BITV

Station helps people connect with island

I am saddened to hear of the prospect of BITV no longer being a community resource on Bainbridge Island.

I grew up on Bainbridge and graduated from BHS in 2005. As I’m sure many kids from the area can attest, the island is a very insular place to grow up.

I found it curious that a community so small could seem so divided. I didn’t sense a real feeling of community here. But at that time I had not yet discovered BITV.

I went off to college in Boston and got my degree in Broadcast Journalism. After school I moved home and much to my surprise I discovered that we had a television station on Bainbridge!

I remember going into BITV to take a video editing class and was blown away by the caliber of expertise and knowledge of the staff. Once I found out there was a weekly news program televised on the island, I was hooked.

How many students these days can go away to school, get a degree and put it into use in their hometown?

I have our little access television station to thank for an immeasurable amount of experience I could not have gotten anywhere else. From being on-camera, to writing, editing and shooting, I have been able to gain essential building blocks to be a strong and experienced reporter.

After a short period of time working at BITV, I discovered that Bainbridge was not divided at all. In fact, it was undeniably close knit. I was able to get to know my community in a whole new way. My view of Bainbridge was completely transformed.

I was able to learn about the rich history of the Japanese American culture here, I got to know the wonderful people behind businesses on the island and I saw the incredible amount of passion behind those involved with all sorts of non-profits on Bainbridge.

From veterans to good-faith efforts in our community, I got to hear the story. I got to fall in love with Bainbridge all over again. And best of all, I had an extraordinary medium to impart that knowledge to others.

These two channels are so much more than just airwaves for city council meetings. Behind them lie the heart of a community. Behind these two channels are dreams, life-stories and an incredible amount of passion.

Think about what would be lost here. This isn’t about jobs. This is about dreams, art and knowledge. Without BITV, all of that would be lost. Without BITV, a huge part of the community would be gone forever.Think about it.

Liz Poland

Bainbridge Island