> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # CityTV lightening up - URL: https://www.smdp.com/citytv-lightening-up/ - Published: 2007-05-26T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:51:55.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Government & Politics, Downtown, #archive-import, Homelessness *FACES IN THE CROWD Focus on variety* DOWNTOWN SM If CSPAN, the Food Network, CNN, the Travel Channel, Starz and the city of Santa Monica all collaborated to create a new network, the result might look something like CityTV. Though it’s typically known as the provider of the televised City Council meetings, which it advertises as “the best live show on Tuesday nights in Santa Monica,” the city’s government access channel has been offering up more than just gavels and neckties to its viewers. In a nod to its diverse programming, CityTV recently claimed two awards at the 11th Annual Star Awards on Thursday, capturing trophies for Best Social Documentary — for a segment on sustainability in Santa Monica, and Overall Excellence in the more than $1 million annual budget category, beating out the city of Los Angeles and San Diego County. The Star Awards recognizes achievements in government cable television throughout Southern California. CityTV staffers add the two new trophies to a case already stocked with more than 300 awards, including nine Emmy Awards. Founded 19 years ago by the city of Santa Monica, the station started out by televising live City Council meetings.By the time current Station Manager Robin Gee signed on in 1995, CityTV was well known for its documentaries, having already collected several Emmys. The station is available to every cable subscriber in the city, reaching about 27,000 households. Today, couch potatoes resting the remote on CityTV get their share of cooking shows, talk shows, news programs, movies, music and even reality shows. While the station isn’t quite on par with MTV or the Food Network, the programs on CityTV do garner a good amount of dedicated viewers. “Our mix of programming is unusual for a government cable channel,” Gee said. “Santa Monica is such a unique community, we try to reflect the community (in our pro-gramming).” Besides regular broadcasts of City Council, Planning Commission, Rent Control Board and Board of Education meetings, CityTV offers more than 18 regular entertainment shows. But surprisingly, it’s the City Council meetings that draw the highest ratings, not because viewers want to see the elected officials quarrel, but to learn more about one of the many volatile issues in Santa Monica, such as homelessness and development. For the non-civic minded viewer, CityTV offers a bevy of entertainment options, from “Get Out,” the station’s version of “Eye on LA,” to “Fresh from the Farmers’ Market,” a cooking program using ingredients culled from the local open-air marts. Many of the shows are aimed at the interests of Santa Monicans, playing on popular topics such as sustainability and diversity. Over the years, City TV has also given average people the opportunity to show their faces on television, regardless if they live in Santa Monica. Pacific Palisades resident Peter Kreitler has been the co-host of “Earth Talk Today” throughout the show’s 10-year run. A talk show centered around environmental issues, the show touches on what is perhaps one of the most interesting topics to Santa Monicans, or at least to their city officials — sustainability. The show was developed around the city leadership interested in putting Santa Monica at the forefront of taking on environmental issues. Kreitler initially pitched the idea of the show to Craig Perkins, the city’s director of Environmental and Public Works, asking if he could highlight some of the department’s programs, while at the same time, looking at the broader issues impacting Santa Monica. The show has featured advocates and experts on environmental issues, the head of the state’s Committee on Natural Resources and green living celebrities like Ed Begley Jr. Up until last week, the show taped in a cable studio in Van Nuys, but is now filmed in what is considered the most sustainable building on the West Coast — the NRDC building on Second Street. For Kreitler, there was very little stage fright sitting before a camera, considering he is an ordained Episcopalian priest and has spent nearly his entire life in front of a large audience. “I thought it was important for the primary medium for communication today to have good environmental program-ming,” Kreitler said. Several of the programs have involved partnerships with organizations. A collaboration between CityTV and Saint John’s Hospital, “Coffee Break” is a talk show focusing on how residents can live healthier and more active lives. The show is hosted by two vice presidents at Saint John’s — Robert Klein, a former NFL and USC standout football player, and Paula Golden. A seasoned face to cable television in Massachusetts, Golden approached Klein four years ago about co-hosting the show with her, or “twisted his arm,” as Klein recalls the encounter. The show started with a call-in segment but quickly switched to a guest format. Along with many CityTV original programming, “Coffee Break” is filmed in the Santa Monica City Council chambers, which is redecorated for each show. Government access television has turned some of the hosts into local celebrities, including Connie Martinson of Beverly Hills, the host of “Connie Martinson Talks Books” for two decades. Throughout the years, Martinson has interviewed some of the most famous authors in the world, including Mary Higgins Clark, Dean Koontz and Ray Bradbury. Politicians have also stopped by her show, including former Vice President Al Gore and Senator Barak Obama before each decided to run for the Oval Office. “I asked him, “why aren’t you running for president?’” Martinson said of her interview with Gore. The talk show is shown in government access channels across the state, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. It’s also streamed online. “(The people that watch) really care,” Martinson said of government stations. “It’s financially not in the same bracket as FOX, but people watch.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 26, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)