There’s an Academy Award-themed event coming up in our charming little city that you might not want to miss. It’s the premier of Petaluma’s annual Oscar-night gala, The Envelope, Please, at the Mystic Theatre in our historic downtown on February 28.
Presented by Petaluma Community Access (PCA), the nonprofit public access television station and media center, The Envelope, Please was created to benefit KPCA 103.3, the FM radio station that will begin broadcasting via the local airwaves later this year, featuring programming produced by and for the Petaluma community.
Awarded a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last year, PCA still has a few major tasks ahead of it before it can begin broadcasting – completing an agreement with the Santa Rosa Junior College to place an antenna on-campus, building a radio studio at its 205 Keller Street facility, and raising the funds to get the station up and running.
The Envelope, Please was conceived by PCA’s active Board of Directors as a fun celebration of the cinematic accomplishment and spectacle that is the televised annual Academy Award ceremony, and a community media-building fundraiser for KPCA.
President of PCA’s Board of Directors Cindy Thomas referred to it recently as “a heroic effort by a small nonprofit organization to enrich the entire community.”
The Mystic will be rolling out the red carpet for guests, who can mingle with friends while watching the Oscars ceremony on the big screen, enjoy A-list appetizers and signature cocktails while emcee Tom Gaffey hosts.
As PCA Executive Director John Bertucci pointed out to the Petaluma Argus-Courier’s Matt Brown a while back, the desire to bring FM radio back to Petaluma spans more than a decade. As with the organization’s overall mission, KPCA radio’s goal will be to promote the free expression of ideas and conversations, and provide access to media-making resources for the entire community.
Interest in providing programming for KPCA radio has been high.
Petaluma farmer, writer and Petaluma Grange VP Connie Madden is contemplating a series of talk shows focused on issues of climate change, local culture and political change, all timely issues in this presidential election year.
The Petaluma Radio Players, a new radio comedy & drama troupe that came together last fall to give two sold-out, live performances of the old radio drama, The Shadow, at the DeCarli Trolley Barn Theater, are planning to present a regular series of original shows on the new radio station.
KPCA, much like PCA’s public, educational and government television channels, will further the nonprofit’s mission to be of community service by broadcasting important city events and meetings, and may also be of use to the city in communicating with the public in emergency situations, such as a major earthquake.
First things first though. We need to raise around $10,000 to get the station up and running, and fund a part-time staffer. We need your help to do this. Please join us at the Mystic Theatre on February 28 as we launch a significant new addition to Petaluma’s media landscape for the 21st century – KPCA FM 103.3 – radio of, by and for the Petaluma community.
Much more information and tickets are available at the PCA.tv website, or save yourself a service charge and buy tickets in person at the PCA studio, 205 Keller St, Petaluma. PCA is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2 – 8 pm. Volunteers, sponsors, and donations of any size are welcome.