2018 is a Year to Remember for everyone in Ventura including everyone at CAPS Media. The first few months of the year we dominated by reaction and recovery from the Thomas Fire. CAPS Media covered, broadcast and livestreamed numerous City, County and State events providing the public with valuable updates and recovery information.
In February, in collaboration with the Museum of Ventura County, CAPS Media launched the Thomas Fire Stories project, conducting interviews with first responders and the public chronicling the personal stories of survival and healing during and following the devastating Thomas Fire.
Every month CAPS Media trained new members and mentored existing members in the use of media equipment helping them create their own programs and projects to air on television. CAPS Media Radio – KPPQ, 104.1FM, continued to grow with new local voices and programs developed and broadcast on the airwaves.
Every week the CAPS Media crew recorded, broadcast and live streamed City Council meetings, City Planning, Design Review and other city public meetings as well as Ventura Unified School Board meetings on Channel 15. In addition, numerous faith-based and community organizations recorded and broadcast services and informative programs for the community on Channel 6.
All year long the ECTV Crew from El Camino High School produced engaging and award winning programs in the CAPS Media studio and the community. ECTV is a career pathways education program developed by CAPS Media in collaboration with VC Innovates and the Ventura Unified School district. In May and June CAPS and the ECTV crew members covered graduation ceremonies for El Camino and Foothill high schools, and Ventura College.
Every month CAPS produces a video for the city and school district’s Mayor for a Moment each month a 5th grade student is selected and interviewed. The profile is presented at a City Council meeting and a VUSD school board meeting.
Throughout the year CAPS Media continued a productive collaboration with Ventura County Fire and Public Information departments that included video annual report for the Ventura County Fire Department, as well as updates by VCFD Chief Mark Lorenzen, Ventura City Police Departments’ Ashley Bautista and officers.
Starting in September, CAPS Media started preparing for the upcoming election by working with the League of Women’s Voters to produce videos including informational videos on the district election process and independent analysis of the ballot issues and candidate forums. CAPS continued its Video Voter program featuring individual candidate statements. CAPS also worked with Bill Nash, Ventura County Public Information Officer and Mark Lunn, Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters to produce special reports for voter information and education videos for the November elections.
In December, CAPS Media premiered The Perfect Firestorm – The Thomas Fire Story at the Museum of Ventura County. The documentary film was produced in collaboration with the Museum in cooperation with County and City agencies. The Perfect Firestorm is a tribute to our entire community of heroes who, in the face of an overwhelming crisis, responded with astonishing calm and then opened their hearts, hands and homes to rescue neighbors and strangers and together rebuild their lives. The film is broadcast and live streaming on CAPS Media Channel 6 throughout January. Go capsmedia.org/program-schedules for air times.
2018 has been a very busy and productive year at CAPS Media. The entire staff eagerly looks forward to New Year of community Engagement, Education and Entertainment in 2019.
