iFiber builds new studio for Channel 1
iFiber Communications CEO Kelly Ryan shows a program about Moses Lake dancer Caitlynn Lawson inside his Ephrata office. The program was made for iFiberÕs upcoming channel 1, a local TV station.
Mark Slouber, head of field operations for iFiber Communications, works on a wall frame for a new TV studio at the Ephrata business Tuesday.
EPHRATA - The Ephrata-based iFiber Communications is building a new studio to launch the northern Columbia Basin's first TV station, Channel 1, on Sept 1.
On Tuesday, Mark Slouber, iFiber's head of field operations, was measuring the frame for a new wall inside the business's existing location.
He is converting a 30-by-60-foot space into a sound stage called Studio 1.
Once completed, videos are shot there to broadcast on iFiber's Channel 1 TV.
The content also appears online via the Columbia Basin Herald's and iFiber's web sites, meaning people with iPhones, iPads and laptops with Wi-Fi access can watch the programs, explained Kelly Ryan, iFiber's CEO.
Content includes moderated point/counterpoint segments addressing local issues, election coverage, sports and PG-rated movies appropriate for family audiences, Ryan said.
Highlights from the Columbia Basin Herald are presented during a half-hour program called Columbia Basin Live, Ryan said.
A pre-launch of Channel 1 was done recently by airing the Babe Ruth World Series in Ephrata. The games aired on Channel 1 and on the CBH's website, also referred to as CBH TV.
Ryan said he's been building and bringing program content together to have a full launch on Sept. 1.
One show is a 30-minute interview with Moses Lake dancer Caitlynn Lawson and her mother, Vickie Lawson, which was recorded in full high definition.
This summer, Caitlynn received national recognition by appearing on FOX TV's "So You Think You Can Dance?" program.
The Columbia Basin Herald's Kody Johnson interviewed Caitlynn and Vickie about the experience.
"We got a wonderful opportunity through Kody, to interview both Caitlynn and Vicki," Ryan said.
Ryan wasn't sure how often Caitlynn's parents were able to share their thoughts about Caitlynn's TV appearances.
But this time, Vicki got her chance.
Moms, like Vicki, are often unsung heroes, he said.
"They're really there living it," Ryan commented about Caitlynn's parents.
Other Channel 1 content includes westerns, John Wayne classics, horror movies, science fiction programs and reruns of the TV shows "Bonanza," "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "I Love Lucy."
Actors Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Jack Nicholson appear in the selected content.
Ryan plans to offer a Saturday night drive-in theater movie.
"It has to be 100-percent family-based programming," Ryan, a father of four children, said. "I wanted one channel the Columbia Basin could be proud of. The quality needed to be there and the programming needed to be suitable."