May 2, 2023 By Michelle Balconi, Executive Director at Harbor Media
Hingham’s first of its kind reinbursement grant enhancing local television. Applications welcome and accepted May 1 thru June 30, 2023.
Harbor Media, Hingham’s hyperlocal community television provider, today announced the launch of the new Harbor Media Production Grant program (HMPG). This first of its kind reimbursement program in Hingham utilizes cable funding to incentivize the community to produce local programming by covering expenses. All who live, work and enjoy the town of Hingham are welcome to apply!
Each year, for five years, the HMPG committee will oversee one or more grant cycles disbursing up to (approximately) $67,000 total per year. The application for the first HMPG cycle opens May 1 through June 30, 2023 and is available at www.HarborMedia.org. Awardees for this initial grant cycle will be announced July 31, 2023.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Town of Hingham to offer residents funding for production expenses along with our existing audio-visual equipment and professional studio to produce their own television programming with this new grant fund,” said Margie Sullivan, president of Harbor Media’s board of directors. “Our team has served the community for more than 11 years and this adds a new dimension of support and commitment to hyperlocal TV, putting production funds directly in the hands of the community – all for the benefit of local viewers.”
This new grant program was formed in partnership with the Town of Hingham as part of a new five-year service contract with Harbor Media utilizing cable funds encouraging local video production with expense reimbursement for producers and their crew. The availability of these grant funds empowers those who live, work and enjoy Hingham to share their voice and vision from a Hingham perspective. Diverse audiovisual formats are encouraged including short form, episodic, feature length, fiction and documentary with resulting production aired on Harbor Media’s high definition Comcast 1072/Verizon 2131 channels.
In addition to grant funds, Harbor Media will also make available at no cost its high quality audio and video production equipment, staff support and the use of its professional studio with multiple set options and made for TV kitchen. These resources are currently available to all members of the public to create local television and HMPG applicants may also choose to use these production elements in order to submit lower-cost budgets.
Available on the Harbor Media website, the HMPG application is designed to be simple and user-friendly to encourage widespread participation. Applicants answer four questions directly on the website or via email: 1) video project description, 2) list of crew, 3) amount of production funds requested with a budget and 4) a production timeline keeping in mind all projects should be completed within 12 months. A three-person committee composed of Harbor Media executive director Michelle Balconi and Hingham residents Mary Ann Blackmur and Angie Woodin will review the applications and select grantees. Grant recipients should consult with their tax advisor on classification of grants as taxable income.
All HMPG materials are available on the Harbor Media website, with two online information sessions planned at 6 pm May 8th and 22nd and in-person questions answered at the upcoming TV studio (35 Pond Park Rd Suite 8, Hingham) open house Saturday, May 13th from 11 am to 1 pm. Interested applicants are encouraged to read the request for proposal along with the application details to learn more about distribution requirements and rights held by producers.
The new HMPG fund reflects Harbor Media’s ongoing mission to offer Hingham residents the best in hyperlocal public, education and government programming and professional production resources. Additional innovations provided to the community in the past three years include closed captioning, online real-time TV schedule with video on demand viewing and multi-device live streaming.
Please go to www.HarborMedia.org for details and to sign up for email updates, call 508-318-8694, or send an inquiry to michelleb@harbormedia.org for more information. About Harbor Media.