Manhattan Neighborhood Network

MNN Studios on 59th Street

Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) is a non-profit organization that broadcasts programming on four public-access television cable TV stations in Manhattan, New York City. MNN operates two community media centers and provides education, facilities, and programs to community producers and organizations who want to create programming to air on one of MNN's four channels.

History

It has operated since 1992, and is currently funded by Time Warner Cable, Verizon and RCN Corporation in a franchise agreement with New York City. Its studios were initially in a rented facility on 23rd Street above ETC/Metro-Access Inc. Studios. It currently operates out of a studio it owns at 537 West 59th Street. In 2002 MNN had two satellite facilities: one on the Lower East Side, a partnership with the Downtown Community Television Center, one of the city's oldest community media centers; and another in East Harlem, a partnership with PRdream.com, also known as MediaNoche, the city's oldest new media gallery based in a community. The relationship with PRdream/MediaNoche ended in 2006. MNN reopened a smaller, temporary operation in an East Harlem, basement storefront on Lexington Avenue.

MNN instituted one of the first community media grant programs in the country, providing video equipment, staff and training for community groups in New York City. This program helped groups to document some of the most historically significant issues of the 1990s and 2000s, including AIDS activism, labor organizing, police brutality, community gardens, immigrants' rights and LGBT rights. From MNN's inception in 1996, it has aimed to serve as a public access station, as well an organizational hub for community media. In addition, MNN producers, staff and community groups led opposition to telecommunications corporations, who the group alleged to be circumventing mandated public obligations to give back to local communities where they run their cable and wires on public streets and land.

In 2012, MNN opened The MNN El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center in East Harlem. The El Barrio Firehouse is intergenerational community media center offering educational programs, community activities, and television production trainings in both English and Spanish. The Firehouse is also home to MNN's Youth Media Center, which offers education, internships and other opportunities to low-income youth age 15-24.

Many MNN programs gained fame by being the subjects of phony phone calls by Richard Christy and Sal Governale from The Howard Stern Show.

Yoga Xpress

On 21 December 2010, Top Gear host James May appeared as a guest host in MNN's Yoga Xpress programme after winning a challenge to find the television station before his fellow co-hosts.

Chris Gethard

Comedian Chris Gethard broadcasts The Chris Gethard Show out of MNN's 59th St. Studios. On the evening before Thanksgiving he hosts Sandwich Night, and in 2012, he provided 12 hours of election day coverage live from MNN's studios.

See also

• Public-access television
• Culture of New York City

Producers

• Anika and Jabari Osaze
• Harold Channer
• DJTR Media & Production Co.
• Vaughn Oliver
• Isadar
• Richard Concepcion
• Doby Daenger
• Barbara Rosenfeld
• Mary Beth Coudal
• Chris Gethard

External links

• Manhattan Neighborhood Network