Five new programs and future projects

As it celebrates its 20th birthday, Télécommunautaire Laurentides & Lanaudièreoffers new programming driven by a recently revised Web platform. It is also working to bring to fruition two important projects: relocating its offices and studios, and live broadcasting.

Télécommunautaire Laurentides & Lanaudière (Cogeco Cable, channels 4 and 555 in HD and tvcl.ca) has come a long way since its creation in 1988. After going through periods when local television was considered less interesting, things took a turn for the better four years ago. There were several contributing factors, including the arrival of sponsors, development of a new brand image and its acquisition of digital technology in 2011.

This fall, it is renewing more than a third of its programming after receiving program projects from businesses, organizations and residents. “Today, everyone wants visibility. There’s an increasing demand and that’s why we’re here,” explains the executive director, Francine Martin. Today TVCL has more than sixty-some members, forty or so volunteers, committed directors and two permanent staff members who wear a number of hats. “Now we can say that the community is behind us,” says the executive director joyfully.

“TVCL Le média dont vous êtes les acteurs!”

This fall, five new programs will join the nine that will be continuing, including the popularJournal télé TVLC, Cause toujours, Our Community Connections, in english,which is starting its fourth year on air and Citoyen d’adoption. Add to these a series presenting Mont-Tremblant suppliers of services related to renovation (Maison de A@Z); a cultural review featuring interviews with authors and visual artists (L’escapade culturelle); a program which takes place mostly on a bus to make the services provided by Transport adapté et collectif des Laurentidesbetter known (Laissez-vous transporter); a scientific series on applied research in the network of colleges (Nous innovons, vous progressez); and lastly, a program tackling the big challenges related to retirement (La Retraite, changement de cap).

”The winning formula to get people back watching their TVs is that they themselves are seen, that they recognize themselves in the programming,” Francine Martin states.

Future programming promising

Even while absorbing these giant steps, TVCL is simmering other projects, including relocation of its offices and studios. It is in talks with the Centre collégial de Mont-Tremblant to get a location in the future building related to the Arts, letters and communication program newly offered by the educational establishment. The partnership would allow TVCL to obtain a grant for its premises and equipment, in addition to being able to recruit young volunteers from the student body. “If it was part of the campus, it would become very interesting for both the school and TVCL,” the executive director indicates.

The acquisition of this new equipment would also bring TVCL closer to its objective to do live programming. There are, however, several stages to navigate before achieving this, including acquisition of a broadcaster. Because financing remains the keystone for an organization like TVCL, it expects to be organizing other fundraising evenings like that held on September 13 – which raised $4975 – in order to raise funds that give it the means to afford its ambitions.