What is Block Scheduling?

The topic came up this week because we are going to be switching time slots for two of our regular programs. Here at GCTV block scheduling means that we try to program certain parts of our lineup so that the same type of programming airs in a regular spot each day.

For instance, if you tune in on any weekday at 1pm you will be watching one of our Polka shows and at 2pm you can check out a variety of historical content. We hope soon to have the 9am weekday position filled with different sports and physical fitness programs. To further that goal we will be swapping the rebroadcasts of "Eaton do Ryu" and "The Greenfield YMCA Presents" beginning next week. The 9am lineup will now be: Monday-"Eaton do Ryu" (martial arts), Tuesday-"Dukes of Sports", Wednesday-"The Greenfield YMCA Presents" (aerobics & other activies), Thursday-"Eaton do Ryu", and Friday "The Greenfield YMCA Presents".

Additional block programming segments include rebroadcasts of recent town meetings, or large public events, on Saturdays at 1pm and a full day of religious and spiritual programs on Sundays. We also focus on bringing you new and ongoing content, from active producers or local sponsors, in our prime time slots from 5pm to 10pm Monday through Friday.

A Week of Empowerment

This week began with women helping women. Opeyemi Parham, MD, host of WMCB’s “Channeling the Muse” organized a co-operative learning session for her fellow female DJs. First thing on Monday morning the group discussed their needs and then proceeded to teach each other what they knew. Some of them were familiar with producing live shows, others only pre-records, some upload their shows to air on their own, others don’t. During this time they were each able to share the parts that they knew and help each other to become fully versed in WMCB procedures. If you missed this session, don’t worry, they will be having another one on June 14th and Opeyemi will be sending out an email to current DJs soon.

Knowledge continued to be passed on the following day when volunteers from the Greenfield YMCA arrived at our studio for a camera training session with our station manager. In one hour they learned how to use our new HD field cameras, Manfrotto Tripods, and studio cameras. The YMCA is ramping up coverage of their many activities and now has regular timeslots for the shows they produce. Tune in to Cable Channel 15 on Mondays at 11AM and Wednesdays at 7PM, beginning May 24th, to see these great shows.

Lastly, we welcomed a new producer to our ranks this week. Hope Schneider, of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, was taught to edit her footage of this year’s Poet’s Seat Poetry Contest using Adobe Premiere on one of our PCs.

We’re very happy to fulfill our mission, to help expand Greenfield’s knowledge base, and this week was a wonderful example of what we (and you) can do.