2019 Hometown Media Award Winners

The 2019 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 2019 Hometown Media Awards had their first telecast on a local cable access channel or their initial stream/web distribution on or between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.

The ACM is honored to announce the winners of 2018 Hometown Media Awards listed below. The 2019 winners are all invited to the 2019 Annual Conference’s Hometown Media Awards Celebration on July 11 in Portland.

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

$650,000 – $1,000,000 division: Pasadena Media
$300,000-$650,000 division: MashpeeTV
<$300,000 division: Brattleboro Community Television

Overall Excellence in Public Access Winners

>$1,000,000 division: Montgomery Community Media
$650,000 – $1,000,000 division: PATV's 2018 Year in Review, Erica Bradley, Rebecca Farina, Robert Schaufeld, Public Access Television Corporation
$300,000-$650,000 division: Marblehead Community Access & Media
< $300,000 – 2018 Annual Report: What We Do Together, WPAA-TV

Overall Excellence in Educational Access Winner

$300,000-$650,000 division: Austin Independent School District, Tiffany Saunders, Bobby Longoria, Garry Wilkison, Pamela Williams
< $300,000 – Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Overall Excellence in Governmental Access Winners

>$1,000,000 division: Fairfax County Government Channel 16, Frances Guastadisegni
$650,000 – $1,000,000 division: HOMTV
$300,000-$650,000 division: EGTV Highlights 2018, Village of Elk Grove Village – EGTV
<$300,000 division: KPU Telecommunications

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: Local Matters, Lower Cape Community Access TV
Independent Producer: "Living the Good Life", Matt Pujo, BevCam

Access Program Promo

Access Center Professional division: Boston Neighborhood Network: Community Engagement, Boston Neighborhood Network
Independent Producer division: "Seniors Finally Say #MeToo", Gilda Miros, Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Student division: Open Media Generation Funding Promo, Denver Open Media

Animation Winners

Access Center Professional division: Absentee Voting for College Students, Frances Guastadisegni, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: 3 Keys, UCEF - PEG - BCAC
Student division: I Built a Friend, Hannah Weaver, Sienna Delgado, Buchanan High, CMAC Fresno/Clovis

Audio Programming Winners

Access Center Professional division: Fairfax County Public Library Podcast - You're Making Me Read What?, Frances Guastadisegni, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: Curtis Mayfield, Superfly, Grassroot News, NW
Student division: "In Transit" Episode 2 - "Toilet Talk" , Somerville Media Center

Children’s Programs Winners

Access Center Professional division: Supervised Visitation and Exchange Program, Frances Guastadisegni, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: Never Give Up, BRIC Brooklyn Free Speech
Student division: Bekah's Constellation, National Give Back for Kids Campaign, Inc., BronxNet Television

Community Events- Activism/Rallies Winners

Access Center Professional division: #Enough, LexMedia
Student division: March for our Lives, Rick Dorrington and Ryan Voto, Peabody TV

Community Events- General Winners

Access Center Professional division: Lord Fairfax Charity Ride, Frances Guastadisegni, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: 12th Annual Cactus and Succulent Show & Sale, Ann Phillips, Norfolk Community Television
Student division: The Leftovers - Toasted Owl Fun Run, Jeromie Whalen, NHS Tech, Northampton Community Television

Community Events- Parades/Festivals Winners

Access Center Professional division: 2018 Beyond Walls Mural Festival, Brian Pistols, Lynn Community Television
Independent Producer division: Orienteering Junior Nationals & 2018 Troll Cup on Mt. Tom, Alicia Ralph, Northampton Community Television
Student division: Talk Show Crosstalk, Germantown High School (GHS-TV)

Community Impact Winners

Access Center Professional division: When it Rains: Bolivar Stormwater and Urban Runoff Capture Project, Sallie Cordova Gallagher CityTV/City of Lakewood
Independent Producer division: Healthy Living in The Bronx Series, Mary Vin Rose, BronxNet Television
Student division: East Metro STEAM Partnership Promo, Gina Wollrabe, MetroEast Community Media

Cultural Perspectives Winners

Access Center Professional division: A Taste for Saké: Part I, Nā Leo TV
Independent Producer division: SEVA, Rippin Sindher, CVCF, CMAC Fesno/Clovis
Student division: Chinese Lantern Festival, LVTV-3 La Verne Community Television

Democracy in Action Winners

Access Center Professional division: Voting in Westchester: Why Voting Matters, Dena Schumacher, LMCTV
Independent Producer division: What's Happening , Matt Pujo, BevCam
Student division: Live Coverage of 2018 Election Night, Germantown High School (GHS-TV)

Documentary Winners

Access Center Professional division: Behind Bars - The Making of Letters & Numbers, Tony Evans, Ivana Horvat, Martin C. Jones, MetroEast Community Media
Independent Producer: Over the Sky, Toko Shiiki, CTN Ann Arbor
Student division: Around Town: Remembering Vietnam, Boston Neighborhood Network

Documentary Biography Winners

Access Center Professional division: Queens Stories: The War Against Human Trafficking Shandra Woworuntu , Daniel J. Leone, Luchia Dragosh, Noran Omar, John Collins Jr. Jonathan Duran, and Christina Gary, Queens Public Television
Independent Producer division: Needle & Thread, Orlando Gomez, CVCF, CMAC Fesno/Clovis
Student division: Heart of the Horse Therapy Ranch, Maddy Mason, Buchanan High, CMAC Fresno/Clovis

Educational Activities Winners

Access Center Professional division: Together We Will Bring The Shad Fish Back, Matt Carl, Hyattsville Community Media
Independent Producer division: Cista Girls Environmental Justice TV Show: JUDGE LINDA on cutting trees, The Light Millennium
Student division: Dancing Classrooms, Robert Zahn, GNPS/TV

Educational Profile Winners

Access Center Professional division: Tuck Maxon School: Meet Chantry and Cory, Ivana Horvat, John Lugton, MetroEast Community Media
Independent Producer division: Metuchen Student Highlight - Annabella Russo, Brandon Uhlig LLC.
Student division: Belmont High School Today, Todd Bloniarz, Howie McClallen, Julie Land, Viktoria Haase, Belmont Media Center

Entertainment & Arts- Series Winners

Access Center Professional division: Agent H2O, Ann Schweisguth, Brian Schmidt, Justin Atkinson, SWCTC
Independent Producer division: The World Fusion Show, Brattleboro Community Television
Student division: Talk Show Crosstalk (Compilation), Germantown High School (GHS-TV)

Entertainment & Arts- Single Episode Winners

Access Center Professional division: Around Town: Women's Roller Derby, Boston Neighborhood Network
Independent Producer division: Strange College - Episode 2, Community College of Philadelphia CCPTV
Student division: ECTV - Artists Gayel, Shamsia and Jab, CAPS Media Center

Experimental Winners

Access Center Professional division: Haverhill Journal Live , Matt Belfiore, Lindsay Paris, HC Media (Haverhill Community Television)
Independent Producer division: Pieces, Oswald Williams, Angela Hatcher, Charles Lee,
Student division: WMHS Lip Dub 2018, Woburn Public Media Center

Government Activities Winners

Access Center Professional division: Cottage Grove "Your City", Ann Schweisguth, Brian Schmidt, Justin Atkinson, SWCTC
Independent Producer division: Volunteering - The Gift of Giving, Val Jeffery, Jerry Oliver, Cupertino TV Productions

Government Meeting Coverage Winners

Access Center Professional division: Annual Town Meeting- Know Before You Go May 2018, Westwood Media Center

Government Profile Winners

Access Center Professional division: Today at the Seashore: So … You Want a Beach Bonfire?, Lower Cape Community Access TV

Informational Talk Show- Single Episode Winners

Access Center Professional division: Manage Your Damn Money, Montgomery Community Media
Independent Producer division: Woman2Woman Today with Darieth Chisholm, Jen Maseda, Access Framingham
Student division: Talk ShowCrosstalk (First Responders), Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Informational Talk Show- Series Winners

Access Center Professional division: Heartbeat of Holliston - News /Magazine show, Chyso Lawless, Don Cronin, Holliston Cable Access, Inc.
Independent Producer division: Abilities United Presents: Community Connections: Triumph over Tragedy , Andrea Throndson, Abilities United
Student division: Talk Show Crosstalk (Compilation), Germantown High School Television (GHS-TV)

Instructional/Training Winners

Access Center Professional division: Take Action!, Ivana Horvat, John Lugton, MetroEast Community Media
Independent Producer division: How to Identify and Manage Japanese Knotweed, Brattleboro Community Television

Local Performances Winners

Access Center Professional division: Silver Spring Blues Festival , Montgomery Community Media
Independent Producer division: REDS Band, Bill Lange, LTA Productions
Student division: SH Winter Concert 2, Robert Zahn, GNPS/TV

Magazine Shows Winners

Access Center Professional division: Backdrop Palmdale, Fall 2018 - Ep. #35, City of Palmdale
Independent Producer division: Latin Evolution TV, Max Rymer, Tom Hendricks, Erik Lund, Jessica Crotteau, Patty Piatz, Bloomington Community Access Television
Student division: Spotlight Fall 2017, LVTV-3 La Verne Community Television

Mixed and Transmedia Winners

Access Center Professional division: The Haverhill Journal - 30 Things You Don't Know about Haverhill , Lindsay Paris, Haverhill Community Media
Independent Producer division: Crowdsourced Cinema: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Jenn Ramsay, The Community of Northampton, Northampton Community Television

Music Video Winners

Access Center Professional division: Tick Check 1-2, Frances Guastadisegni, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: SPARKY by molly BANG, Open Signal
Student division: "Do I Risk Another Love," Original Song by Danielle Lovasco, Will Peterson, Vanecia Niamoko, Collin Maloney, Mia Swensen, and Zachary Galante

News Winners

Access Center Professional division: Weekly Wire, SWCTC
Independent Producer division: The Orion NewsCast - Camp Fire Edition, UCEF - PEG - BCAC
Student division: NHS Update, Norwood Community Media

Original Drama/Comedy Winners

Access Center Professional division: Father Willie, Jason Mazzotta, Dave Newland, Michael McLellan, Mark Mulcahy, Alisa Leigh, Henning Ohlenbusch, Northampton Community Television
Independent Producer division: BE the Series, BRIC Brooklyn Free Speech
Student division: AVA, LVTV-3 La Verne Community Television

Public Service Announcements Winners

Access Center Professional division: Halloween-o-thon Film Competition PSA, Community Access Television (CATV)
Independent Producer division: Don't Take That Receipt!, Ali Pinschmidt, Northampton Community Television
Student division: Drunk Driving Prevention, Will Peterson, Vanecia Niamoko, Collin Maloney, Mia Swensen, and Zachary Galante, BevCam

Spiritual/Inspirational Winners

Access Center Professional division: Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony 2018, The OMNI Centre for Public Media, Inc.
Independent Producer division: Cha Cha the Clown Show, Gina Wollrabe, MetroEast Community Media

Sports Coverage Winners

Access Center Professional division: Training for the Olympic Boxing Team, Brian Pistols, Lynn Community Television
Independent Producer division: Liberty District Finals: Competitive Cheer 2018, Michael A. Shea, Arlington Independent Media
Student division: Sports Show "Red Devil Postgame", Germantown High School (GHS-TV)

Underserved Voices Winners

Access Center Professional division: Arts in Corrections, Chris Samaro, CMAC Fresno/Clovis
Independent Producer division: Homeless in Massachusetts 2018, Justin Marsh, Northampton Community Television
Student division: Same Team: Looking Beyond Disabilities, Madalyn Davis, CART, CMAC Fresno/Clovis

Voter Education Winners

Access Center Professional division: Absentee Voting for College Students, Frances Guastadisegni, Fairfax County Government Channel 16
Independent Producer division: Who's Pulling The Strings - Ballot Questions, Charlie Smith, Chelmsford TeleMedia
Student division: Engage Memphis Youth Summit (Report for Live Coverage of Election Night), Germantown High School (GHS-TV)

Web Based Program Winners

Access Center Professional division: The Valley Advocate Sessions, Dave Newland, The Valley Advocate, Signature Sounds, Northampton Community Television
Independent Producer division: ANACOSTIA, Anthony Anderson, Martha Byrne, Marion Akpan, Tamieka Chavis, Pasha Diallo, Wil Lash, Walter Maxfield Jones, Antonio Harrison Jr., Christopher Bair, Tremayne Norris, Lora Lee, Tandrea Parrott, Benjamin Bryant, Tommy Zamberlan, Lauren B. Martin, Akiba Robinson, India Doy Young, Southeast Boy Productions
Student division: The Transcript, Jeromie Whalen, NHS Tech, Northampton Community Television