Reflecting on a year of transition and uncertainty, Whitewater Community Television leaders say one thing remains clear: the station and its video production and broadcast services are still wanted and needed by the community. How to sustain funding for that work well into the future is still to be determined.
That was the question of the day at the station’s annual member meeting held Tuesday, Sept. 30, in Richmond. After abrupt changes in WCTV’s relationship with Indiana University East earlier this year, the station’s board and staff found themselves scrambling to reconfigure operations, finances and future plans. At one point it was unclear if the station would be able to continue operating at all.
A team of eight was reduced to just four right at a moment when a new Indiana law required area government entities to ramp up their broadcast and recording of public meetings beginning in July. The station has found ways to keep up and meet the needs of cities and towns hiring its video professionals, but those speaking at the annual meeting acknowledged it has been difficult.
“It has been a very long, very hard last year,” said Eric Marsh, WCTV executive director. He thanked the City of Richmond and Wayne County, along with the towns of Dublin and Fountain City, for continuing to purchase the station’s services as it explores additional funding models.
A fundraising telethon held in May raised about $15,000 in community donations to keep the station operating, according to board treasurer Misty Hollis. Hollis said that the organization was able to end its fiscal year in June with a smaller deficit than originally expected and it has a cash balance to help it weather short-term uncertainty. But, she said, the budget for 2026 is very tight, even assuming some contract proposals still awaiting commitment come through, and doesn’t fully reflect actual needs, including staffing.
Still, board chair Ken Paust said there is a lot of reason for hope and that the board remains thankful for the support that has come in. “We’re going to get there,” Paust said, citing opportunities ahead that would rebuild WCTV’s capacity not only for its traditional role covering community issues, events and meetings, but also providing additional services that benefit area students, businesses and non-profits. A strategic planning process is underway to evaluate and prioritize those opportunities.
Acknowledging the upheaval of the last year, Paust praised Marsh’s work and leadership, saying he’s been “the right person at the right time” for the station since Marsh’s hiring in 2009.
The full meeting, including a highlights video illustrating WCTV’s work, can be viewed on the station’s YouTube channel at youtu.be/71oFm0vKgSg.
For more information, visit wctv.info.
A version of this article appeared in the October 8 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.