Public-access television and video training center UpNorth Media Center has a new name - and is rolling out new program offerings.

The organization, operated under the umbrella of the Land Information Access Association (LIAA), will now be called Traverse Area Community Media. “Since we introduced the media center in 2009, the ‘up north’ brand has proliferated in our region, even in commercial television,” says Matthew Kern, station manager for Traverse Area Community Media. “And when locals talk about ‘up north,’ we’re talking about the U.P., not our own backyards. We listened to our users and partners about the confusion this can cause, and we wanted to employ a name that is more direct and straight to the point.”
 
Kern says the use of “Traverse Area” encompasses the local governments that make the Community Media operation possible — including the City of Traverse City and the Charter Townships of East Bay, Elmwood, and Garfield — as well as the larger cable television viewing area, which serves both the Grand Traverse and Little Traverse regions.
 
The name change is accompanied by the announcement of several new class offerings, from using smart phones for video production to lessons in documentary filmmaking. “Congress created public-access television in the 1970s to give local citizens access to the same powerful media tools and outlets that are enjoyed by the government and commercial interests,” Kern says. “Today, technology is spreading out that playing field in new and exciting directions, and we’re working to keep Traverse Area Community Media at the heart of that, ready to teach and help.”