Move over TikTok. Tri-Cities Community Television is coming for you with its own distinct brand of community video.
For more than two decades, the non-profit has been holding up the mirror to community groups, artists, festivals, politicians, sports teams and special events in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody.
Now it's about to expand its coverage with a full-time video reporter. It's also helping groups that want to do their own videos but don't know how by providing them with training in producing content for their audiences.
"You turn off regular news, the murders and fires, you turn on community TV and you see people doing good things for the community," said Geoff Scott, board director and programming producer.
Through its YouTube channel, Tri-Cities Community TV has more than proved itself as an important producer of Tri-City stories and community programming.
From artist profiles, seniors information, local election and sports coverage, and its three shows — Tri-Cities Magazine, Arts Connect and Tri-Cities Mosaic — the non-profit has shown there is much to learn and love about the Tri-Cities.
Local Journalism Initiative grant funds a full time video reporter
Thanks to recent grants from TELUS and new funding from the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) through the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) and Heritage Canada, Tri-Cities Television will be providing more programming, Scott said.
Among the areas of focus will be the environment, Indigenous and seniors issues.
What's more, Scott expects Tri-Cities TV will have its own office by 2023, a long-standing goal of the group.
"Yes, we are at a crossroads," said Scott.
In recent weeks, Tri-Cities TV has hired a video reporter, Hussain Abboud, thanks to the LJI grant.
It's also producing content that can be seen on TELUS Optik TV channel 345.
Scott is particularly proud of how his organization has been able to support other groups in video production.
"We're becoming more of a support program than just focusing on community TV ourselves," Scott said.
Tri-City groups trained to produce video content for their growing audiences
Among the groups that were provided training recently were: Port Moody Station Museum, PoCo Heritage, Evergreen Cultural Centre, PoMo Arts, ArtsConnect, and Theatrix.
This year's workshop participants have included representatives from the Coquitlam Heritage Society, the Tri-City Wordsmiths, and PoCo Arts.
Another round of training is planned for later this year, with an announcement to come this summer.
"We used to think of just having a community TV office, now why stick in that old paradigm," said Scott. "Times have changed. People are producing their own video."
The additional funding also enabled Scott to get out from his basement and shoot productions from the Fountainhead Network co-working space in Port Coquitlam.
"Now, all of sudden we have the money and the need and it’s flowing in the right direction."
