Monday, October 13, 2008

City Talk - RC6 Brings Global Recognition to Rolla community

After only a couple of months of being on the air, Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) – Rolla’s premiere Education and Government television channel, has brought world-wide recognition to the City of Rolla.

Since RC6 is a local channel broadcast only in the Rolla area you may ask how this was possible. It was made possible through one of the many pre-produced programs that run on a regular basis on RC6 called Army Newswatch. It is one of the many outstanding programs, including Missouri Outdoors that is free programming made available through the diligent efforts of Gabe Mankin, Video Production Manager of RC6.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to view Army Newswatch, which is produced bi-weekly, there is a segment in the program called “Shout Out” where the host of the show “shouts out” the names of communities, cities and towns all across the U.S. that air the Army Newswatch program. Since Rolla airs Army Newswatch on a regular basis, Rolla is one of the cities currently being spotlighted, along with the City’s logo, on Army Newswatch.

What this means is that if you have a son or daughter or grandson, or other family member or friend serving in the military overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, or any other area of the world, and they watch Army Newswatch, they are hearing their hometown (Rolla) being mentioned where they are stationed. And even if you don’t have a son or daughter or family member serving in the U.S. Army, it is refreshing to know that RC6 – through Army Newswatch - is providing a hometown connection to these courageous young men and women who serve our country. If you haven’t yet viewed Army Newswatch on RC6, I encourage you to tune in sometime and take a look at the program and the many fascinating individuals and areas of the world it spotlights.

As a big advocate of anything outdoors, I particularly enjoy viewing the Missouri Outdoors program that frequently airs on RC6. The show, which is produced by the Missouri Department of Conservation, showcases the abundant natural resources in many areas near Rolla such as Meramec Springs Park in St. James (just 8 miles east of Rolla), Montauk State Park and many other conservation and wilderness areas nearby. Other pre-produced programs airing on RC6 include: After the Storm, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services (CSREES) Partners Video Magazine, NASA Science Files, World Energy Television, PlaySports TV, Perils for Pedestrians, Road to Recovery and Friends in Discovery.

The Rolla City Council meetings (held the first and third Monday of the Month at 6:30 p.m.), along with Planning and Zoning Commission Meetings and Rolla Public Schools (RPS) Board meetings, of course air on a regular basis on RC6 as well all Rolla High School football home games and other RPS sporting events. A community calendar listing the many City, Rolla Public Schools and free community events in the Rolla area also airs daily on RC6. For more information regarding programming or DVD duplication of Rolla City Council and Rolla Public Schools board meetings, and RHS sporting events, please contact Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager, at (573) 426-3377 or at Gabe.Mankin@fidelitycommunications.com.

RC6 is a jointly funded education and government cable channel provided by the City of Rolla, Rolla Public Schools, and Fidelity Cablevision. The mission of RC6 is to enhance the City of Rolla’s and Rolla Public Schools’ public information and communication systems, involve the community in local government and Rolla Public School decision-making, and provide useful information to the public.

Another important communication tool the City of Rolla is making available to the residents of our community is a BLOG that is linked on the City’s homepage at http://rollacity.blogspot.com. The City is now posting my weekly City Talk column and Police Chief Mark Kearse’s City Chat column on the City’s BLOG at http://rollacity.blogspot.com. We welcome your comments, input and feedback.

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