Saratoga’s community access TV station is working to improve its offerings and diversify its content.
KSAR15, which is largely operated out of a video control booth above the Saratoga Civic Theater, implemented a new server on Aug. 1 that will help improve the quality of the station’s broadcasts, and has been working out the kinks on a revamped website. Station manager John Dietrich said the upgrades are part of his ongoing interest in bringing KSAR into the 21st century with new programming that will highlight Saratoga residents and small businesses.
The KSAR board voted to spring for a new server 18 months ago, before Dietrich took over as station manager last August, Dietrich said.
City council member Tina Walia, who also serves on the station’s board of directors, said the board had been interested in re-energizing KSAR for some time.
“KSAR has the perfect opportunity to engage residents at all levels,” she added.
The new server has meant that the station can deliver video to viewers in better quality and can make changes to the content at a faster rate. If the station wants to publicize an upcoming event in Saratoga, Dietrich can now put together an information slide and add it to the channel’s rotation all the way from his home in Santa Clara.
While KSAR is already responsible for recording city council and planning commission meetings – and airing reruns of the meetings once a week – Dietrich is also working with students from Saratoga High School on televising the school’s football games on KEDU26, its educational channel.
“I need to go out and get in touch with more of the school administrators that are out there, and just being a single person with limited time, it’s been hard, but I think in this past year I’ve accomplished a lot,” he said.
While the station isn’t currently airing any programming from Saratoga residents, Dietrich is hoping to change that. He welcomes ideas from Saratogans who have interests ranging from arts and crafts to politics and the local dining scene to provide content for the station, or from students who are interested in working on content for KEDU26.
The station’s revamped website, ksar15.org, will also soon allow people to tune into the broadcast remotely, whereas previously it was only available to television viewers in Saratoga.
“My goal is to give the city of Saratoga a broader reach out into the surrounding community, and we can hopefully be building up more things that will drive people to Saratoga,” Dietrich said.
Dietrich also hopes to feature Saratoga businesses on KSAR, particularly those in the Village. Though his goal isn’t part of the city’s ongoing efforts to revitalize its commercial areas like the Saratoga Village, Dietrich said he’s excited that the two efforts are happening concurrently.
“I want to try to leverage that with what we’re doing so we can work hand in hand,” he said.
Anyone interested in contributing content can reach Dietrich at john@ksar15.org.
