The Downtown Community Television Center or DCTV is a community media center located in the former Engine Company 31 firehouse in Manhattan's Civic Center on Lafayette Street. It was founded in 1972 by spouses documentary film director Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno.

Mission

According to their website, DCTV "introduc[es] members of the community to the basics of electronic media through hundreds of free or low-cost production courses and access to broadcast-quality production equipment." DCTV conducts classes enabling people from less privileged backgrounds to learn to create video productions and operates studios available to them for low cost. These programs are funded in part by earnings from DCTV's own documentary films which have won 16 national Emmy awards and many other honors.

Facilities

DCTV is based in Firehouse, Engine Company 31, a landmarked firehouse at 87 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, constructed in 1895 and purchased by DCTV in the 1980s.

Programs

Pro-TV (Professional Youth Media Training) is a program designed to train students from New York City's underprivileged communities in media arts, using state-of-the-art equipment.

Films

DCTV's productions Include: