NACTV AGM Highlights Challenges and Opportunities for Neepawa's Community Station

Neepawa Access TV (NACTV) is a community television station based in Neepawa, Manitoba, which has been serving the local community since 1977. Operated by a volunteer board and supported by four full-time staff members along with a team of dedicated volunteers, NACTV provides valuable local programming and serves as a vital resource for residents.

During their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 24, 2024, at Kinsmen Kourts 2, the NACTV board, staff, and volunteers discussed the challenges faced over the past year, particularly financial difficulties. However, despite these setbacks, there is a strong sense of optimism surrounding the station's future. The AGM highlighted the potential opportunities available to the station, particularly through its ongoing projects and community engagement.

One of the significant sources of funding for NACTV is the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) project, which supports local reporting and content creation. This initiative, along with CBRA royalties, plays a crucial role in keeping the station running. Nevertheless, NACTV recognizes the need to raise additional funds to continue delivering high-quality local content and ensure the station’s sustainability.

Another area of need for the station is volunteers. As NACTV relies heavily on volunteer efforts for day-to-day operations, there is an urgent call for more individuals to join the team and contribute their time and skills. Volunteers are essential to the station's success, and with more community involvement, NACTV can continue its vital work serving Neepawa and surrounding areas.

Bill Syrik mentioned that there has been a decline in the number of volunteer over the years which required current staff to step up.  “As I was coming to Neepawa from Winnipeg here. It was kinda going in my head.. the figures, it came to my mind that if we didn’t have the LJI program and if we did not have the $20,000 CEBA Grant forgiven to us, we would have loss $50,000 this year.  And a large part of it is due to directly or indirectly to the lack of volunteers.  There has been a decline in the number of volunteers and is starting to hurt our budget. We still work together as a team. The staff has picked up numerous roles that volunteers used to have and it’s not because we would have to do it ourselves but because the volunteers have gone down in numbers and I really like to see that pick up again.” said Syrik.

Despite financial challenges, NACTV remains optimistic about the future and committed to its mission of providing a platform for local voices and stories. The station encourages those interested in supporting local media and community programming to consider volunteering or making donations to help sustain its operations moving forward.