Grand Rapids Cable Access Center

Community Media Center strives to provide safe, well-equipped, affordable places for community members to share ideas and listen to each other. We aim to help safeguard our First Amendment right to freedom of expression, elevate the voices of people who are often relegated to the sidelines by mainstream media, enable the expression of all viewpoints and support and equip the vibrant community of volunteers and local creatives who wish to share their viewpoints and talents. We aim to uphold our mission of building community through media by offering minimal-cost memberships and free or low-cost production and training to every resident in Grand Rapids, thereby providing meaningful access to TV, radio, citizen journalism, web tools, non-discriminatory venues and community meeting places,

Community Media Center provides safe, well-equipped access for community members to share ideas and listen to each other. We provide access to multiple media tools and services. We elevate the voices of people and groups who are often relegated to the sidelines by mainstream media, and enable the expression of all viewpoints through publication, live productions, films, workshops, presentations, performances,and broadcast on our media platforms. We support and equip a vibrant community of volunteers who share their talents to uphold our mission of building community through media. By fostering community engagement and amplifying voices, we provide access to the viewpoints of marginalized residents in all corners of our community. We provide training, tools, venues and connections to all, including the artistic community, amateur and professional actors, writers, musicians, filmmakers, TV and radio producers, and through publication and broadcast on our media platforms.

Our team of creative, hard-working, innovative people provides the energy and direction for our organizational capabilities. Part-time reception clerks double as tour guides. Program directors volunteer as radio programmers. Our venue manager holds degrees in film and video. Our radio manager writes curriculum and plays in a bluegrass band. Our Education Director is an animation artist. Our volunteers and staff include photographers, actors, musicians and artists of all sorts. CMC is a community gathering space for experienced, talented broadcast professionals, musicians, videographers, venue managers, lighting and sound specialists, and equipment engineers, as well as IT and educational professionals, new media experts and expert management and program personnel. Whether the expertise comes in the form of volunteers or paid employees, our capabilities include using best practices, well-planned procedures, vetted curricula and training programs, interdepartmental teamwork and strategizing. Diligent maintenance and appropriate use of our facilities and equipment aide in keeping our work for our community affordable and professional.

Community Media Center has served the community of Grand Rapids for over 35 years. Throughout this time CMC has provided opportunities for communities to express themselves in neutral, welcoming spaces, extended the reach of nonprofit and grassroots groups by raising awareness of their work to benefit the community. We have empowered students of all ages and levels. We have fostered community engagement and amplified the voices of marginalized residents through accessible media platforms. CMC has been a catalyst for citizens to become involved in the local media landscape as they advance their careers. We have strengthened the community by fostering diverse cultural expression and supporting meaningful media by all residents.
Media literacy is a part of every course we teach, whether it’s story-boarding, lighting, editing, documentary production, animation, droning, digital activism or community media in general, Media Literacy comes first.
Now, as we continue with this work, we are also expanding our outreach to marginalized residents through an expanded Media Literacy program.We are also escalating our outreach to marginalized residents through an expanded Media Literacy program. Engaging in the online and offline spaces Community Media Center provides will continue to help students of all ages stay in touch with the latest research and tools for enriching their media projects, with an understanding of the power of media and the many possibilities it holds.