About Greenbelt Access Television
Greenbelt Access Television, Inc. (GATE), is a non-profit organization chartered by the City of Greenbelt to bring public access to the Greenbelt area.
Mission
GATe's mission is to engage the community to actively participate in creative expression, sharing viewpoints and information through video by providing affordable access to equipment and training.
What We Do
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Provide non-commercial daily programming on our local Cable channels (Verizon Fios 19, Comcast 77), live-streaming on our website and shared on our Social Media platforms. Our programming is made from a combination of GATe original productions, member-submitted creations and affiliate productions.
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Give technical training in the use of video equipment and editing software, digital animation and stop-motion to children and adults
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Make production-quality camera equipment, studio space, editing software and knowledge resources accessible to members (Residents and Non-Residents) at an affordable price
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Sponsor and provide support for Utopia Film Festival
GATE’s History
In 1986, at the direction of the Greenbelt City Council, a charter was incorporated to establish Greenbelt Access Television as a non-profit, 501 C(3) corporation as an independent organization fostering public cable access, to enrich the cultural landscape by presenting, producing and enabling a wide array of quality contemporary art, performing arts, and community media programs. GATE would enable residents to become empowered through the dynamic medium of television and video.
In 1997, with the accumulated fees paid by Verizon and Comcast over the years, the Committee was able to hire Kjell Forsting, a pioneer for cable in his native Sweden. Mr. Forsting had the foresight to purchase a digital editing suite for the newly established GATe Studio in the renovated Community Center.
In 2005, GATE sponsored its first Utopia Film Festival, which continues every year due to the efforts of a volunteer committee. Each October, videos from around the world are screened in various venues around Greenbelt.
GATE has established its own designated channels on Comcast channel 77 and Verizon FiOS channel 19. Today, we keep Kjell Forsting's vision alive by maintaining the digital quality he saw as the future of video production.