For Immediate Release                                 
September 28, 2001

San José Launches New TV Show for Residents

San José, California – The City of San José will debut a new show on its cable television station next week that highlights City services and programs of interest to the community.  The show, called San José In Focus, will be formatted like a news magazine show and contain 2-3 short segments highlighting different City programs and services, with a host introducing each piece.  The first few episodes will feature segments on energy conservation; the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative; the history of Prusch Park; and the San José Mounted Police Unit.

One show will be produced monthly and will run on CivicCenter TV, cable channel 37A, the City’s government access station.  San José In Focus will air on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

According to Ross Braver, Video Communications Manager for the City, “The goal of San José in Focus is to both inform the community about a wide range of City services and programs available and to also encourage public participation in local government.”  Braver, who oversees the City’s cable station, is hoping that that CivicCenter TV might attract new viewers by offering a different kind of program.  “As we bring new viewers to the channel, we hope they’ll discover our coverage of City Council meetings and other useful information that is already on CivicCenter Television right now,” he stated.

Currently the station broadcasts City Council meetings live and replays them later in the week.  Occasionally, special meetings on topics of broad community interest are shown, along with an electronic bulletin board that features information about City programs and events.

CivicCenter TV, the City’s government access cable channel, debuted in April 2000.  The goal of the station, approved by the City Council, is to provide residents with information about City services, programs and activities, and to stimulate and encourage all people representing the diverse ethnic and cultural communities of San José to involve themselves in local government and public issues.

# # # # 

San Jose City Hall      801 N. First St., San Jose,  CA 95110      tel (408) 277-5131  fax ( 408) 277-3131     www.ci.san-jose.ca.us