NBCT Announces New Name, Identity, and Digital Platform

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—Northern Berkshire Community Television Corporation (NBCTC), an independent public, educational, and government (PEG) community media nonprofit, announced an organizational transformation, including a new name, rebrand, modernized website, and upgraded content distribution infrastructure.
 
Effective immediately, NBCTC will operate as Gateway Collaborative Media (GCM) in alignment with the organization's evolving mission, expanded services, and emergence as a resourceful community partner, stated a press release.
 
While it will continue to provide three channels of television programming to Clarksburg, North Adams, Adams, and Cheshire cable subscribers—a viewership that has sustained the organization for thirty years—GCM is expanding its reach by piloting synergistic initiatives and offering regional membership tiers intended to serve all residents of the northern Berkshires.
 
Alongside the name change, GCM has unveiled a new logo as well as a fully redesigned web platform, both created by Stockbridge-based design and digital marketing firm Gemini Creative, that reflects an evolving demographic, economic, and technological landscape. As audiences increasingly produce and consume content across digital channels, gatewaymedia.org positions the organization as a relevant community resource. 
 
By transitioning away from traditional PEG terminology and toward "community," "odyssey," and "civic" media, the website reinforces GCM's role as a dynamic and inclusive media hub built upon communication, participation, and connection, continued a press release.
 
"We're carving a future for Gateway Collaborative Media by making our programs and services as accessible as possible," said Bill Wilson, president of GCM's board of directors. "We want our neighbors to engage with us so that they can engage with each other."
 
The revamped website features two new yet important capabilities: online streaming and an up-to-date, searchable program archive. These functions were made possible in part by a major server upgrade that significantly expanded the organization's digital infrastructure. The new system allows GCM to begin offering video-on-demand programming and livestreaming through gatewaymedia.org, making local content readily available.
 
Additionally, a custom app—under development by Tightrope Media Systems, GCM's longtime media technology supplier—will be launched this summer. The app can be downloaded to any smart device, including televisions, tablets, computers, and phones, providing even more ways for audiences to watch local programming and engage with community-produced content.
 
 Visit Gateway Collaborative Media online or in person at 69 Union Street in North Adams for more information about these and other services.
 
 
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North Adams Police Block Houghton Street for Crisis Intervention

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Houghton was blocked off between North and School streets, frustrating neighbors trying to get home. 

Update: Early this morning, the Police Department posted that the situation "has been resolved" and the road reopened. Officers may still be in the area to complete their investigation.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The upper section of Houghton Street was blocked off for hours on Wednesday night as authorities sought to deal with an individual reportedly having a mental health issue. 

 
In a Facebook post, police described it as a "critical incident" unfolding in the area and alerted people to avoid the upper Houghton "and allow first responders the space they need to safely manage the situation."
 
It started at about 9 p.m., said Police Chief Mark Bailey, speaking at about 12:30 a.m. He said no neighbors were evacuated and that mediators had been conversing with the individual. He declined to go into detail. 
 
He said further information would be provided either through him or through the mayor's office later in the morning. 
 
Members of the Berkshire County Special Response Team, including officers from Lenox and Pittsfield, were staged along the top of Brooklyn Street and Houghton was closed between School Street and North Street. 
 
Two ambulances were staged at the intersection with Brooklyn and Houghton, though one left before midnight. State Police stepped in to help patrol the city. 
 
Drones could be seen hovering over; Bailey said, "everything in the sky is ours at this time." 
 
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