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Engaging with people is the most effective way to promote an organization, showing them the service, program or product you offer, opening up about your past, present and future, learning from their experiences and connecting with them on a human level.
It’s a role I’ve had to get used to embracing as I climb the ladder in my career – an old-school journalist who’d prefer to just do a great job with a given article or newspaper, let the outcome on the page do the talking and move on to the next assignment to continue strengthening that reputation.
Sharing our story is especially important now that we are a nonprofit journalism foundation. And I had a great opportunity to do just that with this month’s episode of “Conversations” with Mel McKay on Tri-Valley Community Television, the local access station for Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin – which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.
I recapped the history of the Pleasanton Weekly, LivermoreVine.com and DanvilleSanRamon.com, highlighted our coverage and its impact on the Tri-Valley, and discussed our parent company’s conversion to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2024.Â
My central pitch was this: At Embarcadero Media Foundation, our mission is to provide high-quality local journalism that informs and connects the residents of our communities. Our rigorous, non-partisan reporting helps people understand what’s happening in their city government, schools, public institutions and local economy. Producing this work takes time, expertise and investment, which is why community support is so important to sustaining our work.
I’m my own worst critic reflecting on my performance with this sort of thing – I could’ve worded some responses better, oh I can’t believe I forgot to say this, was that the right color shirt, what about my posture and presence in the frames … etc.
But it was an awesome experience and a great chance to talk up our newspaper, news websites and foundation. I encourage you to check it out.
Airing now on TV30, TV28 and TV29 on Comcast and AT&T U-verse cable TV in the area as well as streaming on tv30.org and Tri-Valley TV’s YouTube channel, the episode featured six-minute hits with myself and three other nonprofit leaders.
Also sharing with McKay about their services and programs were Gabrielle Welk, executive director of the Pleasanton Downtown Association; Christine Beitsch-Bahmani, CEO of CityServe of the Tri-Valley; and Lisa Tromovitch, executive and artistic director of SPARC Theater.
Though I’ve covered TV30 and interacted with their staff and supporters for years, the taping on March 23 was the first time I’d ever been in their studio on the edge of downtown Pleasanton – let alone mic’d up and in front of the camera on “Conversations”.
“It’s a match made in media heaven!” McKay, known for her morning radio show on 101.7 FM in the Tri-Valley, told me when I returned the favor with an email interview last week. “TV30 continues to inspire me with the level of high quality programming, hyper focused on the Tri-Valley, which is a significant portion of our listening area for KKIQ.”
She’s been hosting “Conversations” since early 2017 and continues to be inspired by the stories she hears and the opportunities to grow, crediting Tri-Valley TV Executive Director Melissa Tench-Stevens for support over what will soon be a decade of hosting.
“The format is similar to ‘Helping Your Hometown’, but 6 minutes per segment rather than 1 minute on the radio. I love to talk so that was thrilling to go deeper,” McKay said.
“However, I felt so awkward on camera. I made several wardrobe mistakes, I was flat out evil to myself. I pondered quitting. I decided to concur it instead. I learned to be kinder to myself and I continue to look for ways to improve as a host,” she added. “I am grateful to Melissa for seeing something in me, I did not.”
McKay, who lives in Pleasanton with her Yorkshire Terrier named Jax, gets to speak with so many Tri-Valley folks and figures on “Conversations”, but I managed to pull out of her that her favorite interviews are the Ambassadog features with Valley Humane Society’s President/CEO Melanie Sadek and the winning pooches.
“I adore dogs and can’t stop smiling whenever I get a fluffy, furry guest, and their parents are fun too,” the host said.
“Conversations” is among a handful of recurring shows on Tri-Valley TV, alongside familiar offerings like “Slipstream”, “Slice of Life”, “Mayors Report” and “Tri-Valley Sports Final”. The station also broadcasts public meetings of cities, school districts and Zone 7 Water Agency, and it will produce “Election Specials” this fall and holiday celebration coverage in the winter.
“Things are going well for TV30 and Tri-Valley Television. We are true to our mission,” Tench-Stevens told me by email.
“We strive to be a connection to residents of our cities about a myriad of things, including, services that are free or low cost that our cities or nonprofits are offering, local news and sports, entertainment, coverage of public events and act as a source for emergency readiness and emergency information,” she added.
The nonprofit station is funded primarily by the public access fee charged to cable TV providers (that is passed through to customers) and operational funding support from the three cities. The TV30 Foundation offers supplemental support for productions and specials, Tench-Stevens said.
Tri-Valley TV, whose longtime studio home is on the now-former Pleasanton Unified School District administrative campus on Bernal Avenue, hopes to begin construction soon for its new studio and broadcast facility in PUSD’s new headquarters on West Las Positas Boulevard.
“Tri-Valley Television is more than just a TV station, it’s the pulse of our community, from city council meetings to local news, to coverage of local nonprofits and more,” Tench-Stevens said. “At the end of it all, TV30 is devoted to our positive quality of life throughout our communities.”
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
