Oberlin has a small nonprofit organization that helps residents connect and network with each other, while also being actively involved in the community and making a positive difference in residents’ lives.
Cable Co-op Inc. was founded in 1986 in Oberlin as a nonprofit organization that provides local and cable television service to the city of Oberlin and surrounding rural areas.
But cable cooperatives are involved in the community in a variety of other ways, from filming and broadcasting school board and city meetings to supporting local youth sports teams and organizations, homework help, canned food drives, and even efforts to eliminate e-waste.
Cable Cooperative is Ohio’s only member-owned, not-for-profit cable television and Internet provider.
And, since its inception nearly 40 years ago, cable television cooperatives have grown as the industry has.
The company started as a basic cable TV provider and has grown to offer high-speed Internet, high-definition, digital cable and fiber optic services.
Currently, the cooperative serves more than 2,100 homes and businesses and provides local technical support.
Jay Shrewsbury is the general manager of the cable television cooperative.
After working for Media One, Shrewsbury began his career at Cable Co-op in 2000 as chief technical officer and then operations manager until becoming general manager in 2022.
He said he is proud of the company and its involvement in the community at large.
“We sponsor many events, we take part in marches and create our own events such as our annual e-waste collection, which netted £7,000 last year,” Shrewsbury said. “This is Lorain County waste, and most of it is refurbished and resold.
“Our annual canned food drive has donated over a ton of items every year since its inception. Our members have an advantage because we are not focused on profit, we use the money we earn to enhance our community services.”
One recent addition to Shrewsbury’s services that we are particularly proud of is the new BARK programme, which aims to protect children and community members from the potential dangers associated with online activities.
BARK is a comprehensive parental control tool endorsed by Oberlin Police Chief Ryan Warfield and has broad support from local schools, libraries and various community partners who work together to enhance Oberlin’s online Safety.
“The software was created by a child psychologist, and there were a lot of options to go through when we were thinking about offering this type of tool to our members,” Shrewsbury explained. “But we feel BARK really has everything parents and children need.
“It provides excellent parental controls, but it also provides parents with advice on talking to their children and how to engage with them about sensitive topics. All anyone has to do is give us a call and we can talk to them through the BARK system, Learn how it works and if they’re interested, they can set it up right over the phone.
“Times have definitely changed and the internet can be a good thing but it also has a dark side. We deal with cyberbullies and predators from gaming sites or social media platforms and the BARK system is a way for parents to gain control and What a great way to provide practical solutions.”
The Cable Cooperative is located at 27 E. College St. in Oberlin.
Currently, there are 7 employees providing technical support, installation and maintenance services to members.
Shrewsbury added that the cooperative offers energy-efficient Wi-Fi routers that use 50 percent less energy than standard Wi-Fi equipment.
He encouraged members to ask for new Wi-Fi devices when disposing of e-waste.
For more information, please visit www.Oberlin.net.