I was just reminiscing with my programming manager, Jan Janes,
about how last year’s holiday season was drastically different than
this year’s.
BIG TIME.
I was just reminiscing with my programming manager, Jan Janes, about how last year’s holiday season was drastically different than this year’s.
BIG TIME.
Last year, we spent December cramming programs into our playback server so that when we went on the air Jan. 10, we would be showing more than a blank screen! The staff worked countless hours to prepare for the launching of the four community channels that since Jan. 10, have been cablecasting commercial free programming 24/7.
I’m sure the same thought was crossing all of our minds at the same time: once you launch these channels, there’s no going back.
On that chilly night of Jan. 10, 2003, CMAP wellwishers started to gather in the studio early in the evening for the two-hour live kick off party. City and school officials, founding board members and potential community producers came to share in the celebration. The most amazing moment of that evening is one I didn’t have the opportunity to witness, but others in the studio did. At exactly 6 p.m., CMAP sent a signal to one channel at a time… 17, then 18, then 19, and finally 20. We were all crossing our fingers and toes that night that all would technically go well. I’m sure our programming manager was relying on an oxygen tank to get her through those moments!
It’s hard to believe CMAP has been on the air for an entire year, until you look at our tremendous video library. We’ve produced more than 300 original videos this year, in cooperation with local non-profits, businesses, schools, and residents.
My particular favorites have been our coverage of the Hollister Rally and Garlic Festival, of course. Those big three camera shoots, with all the volunteer help and community members dropping by to be interviewed are so much fun.
Other fond production memories from this past year include our first live call-in programs with the Gilroy Right Track Committee, and the candidates’ forum with The Gilroy Dispatch. You never know what you’re gonna get with live call-ins, but these programs successfully opened up the live lines for viewers to call in, and received some important questions to pose to guests.
We also launched a live music program featuring local talent. What better way to kick that program off than with the incomparable John Garcia and company. The Hollister band Knucklebone followed, bringing a ton of energy and audience to the studio.
Our members started launching their own programs, which has been particularly satisfying to watch. From cooking programs, to painting shows, to music videos and political programming, the residents of Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista have started to embrace CMAP has a resource by taking our workshops and using our equipment for the purpose of making their own TV shows.
Another fun program that CMAP started this year was PSA DAY, where non-profit organizations can come into our studio once a month and make a public service announcement on video. These spots have provided a lot of free publicity for organizations that don’t have large marketing budgets. In between our programs, you can catch spots for South Valley Civic Theater, Rebekah’s Children’s Services and Hollister’s Parks and Rec Department, just to name a few. We’ve got another PSA DAY coming up, in fact, on Jan. 30.
If any non-profits out there are interested, please give us a buzz at 846-4983.
In 2004, we hope to grow more programming through interested residents, who take advantage of this resource and get involved. For today however, I’d like to wish CMAP’s membership and the community that makes CMAP possible a huge congratulations for being on the air an entire year! Be sure to tune in this weekend, as some wellwishers who were caught on tape are prominently featured.
Suzanne St. John-Crane is the director of CMAP. She writes a regular column for publication in The Dispatch highlighting the news from our local television station.
