White Plains”™ cable TV, video production and public access operations have returned to the place where they began decades ago in a makeshift studio, but this time they have a newly renovated studio space. The new TV studio is part of just under $1 million in capital projects recently completed at the city’s public library on Martine Avenue.
White Plains Mayor Tom Roach joined with cable TV staff and others to cut a ribbon formally opening the studio.
After having started with the arrival of the United Artists cable TV service in the city, forerunner to Cablevision and Altice, and gaining prominence with its first telecast of a Common Council meeting in February 1988, the city”™s cable TV commission in 1992 moved its headquarters into a custom facility at 4 Martine Ave. that former Mayor Alfred DelVecchio at the time had convinced developer Robert Martin Co. to essentially donate for city use.
The studio and editing rooms were so professional looking and well-equipped that when the TV series “Law & Order” needed to shoot scenes set in a TV station it used the White Plains cable studio.
Now known as White Plains Community Media, the city”™s television operation has moved into the renovated library auditorium, which the city describes as having been “configured to allow it to still serve as an auditorium while also being a complete studio for community media productions.”
In another library project, the second floor gallery as well as two meeting rooms underwent improvements. The gallery received new lighting, a new ceiling, and restored wall coverings. A kitchen was renovated and a new ADA compliant bathroom was built as were offices for the community media staff.
The city said that the move back to studio facilities in the library “will allow for greater collaboration between community media and the library in generating and capturing content, supporting citizens in learning to direct and edit video, and more.”
The combined projects came in under the $1 million that had been budgeted, with $190,000 coming from bonds issued by the city, while the rest of the money coming from the White Plains Library Foundation, a New York State Construction Grant and other sources.
