What is the relationship between Deproduction and Denver Open Media?

Deproduction is a NonProfit Corporation specializing in social-interest video production and progressive media training (the history of that organization --and its predecessor, denverevolution-- can be seen here). In late 2005, Deproduction developed a proposal for re-inventing public access TV in Denver. The proposal hinged on a new approach to Public Access TV: a station almost entirely run by the community. In choosing a name for the new station, we decided against calling it "Deproduction" and instead opted for a new name with no history or pre-exisiting hierarchy: a new entity that could be "owned" by the community who would be running it.

Denver's previous Public Access station had experienced problems with their diverse group of producers presenting themselves as official representatives of that organization. In the community and on the air, they separated themselves from the producers and discouraged the sense of the community ownership of the station. At Deproduction, we set out to form a more open and inclusive entity that could welcome the kind of identification and ownership that the community seemed to desire.

The board, staff, and advisors of Deproduction came up with the name Denver Open Media, and encouraged the community to take-on a sense of collaborative ownership of the station. Members are encouraged to utilize the station as if it were their own company in order to bolster their ability to participate in the media dialogue. Denver Open Media members can print D.O.M. business cards, use D.O.M. letterhead, and create their own official titles as genuine representatives of the organization.