Hard Cover

Voices and Visions of Chicago’s Youth is one of the nation’s longest running TV shows created by youth, for youth.

CTVN’s flagship program is Hard Cover: The Voices and Visions of Chicago’s Youth, a TV show produced entirely by youth, for youth. Hard Cover began its 28th season in the fall of 2014, making it the longest-running, youth-produced TV show in the U.S. More than just a show, Hard Cover is a platform for authentic and articulate youth voices—an opportunity for underrepresented youth to share their compelling stories with an ever-expanding audience of their peers.

Each year, youth from CTVN’s central site and satellite programs collaboratively produce 24 episodes of “Hard Cover” with CTVN’s state-of-the-art digital video cameras, cutting-edge editing systems, and professional lighting and audio gear. Each “Hard Cover” episode is then broadcast on cable channel CAN TV 19 in Chicago, and on St. Paul Neighborhood Network in the Twin Cities, and on PhillyCam. In addition to year-round, bi-weekly broadcasts, each “Hard Cover” segment is posted on CTVN’s YouTube page, which boasts more than 169,000 total upload views to date, reaching a combined total of over one million viewers. Moreover, many “Hard Cover” videos are later screened in community centers, museums, and film festivals around the country and world.

Hard Cover airs twice a week on Cable Access CANTV 19  on Mondays at 5:30pm and Tuesdays at 12:30pm in Chicago.

You can also check it out on PhillyCAM, Tuesdays at 4pm.