Mission

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Our mission is to empower the local community, through media education and technology, to become civically engaged, express ideas, and advocate for causes.

About

High Five Access Media is a nonprofit, noncommercial, grassroots community organization. We achieve our mission by providing the community coverage of Local Government meetings, free access to Media Education, Facilities and Gear, television and internet distribution, low-cost production services, and unique productions.

HFAM is available on Comcast Channel 5 in the upper Eagle Valley. But we’re more than just a television station. If you cut the cord, subscribe to satellite TV, or live down valley, HFAM programming is simulcast at Live on Five and available anytime, on demand.

We are primarily funded by franchise fees provided to the towns of Vail and Avon from Comcast. The towns hold franchise agreements with Comcast. These agreements allow the cable operator to distribute their programming on cables in public-owned rights of way and make a profit. In return for using these right of ways, Comcast pays the towns a portion of their profits to the towns, which approve funding for HFAM. The franchise agreements may be found on the Vail and Avon websites. We also receive funding through grants, donations, underwriting, and production services. If you're interested supporting HFAM, consider making a donation, underwriting a program or get involved.

Thank you to our major funders!

 

History

Public access television sprouted in Vail during the 1970s, when tenacious residents began a quest to push local officials and the cable company to create a channel on cable television for locals to express their ideas, and talk about issues important to the community.

Vail Valley Community Television began cablecasting on Channel 5 in 1983 from a studio in the old Town of Vail public works shop. With a couple 3/4-inch studio cameras, a field camera and some editing equipment, several residents hopped on board the electronic soapbox and public access television was born in Vail.

The station offered the first opportunity for average citizens to produce their own television programs, while the cable channel ensured they could effectively communicate with the community.

Our first program was News Vail, an hour-long, weekly show that offered insight into issues affecting the valley. The station provided video training for dozens of local residents, who pitched in to produce the program. Many of these community producers went on to careers in media. In 1985, Vail Valley Community Television was incorporated as a nonprofit organization.

Over the years, Channel 5 has offered video production workshops, whose participants, along with staff, went on to create several local-centric programs, including Reading of the Vail Daily with Josh Hall, Altitude Sickness, Mountain Valley Magazine and The Community Project. In the 90's Vail Valley Community Television began its coverage of Vail Town Council meetings, an effort that has grown to include the Town of Avon and several other government entities.

Learn about the history of public access television in the United States on Wikipedia.