Awards and Recognitions:

SCAT's programs have been recognized consistently for excellence with awards from the Hometown USA Video Festival, the Massachusetts Community Television Contest, the New England Film & Video Festival, Women in the Director's Chair, and the National Organization on Disability.

USA Today cited our "responsible, beneficial programs," and the Boston Globe called us "Somerville's public access gem."

In 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 SCAT won the prestigious International Alliance for Community Media Award for Overall Excellence. The judges commended SCAT for “reflecting the public voice from many perspectives.” They commented that, “SCAT is really involved in its community, and clearly, the community is involved in SCAT. SCAT provides an incredible service to its community.” SCAT won Hometown Awards from the Alliance for Community Media in four categories on July 6, 2007 at Fanueil Hall: "Overall Excellence for 2006," "Empowerment" for a program by the SAYMedia! teens,"Children's Programming" for JoJo's Dreamcart by JoJo LaRiccia, and "Access Center Promo" for a PSA created by Christian Montenegro.

In 2003, SAY Media!, SCAT's After-school Multimedia Club was selected by the Massachusetts Cultural Council as one of just eighteen Massachusetts "Gold Star" projects: a program which fosters collaboration, builds community, promotes civic virtues, and showcases the work of individual artists as well as addresses the needs of under-served audiences.

In 2002, SCAT was awarded "Honorable Mention" in "Overall Excellence in Public Access" by the Alliance for Community Media, a national organization of over 1,000 Public/Educational/Government groups representing the interests of an estimated 1.5 million organizations and individuals that use access centers. The judges commented, SCAT is "a strong center with a commitment to diverse voices" and "delivers the culturally diverse programming that its population needs."

In 1999, citing SCAT’s productions, community work, and management, the Massachusetts Cultural Council gave SCAT 94.69 of 100 points, ranking it #1 of the 36 institutions or projects it reviewed that year, and saluted its “remarkable spirit,” its “charisma,” and its “fiscally sound organization.”

In 1996, two SCAT programs – "The Mirror Project", a program for children and teens from the Mystic Housing Development, and SOS News at Six, a youth-written and produced half-hour anti-smoking “news” show – won the “Silver Apple” and “Bronze Apple” from the National Educational Media Network.

In 1994, SCAT won the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Peace & Justice from the Somerville Interfaith Group for our "commitment and integrity while enabling all the communities of Somerville to speak to the city in their own voices."

In 1989, SCAT won the prestigious Community Communications Award for Public Access from the national Alliance for Community Media, in recognition of our value as a national model.

Reviews from the Community:

Somerville Community Access Television is one of Somerville's greatest assets... I have watched it grow and serve all sectors of the Somerville community. It is critical to our life as a community that local events, public concerns and all manner of diversity find expression through the media. We need to support this work as an important arm of communication and entertainment available to all of us.
--Patricia Budd Kepler, Pastor, Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church

The enthusiasm that all members of SCAT have shown for their work and your continued creativity and competence adds to the rich environment of the Commonwealth. The type of active, community-based volunteerism which SCAT so strongly promotes enhances the quality of all our lives. Your efforts are truly commendable.
--U.S. Senator John F. Kerry

Recent immigrants need all opportunities to remain in touch with their mother land while we undergo our acculturation process into American society. HaitiVision via SCAT has made this possible.
--Roosvelt Simil and Yvon Lamour, Co-producers, HaitiVision

The excitement at the Mirror Project screening here at the Mystic Housing Project demonstrated to me that the whole community, not just the talented teen producers, gains from SCAT's efforts. When these young people in their videos shared with us who they really are and how they see things, we all learned the importance of listening and of respecting each other and the creativity within all of us.
--Lisa Wanzor, The Welcome Project