Support Open Media Foundation and its project, Denver Open Media (DOM), so we can put the power of media and technology in the hands of the people in order to enable every person to actively engage their community and bring about the change they wish to see in the world.
OFFERING TOOLS AND EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY
"There are a lot of things that are not heard in the corporate mainstream media that can have an airing through people in the community creating their own media and covering issues that aren't getting covered." - Michelle Swenson (DOM Member)
"There's such a large amount of equipment. It's much more affordable to become a member and to utilize that equipment as opposed to buying it on your own." - DOM member
"This is an open door for people to get jobs, skills, to do something creative. You never know where it's going to take you. I've never been to another city that has something like this." - DOM member
"My friends in other cities are very creative and have great ideas but without access, and without equipment, it's really hard to make stuff. I feel very fortunate to be here. There really is no other place like Denver Open Media." - DOM member
ENSURING GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY
"Open Media Project provides a practical tool that anyone can use on a day to day basis so that they become more aware of what's happening around them in their local government. That creates an equal playing field for all of us." - Marpessa Allen (Account Executive Open Media Project for Government)
COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR NONPROFITS (50% grant)
"For a small nonprofit, we are often priced out of sophisticated communication services. The website OMF built put us, organizationally, in a new place in CO. It helped to amplify our web presence and credibility as an organization." - Lindsey Hodel (OMF nonprofit web client)
Open Media Foundation exists to put the power of media and technology in the hands of the people in order to enable every person to actively engage their community and bring about the change they wish to see in the world.
Open Media Foundation, formerly Deproduction: The [denverevolution] Production Group, began as an independent arts and progressive events calendar (www.denverevolution.org). The founding members of [denverevolution] came together around the common belief that the influence of mainstream media on our communities was the single biggest hurdle to achieving positive social change. The founding members wanted to find a way to counteract the pressure on individuals to isolate themselves, become apathetic towards their communities, and to allow their primary contact with society to be limited to a profit-motivated media system.
At the end of 2003, Kevin Price joined Tony Shawcross to focus full-time on Deproduction. In the spring of 2004, with an increased focus on our educational programs, Deproduction began a series of workshops and classes and moved its offices to Denver's PS1 Charter School -- officially becoming a 501(C)(3) in 2004.
In September 2005, after years of failed attempts to make Public Access TV in Denver self-sustaining, the Denver City Council shut down Denver's Public Access Station and issued an RFP for organizations to re-launch Public Access TV in Denver under a new model that could sustain itself without the significant general-operating support usually provided by the city through Cable Franchise and PEG fees they traditionally have passed on to the Public Access Provider.
Deproduction responded with a model that would extend its user-driven, constituent-led business model to a new level, putting the community in the driver's seat. Developing interactive website technologies and voter-driven programming models, Deproduction has taken television media to a new level.
In 2008, Deproduction and Civic Pixel merged to form what became in 2009, Open Media Foundation. Together with the Colorado State House of Representatives, Open Media began streaming and archiving meetings of the Colorado House of Representatives on Comcast 165 and online at ColoradoChannel.net
Soon, this tool was offered to other state and local governments nationwide to ensure local government meetings are broadcast to the public, transcribed, translated, and searchable. We believe that providing transparency and access to decisions our local representatives are making will engage the community in creating social change and public policy. over 50 governments are now using our service to stream and archive video of their proceedings.
In 2018, Open Media Career Engine was born. Did you know newsroom employees are nearly 40% less racially diverse than the general US workforce? We are partnering with local media organizations to match them with diverse applicants, and supporting them with needed trainings and professional development opportunities.
In 2018 the City of Denver shifted Public Access TV to an internal city project, causing Denver Open Media to shift to FM Radio with a radio station 100% dedicated to local music, local podcasts, and other local content creators. Denver Open Media 92.9FM and 89.3HD3 ran from 2018 to 2024, but was slated to be shut down by early 2024.
Currently, Open Media Focuses on 3 major initiatives:
1. Government Transparency
2. Nonprofit Communications Services
3. Diversifying Media & Journalism workforce through our Open Media Career Engine Hiring Service.
Organization name
Open Media Foundation
other names
OMF, Denver Open Media, Deproduction, Civic Pixel
2004
Tax id (EIN)
06-1727461
Category
Public & Societal Benefit
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
700 Kalamath St. Suite 100Denver County, CO, US