The varied ethnicities represented in Southwest Virginia will be the focus of a new TV and web streaming production project between Blue Ridge PBS and Local Colors of Western Virginia.
Developed and produced by Blue Ridge PBS Executive Producer, Lisa Fenderson, the regularly produced segment, Local Colors: Exploring Multicultural Diversity In Southwest Virginia, seeks to highlight the diversity in our region, and the stories, history and traditions that each culture has to offer.
“We are so pleased with this partnership that will give greater visibility to the rich diversity in Southwest VA, and foster multicultural understanding,” says Lisa Spencer, executive director of Local Colors, and host of the series.
Numerous segments are being produced each month and will be broadcast throughout the day on Blue Ridge PBS Channel 15.1, and Southwest Virginia Public Television Channel 15.2, in addition to the station’s online YouTube channel, Blue Ridge Streaming. Segments will run between two and five minutes, and include topics such as Persian New Year, and Philippine Independence Day.
William Anderson, president and CEO of Blue Ridge PBS, says. “As the region’s storyteller, this project has been a long time coming, and we are committed to sharing the stories of all cultures in Southwest Virginia. We are proud to partner with Local Colors and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship.”
Local Colors has been championing ethnic diversity for over 30 years. Founder Pearl Fu established the organization from a small event in 1991 representing four countries with the vision that every ethnicity in Roanoke Valley should be valued. Since then, Local Colors has grown to be the premier multicultural program in the Roanoke Valley. The Local Colors Festival highlights cultures from around the world every Spring with over 50 nationalities represented.
Founded in 1967, Blue Ridge PBS is based in Roanoke, and the sole public multimedia enterprise serving four million individuals in portions of four states. The station’s coverage area includes Southern and Southwest Virginia, and bordering counties in Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
Blue Ridge PBS is comprised of four channels: WBRA-TV 15.1, Southwest Virginia Public Television 15.2, PBS Kids 15.3, Create 15.4. Two channels online via YouTube, Blue Ridge Streaming, and Project Southwest.
