Columbia TV hosts, left to right: actor Mark Justice, Heather Johnson and chef Robert “Stew” Stewart.

LONG BEACH — Wahkiakum West Communications held a premiere of Columbia Coast TV (CCTV) at the Neptune Theater in Long Beach on the evening of July 22.

It was dubbed an “Orange Carpet” event as a tongue-in-cheek comparison to the “Red Carpet” premieres of Hollywood fame. Attendees were treated to an entertaining and informative 90 minutes of videos produced over the past two years highlighting numerous Pacific County businesses. Actor and model Mark Justice, professional chef Robert “Stew” Stewart, and Heather Johnson, Naselle resident and wife of WWest’s Chief Executive Officer Ken Johnson, played prominent roles in the videos.

“Columbia Coast was created by WWEST Communications as a marketing tool to promote the region rather than simply sending direct mailers or doing radio ads. We wanted to assist the tourism economy and bolster quality of life in the region,” Ken Johnson said. “So, the video production and local storytelling allows us to do that, while also allowing us to learn about the businesses and residents we serve with our ultra-high-speed internet.”

CCTV is meant to join in and complement regional economic development efforts to provide sustainable business to local communities. “It also allows us to showcase the great people, culture, activities, and history of our region. Rather than just sitting back and trying to squeeze every dollar from our customers, it allows us to give back while opening doors for us to create partnerships,” Johnson said.

CCTV has provided an avenue for the company to meet interesting people and forge lasting relationships with them. It’s a great way to do business.

“We funnel our marketing budget into the productions, which makes it work for us. We have increased broadband awareness and subscriber levels by meeting people, getting to know them, and then having a personal investment into the services they receive. The video production efforts allow us to open doors and meet people and give something back rather than having our hands out. We believe strongly that the expenses we incur are well worth it when measured in the relationships we start and foster,” Johnson said.

Asked whether the businesses highlighted in the videos were required to pay an advertising fee, Johnson replied, “The ones that are on there now did not pay since they had yet to get a real feel for what we were doing. At that point, we couldn’t exactly ask someone to pay for a vision. So, we cast a wide net, and those that said, ‘yes’ got a seat at the table. Now that we are live and launched, we’re working to figure out a business model that works for everyone involved. We are starting those conversations now.”

Jeremiah Rounds, a filmmaker and video professional, handled the creative process, the cameras, the sound and contributed to the storytelling. Johnson did pre-production work, such as finding folks to participate, coming up with story ideas and then coordinating the scheduling. The two had worked together on TV shows in Las Vegas in the past.

Discussing the roles of Justice, Stewart and Heather, Johnson noted, “They are all fun and way different. Mark specializes in the history, arts and cultural aspects of things, so you’ll see him in most of the museum pieces. Chef Stew handles food, beverage, farming, etc. for us. Heather is the outdoor adventurer and ‘crazy horse lady,’ so you’ll see her riding horses, fishing, kayaking, hiking, etc. As we move forward, you will see them do things together or in pairs more than the first wave of content we produced where they were all individual.”

Looking to the future, Johnson reported, “We are working to fund an hour-long show to place on a national cable network. Those discussions are ongoing. We will increase the production value of the things we produce so that they are less like informational pieces, which most of the content is for now, and more entertaining with deeper storytelling.”

A grant from Washington Film Works allowed the firm to fund an internship to train local individuals about how to do the production. The company also plans content based in Astoria/Warrenton and eastern Wahkiakum County.

”We have several more things we’ve filmed that have not been edited and released yet, so you’ll see some of that content coming out this fall.

”We also want to do some short films and have more fun with what we are doing, and eventually film shows that incorporate tourists so that they take CCTV home with them and share it with friends and family to build our audience. We want them to learn about CCTV when they are here, and then keep us in mind when they get home, so that they come back again and again.

”Finally, we are already in the process of placing our content on some of the hotel internal TV systems like a hotel channel so that again, folks can see what we have to offer, and then go home from their trip and stay connected. We’re planning a big splash at this year’s International Kite Festival if we can pull it off. So, stay tuned!”

The Columbia Coast TV App is available to download for free through the Apple Store, Google Play, Apple TV, fireTV and Roku. A wide range of videos can also be viewed at www.columbiacoasttv.com that includes the Finnish-American Folk Festival, Appelo Archives, the Burkhalter computerized dairy farm, the Northwest Carriage Museum, and sermons by Valley Bible Church Pastor Rick Ballif.