CCTV was founded in 1984 by Lauren-Glenn Davitian and Nat Ayer to establish the region’s first public access cable TV channel for local stories and community voices to be heard. A grassroots effort led by local advocates and media enthusiasts, public access TV sprang from the belief that people could use video to connect with one another and build community. 

This new public medium and optimism was one of many exciting initiatives that emerged during an era of progressive change that brought Bernie Sanders to office as Burlington’s mayor and created many community institutions that we rely upon today.

Program: Burlington Aldermen weigh in on the value of the newly formed CCTV in 1985.

In the 1980’s, CCTV provided an alternative to broadcast and cable TV’s corporate diet of news, information, and entertainment. Programs about everyday people, local government, new planning initiatives, neighborhood happenings and the first recordings of the Burlington Board of Aldermen meetings premiered at that time on Channel 15. 

CCTV aired its first in-depth legislative coverage in 1987. Founder Nat Ayer commented: “I don’t think anything on television is like this. We’ll go as a citizen, not the press. We’ll just go in with a camera and say ‘What’s going on down here?’ We’re not after Nielsen ratings but we do think this information should be available.”

Program: "Does the Media Lie? Find Out" – a forum in Contois Auditorium featuring Mayor Sanders, U.S. Rep. Jim Jeffords, and others in 1985.

While Lauren-Glenn often stood on camera as the outspoken advocate, CCTV co-founder Nat Ayer was typically found behind the camera. Nat was obsessed with documenting Burlington’s vibrant and diverse community life on film. He filmed political demonstrations and press conferences, concerts, quilt festivals, city council meetings, match box races, jugglers and children - clipping it all together for a weekly program called “Burlington, This is YOU!”. Nat edited from one VHS deck to another and penned show titles by hand, indexing and cataloging every recording in dozens of spiral notebooks, all of which are still housed in CCTV’s Archives.