By Tope Amos

Approximately seven years ago, Wendy Fleet walked into the KMVT 15 (Mountain View’s Community Television Channel) studio to learn about “making television.” Today, she has produced over 50 shows in the facility without spending a red cent and is employed by KMVT to train others to do the same.

Anyone over 11-years-old is welcome to learn the basics of studio production and editing, and for the past three years, Los Altos residents have been able to watch their shows on cable channel 26 courtesy of KMVT.

According to Fleet, community access television is “the freest place for expression on the planet. It’s extraordinary.”

Once a person has taken the five session introductory course and a class on production, he or she has the tools to create a show. People even as young as 14 have seized the opportunity.

While a foray into the world of broadcasting may seem daunting, Fleet assures the programs are not “geek-oriented,” but are geared toward “real people off the street.”

Doug Broomfield, general manager, said the point of KMVT’s work is to let people tell their stories and to help bring communities together. “That’s the thing,” Fleet said, “(Within a crew, there’s an) amazing mix with every race, every kind of person … The future of a cooperative community is happening here.”

There are myriad paths to take at KMVT and creating a show is only one option. In fact, Fleet estimates only one in four people choose to do this, probably due to time constraints; a 30-minute show that films a new episode each month in the studio takes about 10 to 15 hours a month to create. Most people use their skills to volunteer with the crew of an existing show or assist with coverage of a community event, which allows for a flexible schedule.

Every year KMVT receives approximately 10,000 total hours of work from its volunteers.

Another incentive to volunteer is the reduction of user fees. It is KMVT’s policy to allow people to pay for classes and studio access by volunteering, making it possible for Fleet and other patrons to become fully adept in the field of television for free.

Even without these discounts, the fees at KMVT are kept to a minimum. The studio is a non-profit organization and relies on these fees to fill the gap between city funding, contracts and donations. The introductory class costs $40 for Mountain View residents and $45 for nonresidents and is the most expensive class.

KMVT offers its services to people “who simply want to learn how to tell a story better,” Broomfield said. Classes are available to teach people how to use home equipment more effectively and professionally, such as camcorders and digital cameras. Since KMVT has found many individuals who can provide their own equipment and editing technology, the station’s resources can be reserved independently to cater to each individual’s needs.

KMVT manages the community access channels for Mountain View, Los Altos and most recently, Cupertino. Over a dozen shows are tied to Los Altos residents and are aired in one or more of these cities. Los Altos’ programming spans a vast range because it represents interests of the community and includes shows such as “Education Today,” which deals with issues facing Los Altos schools, and “Suzanne’s Studio,” which recognizes local creative talents, both of which are produced by Los Altos residents. When these programs are not on the air, a community bulletin board fills the remaining time slots. Non-profit and community organizations are encouraged to utilize this service.

The studio moved into a new facility earlier this year, equipped with the latest technologies. KMVT has received the national award in “Overall Excellence” for three of the last six years, along with numerous accolades for every facet of their work.

KMVT 15 is located at 1400 Terra Bella Ave., Suite M. For more information including programming and class schedules, visit www.kmvt15.org, or call 968-1540.