th anniversary of community media in Sheboygan in conjunction with Community Media Day – October 20, 2022.

The city’s PEG (Public, Education, and Government) access television channels date back to 1982 when the City of Sheboygan signed a franchise agreement with Lakeside Cablevision to provide cable television service in the city.  As part of the agreement, channel space, production equipment, and training would be available to residents for locally produced programming. 

Over the years, the cable company changed hands through mergers and consolidation. In 1997, at the conclusion of the original franchise, the cable company, now Charter Communications, did not want to operate the community access facilities anymore, even as their obligation to continue providing channel capacity and the franchise fee payments to the City remained.  As a result, the City of Sheboygan took on the operation of the public/government access channel. In the years since, the City has continued to manage the cable channel and expand access via Internet delivery platforms and additional video service providers.

Two years ago on Community Media Day, Oct. 20, 2020, the final cutover was made to fiber optic delivery of the local PEG channels – the conclusion of a multi-year project between Charter Communications and the City of Sheboygan. This upgrade has proven to provide Sheboygan residents a high(er)-quality and stable signal for viewing local government meetings, events, and citizen-produced programs.

Watch as we celebrate 40 years serving the community of Sheboygan!