Note from The Director, Another Year Fades Away.

And so it goes, another year behind us and time to begin again. Renewal and transformation. The sun will rise again tomorrow and a new year will be upon us. Portland Media Center has grown a lot this year. We continue to do our best to improve and transform. We’ve got big ideas for the next year and are excited to have you as a part of it.
As we get ready to celebrate the end of one year and bring in another, it’s nice to take a peak at what happened over the last few months.
Here at Portland Media Center, we created a youth led television show, The New Youth Times, that was funded in part by the Davis Family Foundation and Opportunity alliance. We created some young media makers and they created a local television show directed, produced and edited by the young media makers themselves. The third episode will be released the beginning of the new year.
We also brought in Connor Ratliff and his improvisational performance, The Acting Class for a one night stand. That is on top of the monthly improv shows delivered by our native talent, The Teller’s Garden and Yes & Co. They keep the audience laughing, every month. Come in a check them out.
Harold Pachios delivered multiple episodes of Pachios On the News with guests such as Angus King, Pat Callaghan, Mike Brennan  and many others.
Rundlett And Baldacci hosted a cast of characters that had the studio knee slapping and guffawing. And they are planning on more shows this year, including a special documentary. 

This is just to name a few things that have happened here at Portland Media Center in the eight months I have been involved.
We built a new control room, updated location equipment and have proven to our nonprofit members we can deliver on location, live and over the airwaves. 

It’s a small and nimble team we have here and our family continues to grow. New members join and come in to train as podcast hosts or broadcast producers, it’s all happening right here at Portland Media Center. 

We’re looking forward to the new year and what you’ll bring into the doors here at Portland Media Center. We’re excited to help make something great with you.

Looking forward.

Nate.

CALLING ALL MEMBERS!

CALLING ALL MEMBERS! ANNUAL MEETING JANUARY 29.

Dear Members,

I’m delighted to invite you to our Annual Membership Meeting on January 29th at 6pm at Portland Media Center. We will provide snacks and refreshment and a look back on what we accomplished over the year and what we are hoping to accomplish in the remainder of the next.

This is always an important gathering—a time for us to come together, reflect on our work, and chart our course forward.

At this meeting, we will present our 2024 Annual Report, which covers our fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. This comprehensive report details our accomplishments, financial stewardship, and the impact we’ve made during that period. 

We will also present a map of where we are going, and what we would like to see in the next year, with a plan for a hopeful course forward.

Your attendance matters. Whether you’re a long-time supporter or new to our community, your presence and voice are integral to who we are. We look forward to sharing what we’ve accomplished together and hearing your thoughts on our direction.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our mission. I’m excited to see you there.

Please reply direct to me, nate@portlandmedia.org that you can attend.

Looking forward,

Nate Eldridge
Executive Director

Production Updates

Pachios on the News – On this upcoming episode of Pachios on the News, Harold will discuss the politics surrounding the current Palestinian genocide with Fateh Azzem, a human rights consultant who previously founded the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut.

Tiny Circulation Desk – Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Tiny Circulation Desk! Made in collaboration with Mechanics’ Hall, Tiny Circulation Desk is a new series dedicated to showcasing unique and exciting musical talents performing at the Mechanics’ Hall Library in downtown Portland! This monthly show helps to promote musicians from a wide variety of genres and styles, ranging from operatic and instrumental to avant garde and electronic. Check out our first episodes and stay tuned for more in future!

Cut, Print, That’s a Review! – On this month’s episodes of Cut, Print, That’s a Review, Brendon will cover Paul Thomas Anderson’s new revolutionary epic One Battle After Another, The Smashing Machine directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of the Frankenstein story, Kathryn Bigelow’s latest paranoid thriller A House of Dynamite about the US response to a hypothetical ICBM launch towards the US, and various other October releases both big and small!

Volunteer Opportunities – There are a few new volunteer opportunities available that we would like to make our volunteers aware of:

Pachios on the News – There are two current openings for two Pachios episodes, one will take place on November 5th, and the other will take place on December 3rd, both Wednesdays. Both of them will run LIVE from 7:00 – 8:00PM (CREW CALL AT 6:00PM). We will need volunteers for graphics, audio, and camera positions for both of these dates.

Tiny Circulation Desk – The next opportunity to work on Tiny Circulation Desk will be Wednesday, December 10th. The show will run from 7:00 – 9:00PM (CREW CALL AT 6:00PM, CREW WILL MEET UP ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF MECHANICS’ HALL IN THE LIBRARY). We will need two volunteers for this job, both of them being camera operators.

New Morning & Evening News Lineup on PMC Live

Start and end your day with trusted journalism from around the world — now streaming daily on PMC Live and PMCWatch.com.

Mornings on PMC Live deliver international perspectives and independent reporting to keep you informed from sunrise:

  • Al Jazeera English — 6:00 AM
  • France 24 — 7:00 AM
  • Democracy Now! — 8:00 AM

We’re currently looking to expand our Morning Lineup with a new program at 9:00 AM; something local, engaging, and made right here in Maine. Do you have a show idea, or know a community voice we should feature? We’d love to hear your suggestions. Reach out to us anytime at PortlandMedia.org

Then, wind down your day with our Evening News Lineup, featuring award-winning journalism and global coverage that puts events into perspective:

  • Democracy Now! — 6:00 PM
  • Al Jazeera English — 7:00 PM
  • Al Jazeera English (Encore) — 11:00 PM
  • Democracy Now! (Encore) — 12:00 AM

Watch live on Channel 5 or stream anytime at PMCWatch.com

Stay connected, stay informed, and help shape what comes next on PMC Live.