About NECAT

Mission

Nashville Education, Community, and Arts Television (NECAT) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission that is two-fold:

1. Expose middle TN viewers to arts and education programming created both locally and around the world. 
2. Teach individuals and organizations who wish to make TV shows how to do so, let them use our equipment and resources, then broadcast those shows for them.

Make TV

Take classes at NECAT to learn how to work in their TV studio. Learn about camera operation, audio engineering, lighting design, and more. 

Learn More About Classes

Watch TV

NECAT runs 3 public television channels that have served the community since the 1970s: 

• Music City Arts (our arts channel)
• iQtv (our education channel)
• Access Nashville (our community access channel).

All 3 channels are 24 hours a day and are broadcast on television via Comcast channels 9, 10, and 19 in Davidson County, via AT&T U-Verse channel 99 in 19 middle TN counties*, and live-streamed on the internet 24 hours/day.

Watch Online or Find a Program

History

NECAT was formed in 2010 after Metro government and the Metro Council combined Metropolitan Educational Access Corporation (MEAC) and Community Access Corporation (CAC). A consolidated Board of Directors was appointed to provide guidance and oversight for the network.

With a history of community access television reaching back 30 years, the NECAT Network is committed to improving the quantity and quality of its local programming across the board.

The staff and board of NECAT are also committed to more active outreach to the entire middle Tennessee community. NECAT will utilize a consolidated Web site, e-newsletter, open houses and other initiatives to engage residents in a dialogue about programming. Additionally, all board meetings are open to the public.

NECAT is partially funded by Comcast (through its franchise agreement with Metro Government). NECAT operations are supplemented by underwriters and sponsors, fees from producers, and contributions from our viewers. Your support allows us to make public access in Nashville great!

Nashville Education, Community and Arts Television is the not-for-profit organization that operates Music City Arts, iQtv, and Access Nashville on Comcast cable in Davidson County and AT&T U-verse channel 99 in 19 middle Tennessee counties.

These local stations bring the talent and knowledge of its residents to over 161,000 households in Davidson County and streams online. The more involved you are the better these stations will be. Please send us your programs, become a producer, volunteer your time, and support us financially, so we can make our channels great like our community.