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Wainscott Committee Honors LTV Studios Director

Thu, 11/07/2024 - 12:18
Michael Clark, center, the director of LTV Studios, was honored by the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee on Saturday.
Jack Motz

Michael Clark, the executive director of LTV Studios, was honored with a Recognition Award at a Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee meeting on Saturday after being invited as a guest speaker.

"You exist in your own separate category of for the people, by the people," Carolyn Logan Gluck, the committee's chairwoman, said before presenting the award.

Speaking to the group, Mr. Clark discussed some present and future goals for LTV, including a local news show devoid of opinion, the promotion of local artists, and an intern program, along with the barriers faced by the studio: funding, declining subscribers, and the closing of public access channels around the country.

LTV, now in its 40th year, does more "broadcasting and filming of studio shows" than any other nonprofit on Long Island, Mr. Clark said, before touching on the studio's financial concerns. "Money — just like any other not-for-profit — is always a big thing for us," he said. Within the local entertainment space, LTV is continually attempting to figure out where it fits by trying new things and seeing what works.

"We're not trying to be the next Guild Hall, we're not trying to be the next Bay Street," he added. "We've already got that." Instead, LTV hopes to be "a little more community-organized in terms of what it is we do."

Despite nationwide cuts in funding, a question from Anthony Liberatore, a member of the C.A.C., about revenue from streaming services prompted some optimism from Mr. Clark.

"They're trying to get it so the streaming services have to do the same thing that the cable companies have to do," Mr. Clark said, alluding to paying East Hampton Town certain fees for using local poles. "So then, we would get a cut of that money, which would be huge for us, huge for the whole country."

A member of the audience asked about expanding coverage to include C.A.C. meetings. Mr. Clark said LTV is "more than willing to talk to people about that," adding that the Wainscott Chapel "would be a really cool room to film in."

 

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