Merced Symphony to perform virtual concert Friday evening, will broadcast on METV

A performance by the Merced Symphony will broadcast live Friday evening from the historic Merced Theatre.

The 7 p.m. broadcast is being made possible through partnership between Merced County Office of Education, the office’s Merced Educational Television (METV) channel and the Merced Symphony Association, according to Nathan Quevedo, media and communications manager for MCOE.

The broadcast will be shown on Comcast channel 97 and AT&T U-verse channel 99 — along with livestreams on MCOE’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.

The performance from The Merced Theatre will have no audience other than the production crew. The broadcast will be archived and available on MCOE’s YouTube account if people cannot view the live broadcast, according to an MCOE news release.

MCOE launched METV more than two years ago. In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, METV’s role as a virtual platform has become increasingly important for students and families.

Since Merced County schools are currently using virtual platforms for instruction, METV is working to produce content that teachers, administrators, students, parents and the community can use, Quevedo said.

“The importance of METV grew in March when schools closed suddenly and we were thrust into a virtual environment,” Quevedo said. in the release.

“We knew that parents and families would need support during that unprecedented time and METV worked with educators at MCOE and other school districts to quickly create content and schedule it so parents could plan enrichment activities for their children.”

Fast forward nearly six months later and most schools in California are continuing with distance learning.

“We were fortunate that we had the infrastructure in place and an amazing array of educators to create content for our students and families,” said Merced County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Tietjen in the release. “We will continue to foster and support the partnerships and collaborations that benefit our students and families.”

Last year, METV underwent a substantial technology upgrade that allows broadcast avenues outside of the television station.

“Because of foresight and good fortune, we upgraded our infrastructure at the right time so we have the ability to simultaneously broadcast on TV as well as online. We are excited about the many possibilities we have to help with virtual learning, and unique partnerships like the one with the Merced Symphony Association,” Quevedo said.

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 2:00 PM.