For
several years, it had been the hope and desire of City
Planner Jimmy Crownover for Winchester to operate its own education
and government television channel. City
Planner Crownover, the city's Technology and Communication
Committee, and the Winchester City Council
formed an agreement with Comcast Cable
and the EGTV Community Bulletin Board went
on air in the latter months of 2002.
Live and produced programming debuted on
October 31 of the same year. EGTV and Winchester
Planning held a successful Haunted Halls event for elementary
aged children. Staffed by volunteers from Franklin County High School,
children wandered through the newly renovated planning
department facilities to face goulish sights!
While all of that was going on - the studio
was also quite alive with activity - breaking in with reports from downstairs
where the children were congregating, EGTV's host interviewed several
of the key players in Winchester city government along with several parents
and trick-or-treaters who came by for a little fun and a little fright!
Shortly
thereafter a three-day-a-week LIVE production, Wake-up Winchester,
began to air at 6:30 am. Just after the new year began, automation equipment
arrived and the staff began to prepare programming in advance for viewing
during the day and evening hours. The City of Winchester has recently hired Cam Walter to act as director and producer for the channel and to oversee the daily operations and production. Cam also serves in the capacity of assistant planner - aiding Crownover in other planning projects and the ever expanding Geographical Information System. He is also a member of the Technology and Communication Committee.
EGTV can be found on Comcast channel 12. The channel currently broadcasts to not only those living
within the corporate boundaries of Winchester, but to all of the Comcast
Cable subscribers in Franklin County. EGTV entered into agreement
with the Franklin County government and the three other Comcast cities to broadcast in their areas as well as of July 1, 2003.
Education
and Government television is, by its very nature, an advertising and commercial
free entity.
