Community Media Access Partnership in December brought on a new executive director, Becca King Reed, while she brings experience with television magazine shows, news programs and documentaries to the position.
The Santa Cruz native wants to see CMAP produce its own programming, in Public Broadcasting Service style, with underwriting and fundraising. King Reed also wants to expand sports coverage to Hollister and possibly San Juan Bautista.
“I hope people will watch us in the future and take a new look at us and see what we have to offer to support the community,” she said.
In the past, King Reed supervised the daily operations of the public television station KQED Silicon Valley, produced for cable networks that included The Health Network by FOX, and managed a national children’s program syndicated on more than 100 commercial broadcast stations including PBS.
A big focus for King Reed is figuring out the funding to keep CMAP afloat. The nonprofit is no longer fully funded by the government, a move that started in 2014, King Reed said. Given the media group’s nonprofit status, some of this financial support could come from donations and gifts.
While CMAP currently covers the Christopher High School and Gilroy High School football games, it is looking to include Hollister ones this year.
“One of the things we really want to do is cover as many people as we can,” King Reed said. “So what we’re looking at is maybe covering high school sports.”
King Reed isn’t just imagining football, but “as many sports as possible” so families in all three communities can see their children participating.
But increased high school sport coverage isn’t her only goal. King Reed is planning to have the nonprofit produce informational “news you can use” pieces. It will be the first time that King Reed knows of where the nonprofit has done its own programming.
The first program in the informational series highlights tax credits and ways middle- and low-income families can get money back. It airs this month and runs through April 15.
The nonprofit is looking for college student interns who can receive school credit for working on local programs. For more information, email King Reed at be***@cm**.tv.
