By: Elyssa Hammond
You’ve probably never thought about how much you don’t know about your community. You can find this information on BATV, a local broadcast channel that highlights of all the current local, national, and worldwide news.
Have you ever just felt a little unaware of what’s going on in your community? It’s an uncomfortable feeling that doesn’t have to happen anymore. BATV can educate you into knowing everything that is happening in your beautiful town of Batavia, home of the bulldogs!
BATV is in the middle of the Batavia High School in a room with a set and meeting rooms. Run by a few adults with education on television and media arts. BATV programming is distributed to over 8,500 households and businesses in Batavia and Kane County in general, along with customers throughout Northern Illinois. The public access (17) channel is also streaming live on BATV’s website to viewers around the world.
BATV isn’t just a television station, it has two shows. For example “After the Bell” is a show about all the events that happen after school, hence the name, After the ell.
“I love working for BATV, I just have a great time there. I would rate it a 10/10” said Ana Gelardi.
Gelardi is a 16-year-old sophomore student employee that can pretty much handle any job on set.
“I’d give BATV an 8 out of 10,” said Jen Brens. Brens has been working for BATV for 7 years now and enjoys knowing more about the town. Growing up in Batavia, Brens is glad to be able to be apart of the community and glad to show others more about it.
BATV has Batavia High School students on set running the cameras and being the hosts of the shows. “After the Bell” is run twice a month and is hosted by a senior, Abby Lockwood and freshman, Kendall Ducoff. Together the girls make a great team discussing what is happening around the community and interviewing coaches, students, and student athletes.
“It’s news to me” is another show on BATV. It broadcasts details about the city council, school board, township meetings, chamber meetings, public library meetings, and park district meetings and is also hosted by Abby the senior.
On a religious note, BATV also covers a lot of church services in the town of Batavia. Only local churches are featured on BATV. Ribbon cuttings, as in the opening of a new neighborhood or the opening of a new restaurant or businesses, are a big part of BATV, as well. Watching BATV can give you a better knowledge of what is new in town and a great way to appreciate all the hard work people have put into it.
Batavia Access Television is easy to access and is hiring interns at the moment. BATV is also in need of hosts because their senior hostess Abby Lockwood will being going to college next fall. BATV is just a splendid way to get in touch with the community around you.