July brings another youth intensive, young minds make media.

Here we are entering summer, and we’re running steady. Our newly minted show, Rule of Law is forming into the episodic explanation of how the system works, which is exactly what we had wanted. Each episode takes you on a journey into the system of laws that our government is built on. Our host, Roger Katz, talks with guests that are masters in their domain. But the conversation is made for those of us that didn’t go to law school, those that might need an easier explanation of Habeas Corpus. The experts deliver. This episode brought some Maine media titans to the table to discuss the Second Amendment and the freedom of the press. We’ve produced six episodes to date, the latest premieres July 6 at 7pm.
This show is starting to take off. We’re really proud of it.

Harold Pachios continues to bring savvy politicos to the table on Pachios on the News. This month’s episode features the late Barney Frank, recorded shortly before his passing in May at his home in Ogunquit. Few people shaped national policy quite like he did, from the Dodd-Frank financial reforms to decades of fearless advocacy in Congress. We’re honored to share one of his last conversations with you.

Our New Youth Times Initiative, the youth-led summer intensive that kicked off last year, just released a behind-the-scenes look at youth-led Blunt Youth Radio from WMPG. The collaboration keeps growing, and we aired that docu-short as part of the screening of the full documentary An Extraordinary Place, directed by Tom Bell and produced by Annella Linton. It’s a love letter to community radio and the people who keep it humming. Watching young minds bend radio waves in the Blunt Youth Documentary is another thrill to behold.

Speaking of the New Youth Times Initiative, we’re hosting another cohort of students this summer, continuing the program in partnership with The Opportunity Alliance and Maine Youth Action Network. The goal is to build this into a continuing endeavor and empower the future media makers. Our own Douglas Symington, who came up through the intensive last year and stuck around as staff, is stepping into the Team Leader role this time. He’s got a sharp crew with him, and they’re out to make something new and put a real message into the community.

We keep moving forward, building on what we started and hopefully turning a few more heads along the way. Our aim is to be the belle of the ball, but you can’t have a ball without all of you.

Thanks for tuning in.

June Blooms and Gardens Grow.

Spring in Maine does what spring in Maine does. The leaves are green, the lawns are green, the pine pollen relentless. I sneeze my way into June every year and at this point I consider it a ritual. An itchy, miserable ritual. But the sun is out, the harbor is gorgeous, and weโ€™ve got a lot to catch you up on.

May was a busy one at Portland Media Center.

We were proud to host the Bates Film Festival this year, opening our doors to student films and documentaries that reminded everyone in the room why this work matters. A full day of screenings on May 16th, and a genuinely great crowd and some great movies.

The good folks at Maine Lawyers for the Rule of Law flexed their considerable connections and brought in two former Superior Court Justices to talk about life from the bench. If you ever wanted to know what judges actually think about the law, this was your window. There were also not one but two recordings of the Rule of Law TV show this month, with a cast of heavy-hitters from the Maine legal community including Kate Knox, Roger Katz, Alexis Chardon, and Scott Anderson for the upcoming episode. Itโ€™s a good conversation.

Harold Pachios brought his signature style to another great conversation, this time with former Executive Director of the Maine GOP, Tony Payne. If you enjoy watching smart people disagree with each other respectfully, Haroldโ€™s table is the place to be.

Rundlett and Baldacci are making waves again. Their latest features a producer who relocated to Maine six years ago and has quietly kept making films youโ€™ve almost certainly seen. Weโ€™re not giving it away. Tune into Channel 5 or PMC Watch and find out for yourself.

June promises more of the same good trouble. With more from Rescuing the Rule of Law, Pachios on the News and Rundlett & Baldacci along with some shows that have been on rest for a bit. We are also bringing more of the classic movies to the weekend night line up. So join us and watch what happens. 

Media Education Projects

We have several media education projects brewing at Portland Media! We just wrapped the first season of a new television show called, Bits & Bites: The Cooking Show which is a collaboration with The Boys and Girls Club and is led by a MECA&D Illustration major who develops recipes inspired by what she learned from her Puerto Rican family. Each episode she shares her approach to cooking with the middle schoolers at the club who help her make each meal. A catch phrase from the show is, “You measure with love” The show is produced by college students, high school and middle schoolers and the episodes will start rolling out this summer. Stay tuned for each episode and for Season 2 this fall!

We are also assisting a production of a television interview show created by middle school students from The Telling Room. They’ve been visiting our space on Mondays and they’ve been honing their media skills and collaboration skills while interviewing people (and animals) that inspire them. They’re working on the name for this show and some dance interludes. There will be more info about this project soon.

Students from Baxter Academy have been working at our space on Fridays during their Flex Friday period and over the last few months two short narrative films have emerged. After research and story development they’re now in production and editing will take place this summer.

We’re also working on a short documentary about the awesome teen radio program, Blunt Youth Radio. We’ve visited their host site at WMPG a few times and candidly filmed them at work and conducted interviews with Blunt Youth Radio members and staff. This projects is also in post production and will be airing soon. This is our first observational style documentary!

We have other projects, led by youth, that are just starting like a podcast about women’s health, a television show about dance and politics and a sports interview show. If you’re interested in an internship at Portland Media, reach out to the Education Coordinator to learn more and if you’re a teen or an adult that is a media beginner, check out our intro workshops here: https://portlandmedia.org/ and then click on learn for the three current workshop options.

May we continue…

April started with a bang. Our collaboration with WMPG and their end to the spring begathon, an event we called, โ€˜Fools Last Beg!โ€™ was a hoot and a half. DJ Bobby Shax played a set from the windows on Congress Street and then we took to the studio and hosted the performance rock and roll band Crazy DejaVu. It was crazy. I felt like Iโ€™d been there before…it was like DejaVu all over again, crazy…

People came and dressed for the show and danced in our studio where our new cameras caught it all in action. It was a great display of community development and all around good time fun. Something a little different to show on our show.

There’s more in store. New episodes and live television events to explore and connect with. We are a community of creative media makers and we want you to come and join us. See the line up below and come by and say hello.

We are big supporters of our Improv Community. 

The Tellerโ€™s Garden is in the studio on First Friday for another โ€˜made up on the spotโ€™ showcase of community and comedy.

And Yes & Co will be back there next Saturday bringing their style of improvisational funny.

Steal This Story, Please!ย is a portrait of Amy Goodman’s commitment to independent journalism and truth-telling over the past three decades. Directed by Academy Award-nominated Directors and Producers, Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, the documentary will be playing in Portland at the Portland Museum of Art starting Saturday, May 30th. For more information, visitย stealthisstory.org.
The film will play at the Portland Museum of Art opening Saturday, May 30th

Coming through our broadcast this month, Pachios on the News will come to you on Wednesday with another diplomatic conversations with a civic leader in discourse about current events. Harold always brings respect and good conversation to the table.

A new episode of Rescuing the Rule of Law will come through in the beginning of May, this episode will feature two justices from the Maine Supreme Court discussing the importance of the courts in our legal system. 

Moon Machar and Shay Stewart-Bouley are back on May 13 with their show From Away To Me, in a lively conversation about identity and sense of place and belonging. Musical guest Kenya will join.
Tickets available on our website soon.
Audience interaction is encouraged.ย 

Spring Has Sprung…

I know that because I wrote that it means six feet of snow will fall in April…

But that’s not what I’m writing about. Portland Media Center continues to stretch and grow and host more programming and events. Such as the Democratic Gubernatorial Debate that drew an oversized crowd that filled the studio and the Congress Street Studio where folks watched on the newly mounted television.

We had four candidates live in the studio, a youth moderator and a candidate streaming in from distant climes.
Thanks to Community Organizing Alliance, Young People’s Caucus, and Maine Youth Power.

This was a great event.

And wait…there’s more…This event allowed us to utilize some fancy new equipment. The studio cameras have all been updated. We are rolling it out…sort of…well, we already did. They are in the studio. Four new Black Magic 4K Pro G2 Cameras. And these babies can purr. They talk so nicely to our Black Magic ATEM switcher, and the Black Magic Camera Control Unit (that’s called a CCU in producer parlance…) and all of this is setting us up to become the go to studio for all your broadcast and podcast and image making and media and communications needs…and if you just want to come and sit under some plants, we’ve got some of those too.

We contain multitudes.

Pachios on The News brought Admiral Gregg Johnson into the studio. He’s been a guest before but he still has things to talk about. Who doesn’t when Harold is asking the questions. I’m still amazed at the lively, respectful conversations with thought leaders on both sides of the aisle. The conversations are exciting and respectful and always informative.

And tomorrow night, or tonight, depending on when you read this, a surreal party and celebration of two great community efforts.

WMPG & Portland Media Center. Right here, we broadcast live to WMPG and to PMC WATCH and to Channel 2, and to our YouTube feed. And what do you ask are we broadcasting live? DJ Bobby Shax is doing Left of the Dial from the behind the glass on Congress Street and then the dance party in the studio. It’s all live, but it’s all happening here at Portland Media Center.

And then, on First Friday, the Improv is back with Teller’s Garden in the studio, and we will have a little bit of some music in Congress Street Studio hosted by our associate producer, Stella, as she sets to jet to the west coast. She’s put together a little 4-6pm entertainment center up front before Teller’s Garden hits the stage. Some come and enjoy a little music then watch the improvisation from the talent of Teller’s Garden.