1. History

2. Programming
    Notable guests  Controversial program 

3. References

4. External links

TV3, owned and operated by Medford Community Cablevision, Inc. is Medford, Massachusetts' Public-access television station. It was created by mandate of the 1984 Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act. The station's current facilities are located at 5 High Street, under then-U.S. Representative (and present-day United States Senator) Ed Markey's office in Medford Square. Medford Community Cablevision serves the City of Medford, Massachusetts and oversees the community's public access television on Comcast channel 3. Medford Community Cablevision functions as both a production facility as well as a telecast station.^[1] In 2010 the station unveiled new services to the community including video on-demand and 24/7 streaming video services on its website.{{cn|date=July 2016}}

Medford Community Cablevision has been internationally recognized by the Alliance for Community Media in 2008 and 2011 for "Overall Excellence in Public Television"; the highest award presented to a public access facility.^[2] In June 2011, the station announced Medford Cable News, the city's first non-profit broadcast news station.

History

TV3 is an independent corporation contracted by the city to provide public cable access. It is funded with 1% of Comcast's Medford revenue. Community Cablevision, Inc. is run by a thirteen seat Board of Directors of whom four are elected by the station's paid membership, one is appointed by the Mayor, and the other seven are appointed by existing board members. Some board members serve for many years.^[3] The station was founded in 1984.^[3]

In the 2000s, the City was roiled by controversy in which critics accused the station of being controlled by a small cabal of insiders.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} In 2008, the station's General Manager Dawn Natalia resigned.^[9] In 2009, an investigating commission found that the station had produced 13 films starring board members while neglecting to broadcast a popular local parade, and recommended that the chairman of the station's board be replaced and that the station reform its finances and management; however, the commission, presided over by a retired judge, was not empowered to make legally binding rulings.^[10]

Programming

Over the decades, TV3 Medford has had a wide variety of programming. Genres include game show, movie review, talk radio, entertainment, music, religion, finance, and politics. In 2010, the station added new multi-language programming in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Russian.

From 2009 to 2011, TV3 Medford featured a children's television block that ran weekdays and weekends from 7 am to 10 am. The children's programming spanned a wide variety of genres, and included reruns of the popular Canadian program Under The Umbrella Tree.

The 2007 program Energy Smackdown, was a reality game show in which three Medford families competed to reduce home energy use.^[11][12]

The station has also been noted for airing syndicated programs such as Hot & Cold, Saturday Fright Special,^[13][14] and syndicated programs created by Robert Greenwald.

Notable guests

TV3 has seen many notable guests and hosts over recent years including musicians, sports people, hosts, and radio personalities. In 2010, the original program Inside The Music, produced by saxophonist Deric Dyer, featured musician and former SNL singer Christine Ohlman.^[15] Deric Dyer has been associated with Tina Turner and Joe Cocker for more than two decades.

Long-running controversial late-night show, Zapp TV, was first broadcast live on 40 Canal Street in Medford.^[16] Since then, the show has tackled many local and mainstream topics.^[17] Other notable guests included politician Joseph L. Kennedy.^[18]

The third sports program to ever air on TV3, Real Grass Real Heroes, hosted by sports writer and television announcer Jim Tuberosa,^[19] features sports figures and sports writers from many generations. In 2010, the program welcomed WBZ-TV sportscaster Bob Lobel, long-time sports announcer and former 1960s Baltimore Colts executive, Upton Bell, pro ice hockey player Rick Middleton, and world welterweight boxing champion Tony DeMarco.{{cn|date=July 2016}}

Controversial program

On April 8, 2010, the one-run program Dirty Talk Live: Sex Advice, and Naughty Stories aired on TV3 at 8:00 pm and sparked controversy among residents, politicians, and local media. The program was a live call-in format featuring a sex therapist, a panel of young adults, and a dominatrix. The program was uncensored and unedited which led to TV3 being called out for lewdness.^[20] On the screen, there was a still image of two “scantily clad” women kissing. In the corner of the screen, “they had a picture of a squirrel standing erect with a part of the male anatomy sticking out"; audio of two women discussing sexual matters played over the image on the screen.^[21]

Medford Council President Robert Maiocco claimed “It was flat-out pornographic. This wasn’t just regular locker room talk, it was obscene. It’s what even the Supreme Court has ruled as being pornographic.”.^[20] Councilor Robert Penta in a rage shouted over a City Council Meeting to the TV3 management that “you are sick to allow that to be broadcast over Channel 3." TV3's Director of Operations Daniel Sarno defended the content of the program, telling Fox News "anything that is protected under the First Amendment is fair game on public access television".^[22]

The controversial media attention lasted approximately one week and at the end of its stint, "Dirty Talk" and TV3 made top story on CBS affiliate WBZ-TV, NBC affiliate WHDH-TV, and Fox News affiliate WFXT. The station's president Frank Pilleri also appeared on WBZ (AM)'s radio program "Nightside with Dan Rea.

References

External links

• TV3 official website

• William Wellman, Jr.
• William Wells (1908-1990)
• William Wells Bomar
• William Wells (boxer)
• William Wells (British politician)
• William Wells (whaling master)
• William Welsh (footballer)
• William Wendell Gilman III
• William Wenman
• William Wentworth-FitzWilliam
• William Wentworth FitzWilliam Dick
• William Wentworth FitzWilliam Hume
• William Wentworth-FitzWilliam, Viscount Milton
• William Wesley Neighbors
• William West (1612-1670)
• William Westbrooke Richardson
• William West (died 1670)
• William Westley Guth
• William Weston, Billiard champion
• William Weston (billiards)
• William Weston (c. 1546-1594)
• William Weston Elwes
• William Weston (footballer)
• William Weston I
• William Weston II