Princeton Community TV Producers: Fund The Station

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton Community TV producers are appealing to officials to fund the local access station as the impasse over the station's funding continues. PCTV is valuable and offers the community local content they can't get elsewhere, one producer said.

Ritu Chopra, producer of PCTV's "Despite the Challenges," said in an open letter, below, to the mayor and council that without the station, many local stories would go unheard.

Her show "brings local talents who despite their impeding circumstances and challenges in life, have achieved successes and go out in the community to do good things," she said in the letter.

“Right now, our contract has not been renewed,” said George McCullough, executive director of PCTV, TownTopics reported. “We can’t come to any resolution. It’s about money.”

Princeton officials said they wanted PCTV to raise funding privately like other nonprofits, the report said.

See more on Patch:

• "A Fistful of Popcorn": Twenty Years, Four Hundred Shows
• Princeton Community TV to Host Screenings of First Videos by Two Local Non-Profits Through New Program
• Princeton Community TV Remembers Superstorm Sandy on Labor Day

One letter to the editor to Planet Princeton said the station provided content that helped her and her husband hone some of their skills. Princetonians are "so fortunate to have this vibrant organization," Sally Jenkins said.

Producer Ritu Chopra's letter is below:

Hon’ble Mayor and Members of the Council,

I am a Show Producer at Princeton Community TV titled ‘Despite the Challenges™’ since 2014.

Often, this show has rated among Top 10 most watched shows aired from PCTV. This show brings local talents who despite their impeding circumstances and challenges in life, have achieved successes and go out in the community to do good things. These stories hardly make it to major news media, however must be heard; not only to further empower these individuals but the inspiration they bring to those watch their stories.

‘Despite the Challenges™’ is one among many quality shows that my colleagues at PCTV produce to bring local stories and talents. Without this platform, these inspirational stories will remain unheard. (links to my Show and documentaries attached below)

In addition to the quality content production at PCTV unparalleled to any other community access network in the state of New Jersey, PCTV has extended its resources as a Community Partnership Program to produce Award Winning Documentaries on very important social issues. Needless to say, without these resources available to local producers, these achievements will not be possible.

We hope that Princeton will continue the support and funding for Community Television.

Sincerely,

Ritu Chopra