"People who say, 'I don't watch TV,'" says Jonathan Stratman, provide the biggest challenge in programming Port Townsend's community TV station.

Hired in October as director of Port Townsend Television, formerly known as PTTV, Stratman said the station's content is being transformed, and not just because of new equipment.

"It's television for people who don't like television," said Stratman of the increase in homegrown media.

The community station operates on channels 97 and 98, and is managed by the Public, Education, Government (PEG) Access Coordinating Committee comprising city, school, and community representatives.

"Going out in the field is the biggest change," said Karen Nelson, chairwoman of the PEG committee. Last week, the station covered Gov. Chris Gregoire's visit to Port Townsend.

"It's more than sound bites," said Stratford of new programming.

Okra, not Oprah

So what's the viewers' favorite? It's not the live and taped broadcasts of City Council meetings.

No, Stratman said, it's the new Master Gardeners program. Perhaps that's no surprise in a town where gardening is popular and mass media, less so.

"Cable is declining nationally," said Stratman, and Port Townsend is trying to buck that trend.

When people leave cable for satellite TV, Stratman said, "they lose their local stuff." Broadstripe offers 22 channels, including Port Townsend Television, for $20 a month. A portion of that fee supports the community station.

Nelson said the station offers relevant, local programming as well as affordable media access for people who want to create programs. "It's not 'infotainment,'" said Nelson.

No more VHS decks

The station is about to install $23,000 in new equipment, replacing dozens of fussy VHS and DVD decks.

Stratman and his wife, production assistant Billie Judy, live a block from the station at the Gael Stuart Building on the Port Townsend High School campus. They, or someone, has to come to the station at least once a day to load all the decks, and run back if a deck malfunctions.

The new equipment allows station crews to simply "drag and drop" programming onto a server, even from remote locations. Scheduling is no longer labor-intensive, and it can be set up to 18 days in advance.

The new technology enables the station to have five-day weather reports from the National Weather Service at the top of the hour. Also, the school district can put up "crawlers" for snow-day schedules and other information, in addition to emergency response information from city, county or fire district officials.

The new equipment will also allow the station to insert PBS-style commercials. They won't be annoying "apply directly to the forehead" commercials, Stratford promised. But the station needs to diversify its funding base, and sponsorships as well as partnerships are key to that.

The Thursday, April 24 fundraiser at The Upstage downtown is a partnership of the station and local musicians. The $10 event features Robert Force, Queen Silveen, Jonathan and John, Frank Hill, Leslie Wake, and Crew Quill Night Owls.

"They came to us," Stratman said of that partnership, and he's looking forward to more partnerships as the station evolves.