Greenwood Village residents might notice more and shorter programming on GVTV 8 this year.
It’s part of the city’s push to provide better video programming. The relatively small city puts on quite a few programs throughout the year through , a Comcast channel, and, starting this year, through its .
This year, the city is premiering 24 episodes of seven new programs, each 10 minutes long. Some of the new programs include “Safety Matters,” with tips for residents from Police Chief John Jackson, “Village Showcase” with timely messages from Mayor Ron Rakowsky and “GV Business Connections,” which provides information on consumer matters and the business community.
Melissa Gallegos, the city’s public information officer and chief producer of the programming, said the city realized that several 40-minute-long programs weren’t grabbing people because viewers don’t have that kind of time or that long an attention span.
“We realized that Channel 8 wasn’t used at the level by our residents that we hoped for, and we thought it was because of the format of the shows and the access issues,” Gallegos said. “So that’s why this year … we re-branded it, got new art, new graphics.”
The work is done on a $43,000 annual budget, which Gallegos said is much less than what
Other programs include “Beyond the Green” about the city’s parks and trails, “Over 50!” for residents age 50 or older, and “GV Kids, Ink! News,” which is news coverage by Greenwood Village young journalists.
She said the city won’t know how effective the new strategy is for a couple of years, but the anecdotal feedback is positive.
“I get enough feedback from people in the community that people are watching, and it’s a lot better than having slides or a PowerPoint presentation on a continuous loop,” Rakowsky said.
Rakowsky, who has taped more than 100 shows, said the programs are another way to reach the residents. He recently produced a show on higher education offerings in Greenwood Village, and the next one will be on .
Jackson said having another way to reach residents is important for the police department because it can help prevent crimes by giving people tips about holiday shopping or closing their garage doors at night.
“It’s really incredibly important that we partner and work with our communities to develop a relationship that shows we’re here to help them be safe,” Jackson said.
But not all the information on the channel comes from the city government. “GV Business Connections” is a collaboration between the city and the to showcase local businesses.
“A lot of communities, their communications aren’t on par with what Greenwood Village is doing, and I’m appreciative as a resident to get it and see it,” said John Herbers, president and CEO of the chamber.
And communication is what it’s all about, Gallegos said. But more than that, she said, it’s developing a positive relationship with residents.
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953, cwoullard@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yhClayton
Gvtv
Greenwood Village has program descriptions and schedules on its website,
