Daily News

Focus Springfield Community TV Ribbon Cutting Slated for June 23

SPRINGFIELD — The newly formed Focus Springfield Community Television will open with a formal ribbon cutting, unveiling the new, 7,000-square-foot community television and programming facility at 1200 Main St., on June 23 at 10 a.m. Mayor Domenic Sarno, other local officials, and representatives of Focus Springfield Community Television will participate in the grand-opening event. The new local community television hub will host leading-edge technology that will allow local producers and Springfield residents to learn the skills needed to develop and air video programming on the Springfield cable system. The community television entity currently operates public channel 12, educational channel 15, and government cannel 17. Focus Springfield, evolved from the Springfield Media and Telecommunications Group, which was the successor of the Springfield Cable Endowment, was formed as a requirement of Springfield’s first cable television contract with the former Continental Cablevision. Funds contributed to the endowment from the cable-television contract were to be used for community programming, communications technology upgrades in the city, and related investments. The purpose of the center is to create a 21st-century environment to produce video and related media. Services will be rendered at no cost to Springfield residents, and video shooting and editing classes and mentoring will be available. The site was originally the home for MassMutual, which constructed the eight-story building as its home office in 1908.