LUDLOW, Vt. – Okemo Valley TV is kicking off its 25th anniversary by expanding its services and renovating its building. The long-awaited work is now underway in its facility in the Ludlow Community Center complex, where the community TV station has been based for over a decade. The renovations are allowing for the expansion of its services, to include the new community radio station, WLUD, while also providing much-needed partitioning to create new spaces. The new rooms will be used for media editing and sound recording, where users of the facility will be able to better concentrate on their work. The addition of walls, ceilings, and flooring is also helping with energy efficiency improvements.
When the station began in 2001 – then known as LPCTV – it was based in the Ludlow Elementary School building, where it operated for its first 10 years. Then, when the Town of Ludlow purchased the former National Guard Armory property in 2010, the community TV station was selected as one of the two nonprofits to occupy the old “tank barn,” along with Black River Good Neighbor Services. This opportunity afforded the station ample space, along with a wide-open floor plan to build out to its specific needs. However, as executive director Patrick Cody explains, “As a small nonprofit, there are budget constraints, so things have taken time to build it out.” For Okemo Valley TV, this has meant that the renovations had to be broken down into small, more manageable phases. Over the years, this phased, piecemeal approach has led to the completion of the TV studio, a conference room and classroom, and control rooms. “Along the way, it’s taken some persistence and lots of planning. Careful budgeting and fundraising have been key components,” Cody said.
Fundraising on this phase of renovations has included grants from the Vermont Arts Council, the Marro Trust, The Windham Foundation, and Vermont Mutual Insurance Charitable Giving. The station is also seeking charitable donations from local community members who can help support this effort. To date, $70,000 of the $90,000 needed is in place. More information about this project and the fundraising effort is available on the station’s website at www.okemovalley.tv/facility-improvements.
The work that is now underway puts nearly all of the finishing touches into place. The highlight is the broadcast and control room for the brand-new community radio station WLUD, for which Okemo Valley TV was awarded a license from the FCC, and which will be launched on 93.3 FM in March 2027, with online streaming beginning sooner. The addition of radio allows the organization to expand on the media platforms on which it can share community-based programming.
Cody estimates that when the current renovation is finished, the build-out of the facility will be “90% complete.” The current timeline is for the work to be completed by the first week of April. “After that point, we will install carpeting where there is now just a concrete slab, which will make the place more inviting, accommodating, and comfortable. And then we’ll have some volunteer workdays to paint the new walls,” said Cody. The expected reopening will be during the week of April 19, after which time Okemo Valley TV and WLUD will host an open house. The remaining 10% of the build-out is tentatively scheduled for late 2026. That work will include upgrades to its HVAC and mechanical system, and additional improvements to energy efficiency.