Profiles

Aldo "Big Al" Diotalevi

Aldo “Big Al” Diotalevi has been producing the show Aldo “Big Al” Sings on GRTV for 10 years. He fondly remembers his first visit to GRTV and meeting Dirk Koning who made him instantly feel “at home”. Aldo first learned about the potential of GRTV and public access television through a friend. Gifted with a beautiful voice, his reputation as an entertainer and as a karaoke host in the Holland area has been enhanced by his regularly produced hour-long show on GRTV. He is generous in his praise of GRTV’s staff and the quality of equipment available. Among his many fond memories is an incident in which a woman dying in a local hospital heard him singing “Let me call you Sweetheart” and informed her daughter that her husband used to sing that song to her all the time. After the mother’s death, the daughter contacted Aldo and asked him to sing that song at the memorial service. It was a most special privilege to do so, he reports. Aldo receives many voice mails from viewers of all ages, commenting on what his singing and selection of songs has meant to them or requesting one of their favorites. Helping to make our world a better place ranks high on his list of priorities. Using his voice to give others joy is one way to do that and it provides him much satisfaction. You can watch the show on GRTV Channel 25 Tuesday evenings at 10:30 p.m. And as Big Al ends his show, so he wishes to have his profile end with his wish, “God bless you”.

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Byron Strickland

Byron Strickland has been producing MSTV on GRTV for 10 years! The weekend of July 25th, 2009 was the 10th anniversary of his filming his first show. It was the Mopars show at the Red Barns in Hickory Corners, Michigan. MSTV began airing regularly in December of 1999 after he had produced three shows. Byron produces a new show every other week. He reports, "It can get frustrating at times but for the most part, it has been fun. If it wasn't fun, I'd have stopped long ago." Editing can be the biggest challenge, he notes. Everything was analog when Byron first became a member of CMC. During his ten years he has had to learn three different editing systems. In addition to his own production, Byron volunteers for many other productions and has been GRTV's Volunteer of the Year three times. You can watch MSTV every Friday at midnight on Channel 25.

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Argie Holliman-Chibuzo...Time To Talk

Eighteen years ago Argie Holliman-Chibuzo walked into GRTV for the very first time. Since then, she’s produced some of the most interesting and entertaining programming on the channel.

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Corinne Cary...Waging Peace

When asked to give a single word that most thoroughly describes her, Corinne Cary doesn’t need to consult Webster’s dictionary--she’s invented her own: Peacist.

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Ed Pratt...A Documentary Life

In the visual arts, a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of documentary filmmaking, a thousand words are just the beginning of what you’ll need to put that picture into its proper perspective.

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Mitchell Harvatin

Mitch learned about the opportunities for young people to make television when Gretchen Vinnedge, CMC Education Coordinator, brought the Future Kulture concept to Grand Rapids.

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Meet Fireproof Duo, Moe and Jay

CMC members, Elmore (Moe) McCoy and his younger brother, Jay Love, recently won the Best Album of the Year, Best Radio Single and Best Club Single at the Grand Rapids Hip Hop Awards celebration at the Wealthy Theatre sponsored by The Grand Rapids Hip Hop Coalition.

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Ed Adams

When asked what he thought of these opportunities, Ed replied that GRTV in particular had provided him with all he needed to know to create television and without having to pay college tuition rates for the knowledge.

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Monroe Aki O'Bryant

Meet GRTV Producer, Akibang or Monroe Aki O'Bryant, who has a dream about writing and producing films. GRTV classes constitute one stop on the way to that dream.

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Dashan Calvert

Is there a typical profile of a GRTV producer? Certainly not. But Dashawn Calvert's work does tell us a lot about one particular producer and the kind of effort it takes to put a series program on GRTV for months on end.

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