MARLBOROUGH – Ryan Malyar wants to spread the word about WMCT-TV.
New programs. New initiatives. New ways to reach out.
On a cold weekday afternoon, Malyar, the cable studio’s executive director, conducted a tour of the studio space on Main Street.
Next to the control room, the main studio area is divided into two stages. One is a standard set for programming; the other is for recording podcasts.
The difference? Where the standard set records audio with a boom or clip-on microphones, the podcast stage uses two large mics.
“The audio is beautiful, NPR quality,” said Malyar of the podcast mics.
WMCT features several podcasts, including “Marlborough Minute,” featuring local residents and organizations; WMCT sports podcasts; and “In Their Shoes,” which explores housing, homelessness and food insecurity.
According to Malyar, the advantages of podcasts include wide distribution.
“The world is the limit,” he said, adding that the sports podcasts are distributed to Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music, among other outlets.
In the case of “In Their Shoes,” the program’s co-host appears remotely from the Netherlands, said Malyar.
There is no charge for making and distributing the podcasts – same as regular cable programming.
The podcasts are also under the same rules – nothing libelous or slanderous, and no turning the program into a commercial.
What else is on the air
WMCT-TV produces a variety of different programs, from real estate and sports to cooking and “Downtown with Teona Brown.”
“We’re always here to support endeavors,” said Malyar.
One such program is “Chamber Spotlight,” a showcase for local businesses that are members of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“The ‘Chamber Spotlight’ program has been great for our chamber members because it gives each business person that participates an opportunity to show other members and people in our community who they really are and what their businesses are all about in an eight- to 12-minute video segment,” said Steve Messineo, the chamber’s former president and CEO.
Once recorded, the studio will edit the video, post to the WMCT-TV website and YouTube, then will share the video with the chamber.
Messineo said the video is then shared with participating members for their own use; it’s also posted to the chamber website, email and social media channels.
“Video production and marketing exposure like this normally would cost a business over $1,000. We’re able to provide all of it for $125, and for free with some of our higher-level membership options,” he said.
Recently, WMCT-TV began “Marlborough Junior Reporters,” where middle school students conduct interviews.
“They are fabulous,” said Malyar. “They are eight fantastic, inquisitive students. They have so much professionalism.”
The students – from Whitcomb Middle School and Advance Math and Science Academy – learn not only the ins and outs of producing a cable program, but they hone their research and communications skills as well.
“They are empowered,” said Malyar.
WMCT-TV may be accessed via Comcast (channels 8, 9, 22), Verizon (channels 33, 34, 35), high definition (2134) and its website, www.wmct-tv.com.
For information on programs, email Malyar at [email protected], or Assistant Executive Director Mike Lawton, [email protected].
