A high school that ran its city’s television station
For fifteen years Mount Clemens High School produced community television for the city. Students learned to tell local stories, and residents got programs about their own town.
How it began
In 1983 Alex Walker, longtime president of the Mount Clemens Board of Education, helped negotiate the city’s cable franchise with Comcast. The studio was installed at the high school.
By 1991 the city was frustrated. The school taught television as a vocational skill, and its programs did not reach the residents who paid for them. Walker had seen the documentaries I made in Flint and asked me to come and build a station the community would use.
From 1992 to 2006 I served as Executive Director of the Macomb Cable Network and as Director of Cable Operations for both the school district and the City of Mount Clemens.
How the program grew
Each stage added a new group of learners, from adult volunteers to seventh graders.
| Years | Program | Who and how |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–95 | Television Production Workshop | Community volunteers certified to produce multi-camera remote programs |
| 1995 | TV Summer Camp | Grades 6–8, critical viewing skills, through Macomb Community College |
| 1995–2000 | Cable Television Internship | College seniors, for credit in production and cable management |
| 1998 | Media Business | Grades 11–12, dual enrollment with Detroit College of Business |
| 2000–06 | Feature News Reporter | Grades 9–12, paid after-school positions on Bath City Beat |
| 2004–05 | Middle school scripting | Grade 7 audio narration, peer-taught by a senior media student |
| 2005–06 | Digital Imaging, Production and Editing | Grades 9–12, daily announcements and design work |
On the air
Bath City Beat (2002–06)
A 30-minute magazine show of community news by student reporters, named for Mount Clemens’s old nickname as Michigan’s “Bath City.” Students auditioned for paid after-school reporter positions; five were chosen each semester. Award winning.
Macomb Magazine (1995–99)
A live 60-minute community show with a studio audience: artists, civic groups, community leaders and call-in viewers.
Public meetings (1992–2006)
City Commission, Board of Education, State of the City, and live town halls with call-in viewers.
Library lectures
World Full of Knowledge with Sherwin Wine (1992–2006) and Michael Farrell Presents (1995–99).
Recognition
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Excellence in Education Award, Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) |
| 2005 | Exemplary Teaching and Leadership Recognition, MACUL |
| 1996 | Educational Excellence Award, Michigan Association of School Boards |
| 1996 | Overall Excellence in Educational Access, Alliance for Community Media (third in the nation) |
| 1994 | Philo T. Farnsworth Award, Alliance for Community Media |
“A well-designed media program can teach technology, language, and storytelling while developing a school-community identity.”John Kotarski, School-Based Community Television (2008), p. 2