Creig Twilley: A reflection on 21 years at PAC 14

When I started at what was once Access 26, I really had no idea what public access television was and soon learned that very few people in the community did either.

We had to all learn together, and I am grateful and proud to say that we did, and the education still continues.

Public Access Channel 14 has been my home way from home for 21 years. From recording and playing back fuzzy VHS programs in the early days to HD digital video now, much of the local community history since 1999 has been chronicled in the public, educational, and government programming.

What a ride!

Y2K was supposed to bring down all of our computers, and in turn, our fledgling TV station. It didn’t. From Megabytes (MB) to Gigabytes (GB) to Terabytes (TB) we grew our knowledge and programming to prove to the community that we were here to stay.

The three partners of PAC 14 -- Salisbury University, Wicomico County and the city of Salisbury -- stuck with us and let us prove ourselves as we navigated the sometimes rough waters of public access TV. Looking back, it seems like just a few years have gone by, but that speaks  to the creative and fun nature of serving the community.

As I prepare to retire and make room for new talent, I can honestly say that this community is home to so many wonderful, thoughtful, creative, and motivated people!

I have worked with many of them and my life has without a doubt been made better by their friendship, partnerships, and sage advice. The staff at PAC 14 has always been dedicated to the cause, and I leave the organization in the capable hands of Tom, Jen, Emili, Dalencia, Leon, Matt and Mark.

I would like to add that I will not be a stranger to the offices as I plan on stopping in to say hello and help out if needed!

I would like to thank the community, the PAC 14 Board, our three partners, and to all of the local producers who have come through the doors over the years. It has been an honor to serve the community. I can’t imagine a better career than this one!

Creig Twilley recently retired from PAC 14 in Salisbury.