Hometown Video Awards

The Alliance for Community Media competition recognizes national programs that address community needs, develop diverse community involvement, challenge conventional commercial television formats, and move viewers to experience television in a different way.

Making A Difference - Youth

Broken Voices

Free Spirit Media

Hugo Awards for Excellence in Television
The Hugo Awards for Excellence in Television were presented by Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago Film Festival.

As Congress considers a major rewrite of telecommunications legislation, CAN TV examines what is at stake for local communities if the telephone industry is successful in eliminating local video franchising. The program describes how corporate influence on telecom laws will affect community television stations, municipalities, and consumers. The program was made possible by a grant from The Joyce Foundation.

Dissent is Not a Crime
Certificate of Merit, 2007

The documentary features interviews with Puerto Rican political prisoners Carlos Alberto Torres and Oscar Lopez Rivera, who advocated for Puerto Rican independence. Dissent features an interview with Chicago-based People's Law Office attorney Jan Susler, as well as video and audio interviews with the prisoners. The program was produced in collaboration with the National Boricua Human Rights Network.

Dissent is Not a Crime also won the Documentary Public Awareness Professional Award from the Alliance for Community Central States Region.

Publicity Club of Chicago
On May 6th, 2005, the Publicity Club of Chicago presented publicist Mary Rickard, in conjunction with CAN TV, the Publicity Club of Chicago’s Silver Trumpet Award for last year’s Funding Advocacy Campaign.

When the 2004 RCN funding default and bankruptcy occurred, revealing the weaknesses of Chicago’s cable access funding structure, an effective public relations strategy was needed immediately. CAN TV’s ensuing media campaign sought to raise and maintain public awareness of the funding crisis while a resolution was found.

CAN TV’s funding campaign involved an extensive public relations effort that adjusted focus to meet the challenges of an evolving issue. An impressive array of press coverage kept residents informed about CAN TV’s funding throughout the year. Media reports included close to 50 print placements, 9 editorials, TV news coverage, two TV features, and 20 radio placements. In addition, more than 25 CAN TV programs and announcements addressed the crisis.

The final consequence of this prolonged effort was a three-year funding solution for CAN TV. Comcast agreed to provide additional funding and RCN settled its obligation in one of the disputed cable areas. The City Council called for all of the parties to revisit and resolve the funding structure during that time.

Operation S.O.S Honors CAN TV for Haitian Programming
In 2007, charitable organization Operation S.O.S. recognized CAN TV "for exposing Haitian culture in a positive light and for keeping us connected through seven different programs in French adn Creole for the past fifteen years."

Midwest Association of Haitian American Women
The Midwest Association of Haitian American Women (MAHAW) recognized
CAN TV’s support and contribution to the Haitian American community in 2005 with an award of leadership and service. The Haitian community has a strong local television presence with five regular shows on CAN TV channels featuring Haitian culture and issues. Azaka Ajanaku, CAN TV board member and producer of Unity in Diversity-

C'est la Vie, is working with MAHAW on a series of programs dedicated to health
issues. A focus on breast cancer is of particular importance to the group, which has recently lost three of its members to the disease.

MAHAW President Monique Germain said, “CAN TV has given voice to many groups who otherwise would not have been heard. We want to thank you for creating this platform of discourse.”

Chicago International Television Awards
San Lucas Workers Center (SLWC) and CAN TV were recently awarded a 2005 Silver Plaque by the Chicago International Television Awards.

The winning video, entitled Working for Justice: Challenging the Abuses of Chicago’s Day Labor Industry, was selected for this honor in a competition filled with hundreds of entrants from around the world. The program examines the hazardous and unfair conditions faced by day laborers and documents the collective struggles of SLWC worker/members to defend their rights.

The project was made possible in part by a grant from the Crossroads Fund. Greg Boozell, Technology Director, coordinated the project for CAN TV.

Bridge to Work Award
from Abraham Lincoln Centre

Progress Through Partnership Award
from Anixter Center

Helen Cody Baker Award of Excellence
from Social Service Communicators

The Community Communications Award for Public Access
from the Alliance for Community Media

Sidney R. Yates Arts Advocacy Award from
the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation

The Brad Wojcoski Memorial Award
from Cable Positive

The Bernadine C. Washington Media Award
from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations

Certificate of Excellence for its commitment to Chicago’s ethnic communities
from Illinois Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas