Neighbor Spotlight: Bethel Park TV producer helps keep municipality in front of the camera
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Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would like to nominate someone as a Neighbor Spotlight, see bethelparkjournal.com, select the “Post Story” button in the upper right corner and complete the form to publish your nomination. Questions? Email Neighborhood News Network editor Katie Green at kgreen@triblive.com.
Among the goals Dave Cable sets out to accomplish each day is to spread information and make Bethel Park residents and businesses look good.
He does both as the borough TV’s facility director, a job and sort of calling held for more than 20 years.
“Public access television, a lot of the stuff you’re doing is unscripted,” said Cable, 45, of Bethel Park. “We have local producers that come in with a concept of a show they want to do, a person, a place or thing they want to feature. We set up a schedule with them. We’re going to meet them and go out and tape with them.
“You have to do a lot of that kind of the stuff on the fly … I’m always thinking while the camera’s running. I’m listening to what they’re saying and thinking what we can do visually to help tell that story, to make sure that we have what we need to tell a worthwhile and entertaining and quality story through TV.”
BPTV showcases 40-60 different shows a month via Comcast channel 7 and Verizon channel 32.
It broadcasts government-related programming such as council and school board voting meetings and state-related content through Comcast 17 and Verizon 31.
BPTV content is also available through its YouTube channel. Its latest spotlight series hosted by Andy Amrhein features vendors from the Bethel Park Farmer’s Market.
“We try and make sure that we’re covering (the town) in a way that we are actually making interesting content,” Cable said. “We’re not just doing the bare minimum necessary to cover something … There really is a lot of community involvement with everything, which I think is part of why we’re as prolific as we are.”
Fortunately, Cable has help from about 10 volunteers including interns from Slippery Rock University, Waynesburg University and recent Pittsburgh Technical College graduate Anthony Veltri, 20, of South Hills.
“He actually told me a lot of things in terms of final cut, premiere and about the control room,” Veltri said. “The one true thing I love about this place is that he actually allowed me to have my own show.”
Veltri has been around for a little more than a year and runs BPTV’s live Tuesday night sports show called Pittsburgh Sportsline.
Growing up
Cable grew up in Brookline and graduated from Seton LaSalle Catholic High School in 1993.
Inspired by the “Star Wars” franchise, “The Shawshank Redemption” and other movies, he would go on to study film at the University of Pittsburgh and explore the city’s production possibilities.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t really have a solid idea of what I wanted to do in the future,” Cable said. “Film ended up being something I really gravitated toward. Movies had a really huge impact on me as a kid, and I just felt like I’d like to be able to make things that have that kind of impact on other people.”
Cable credited part-time professor Gary Hines with keeping up the enthusiasm as he learned the trade.
“He was very supportive and encouraging with the projects that I put together,” Cable said.
Among the class projects were “The Chase,” a short action piece filmed with friends in an alley in Dormont, and “The Bad Day,” a comedic effort about a man trying to walk down a street while shenanigans ensued. Cable graduated from Pitt in 1998.
The former TGI Friday’s busser took over as BPTV facility director in 1999 after having volunteered at the studio for a year.
“Nice upgrade and title for sure,” Cable said of his budding career. The previous director, Kevin Burke, had left for grad school at the University of Southern California.
Cable said he learned a lot of running the studio from Burke, and assisted his mentor with a short film in California featuring Corey Nemec of “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” fame.
“I can’t say that I developed the same philosophy as him, but just the idea of developing your own style and coming up with how you feel comfortable telling stories is something that he impressed (and) what he felt was important,” Cable said of Burke.
Cable sometimes gets help with shows from his brother and fellow resident, Bill.
Cable has two sons, Adam, 7, and Sam, 9. He and his wife, Nora, have been married for 11 years.
He developed his personal style through his side business called Toner Woods Production. He ran the small multi-media company with high school friends Gerry Tonti and Aaron Bernard. It was named after one of their childhood stomping grounds.
They built websites, did public service announcements, created an interactive DVD quiz show to take to area high schools to teach driver education through PennDOT and even produced a documentary on street performing in Pittsburgh called “On Every Corner.”
They were in production from 2004 to 2007.
BPTV Studio
BPTV was established in 1987. There have been four directors since its inception, including Cable.
He said the studio was actually a small converted conference room down the hall from its current location. Equipment was constantly moved from storage to the room.
The studio was moved three years ago to a former magistrate’s office. It also has a control room and other upgraded facilities.
“We have come a long way,” Cable said. “I think that’s been reflected in the kind of work that we’ve been doing.”
BPTV is funded through cable franchise fees. It costs a little more than $100,000 annually to run the studio.
BPTV supplemented the library and recreation department with online programming during the pandemic, since in-person events were canceled.
BPTV offers the opportunity to post not-for-profit notices on its community bulletin board, which airs on all of its channels between programs. Submissions are due 9 a.m. Tuesdays for the following week’s announcements.
Those interested in producing content can call 412-831-3304 or visit bethelpark.net for more information.