Pierce County TV unveils new name, new look, new programming

Monday Oct 19 2009 11:02 AM

The cable television channel that offers gavel-to-gavel coverage of local governments in Pierce County has a new name, a new look and improved programming services.

Pierce County TV (PCTV), found on channel 22 in most areas, gives citizens greater opportunities to stay active in governments throughout Pierce County. Viewers of what was formerly known as C-RCC can watch local leaders create policies involving public safety, transportation, economic development, environmental stewardship, public health and more.

The new Web site, www.piercecountytv.org, offers enhanced streaming so that more people can view live video at once. The site also features archives of meetings dating to January 2008.

"Whether on television or on the Web, Pierce County TV lets viewers watch local government live or on their own schedule," Pierce County Council Chairman Roger Bush said. "The name has changed, but the commitment to quality programming and to open and accessible government remains."

PCTV televises meetings of the Pierce County Council and the city councils in DuPont, Fife, Orting, Puyallup, Sumner and University Place, as well as the Sound Transit board, the Port of Tacoma Commission and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department board.

Besides the updated look, PCTV also features new programming. The new "In District" program features Pierce County Council members talking about events and issues that make their council districts unique. The first three are now available, and they feature Councilmember Barbara Gelman talking about growth of the Garfield Street business area, Council Chair Roger Bush talking about Eatonville's centennial, and Councilmember Joyce McDonald talking about the economic impact of the Puyallup Fair.

Another new program, "Rainier Country," is a television news magazine that is in the final stage of production and will showcase stories about the area, including Puyallup's new rain gardens, a cabinet company in Sumner, and DuPont's centennial, among others.

The Rainier Media Center operates the station on behalf of the Rainier Communications Commission (RCC), a cooperative of cities and towns and the county. The media center, which is housed in a studio on the Clover Park Technical College campus in Lakewood, also produces the weekly "Pierce County News" program that recently placed second in the nation in municipal news programming. Other media center productions include award-winning educational videos and public service announcements. All of this programming is available on PCTV's Web site.

"Pierce County TV's new slogan, 'See Pierce County from here,' says it all," said Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. "You can see leaders across the county take on issues that are vital to each community, and you can also see feature stories about the people, places and events that make this such a wonderful place to live."

Video on demand is not just limited to online. PCTV has arranged to make some of its programming available via Click! Cable TV's on-demand service. A similar arrangement is in the works with Comcast.

"We're fortunate to have excellent government access programming in this region, such as TV Tacoma and the state's TVW network," said Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas, who serves as chairman of the Rainier Communications Commission. "Pierce County TV connects citizens with the people making decisions about many of their communities."

Pierce County TV can be found on channel 22 on the Comcast and Click! cable systems, and channel 78 on Rainier Connect.

Contact: Hunter George, Pierce County Communications director, 253-798-6606 or hgeorge@co.pierce.wa.us

Find more Pierce County news at www.piercecountywa.org or follow us at twitter.com/pierceco.