Our History


We are what is recognized nationally as a PEG center or Public, Education and Government Channel. There are approximately 2,000 centers across the country that are the result of local governments requiring cable companies to assign a small portion of their channel capacity to represent local communities' interests and desires in exchange for the use of the public's right of ways.

This important telecommunication resource is then administered for the public, local service organizations and non-profit institutions by a non-profit Board of Directors representing the community. The media center allows local channels and the public to share resources and provide affordable access to broadcast local television.

Channel 19 - Carroll's public access channel-started in 1989 first in a small studio in a bank building on Main Street. Then it moved to the basement of the Community College beneath a gym and weight room-not an ideal location for recording or working.

In 2003, the CMC incorporated as a non-profit organization and came out from under the County. A founding governing board raised the funds and produced a plan to build the new 6,000 square foot media center.

In 2004, the CMC took a major stride with the completion of the new facility on Washington Road across the parking lot from the Carroll County Career and Technology Center (C&T). The media center partners with C&T in job shadowing and community project internship programs.

In September 2007, the Board of Directors began developing a new Strategic Plan for the CMC. This process will look forward and plan ways to insure not just the continued viability of local community connections but for innovative ways to provide for robust programming content across multiple delivery systems such as the web.