TV Santa Barbara

Gwen Lurie, Editor in Chief and CEO of Montecito Journal Media Group, shares her journey and the vital role of local journalism. She discusses the need for diverse perspectives and storytelling, the creative community in Santa Barbara, and the challenges faced during the pandemic. Lurie highlights the importance of print media and upcoming projects like the Giving List, which connects donors to nonprofits, emphasizing the community's philanthropic spirit.The Mission of TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) is to empower people to make media that matters. TVSB provides open access to media technology for companies and individuals who want to tell stories, share ideas, and create television shows, independent films, web videos, and documentaries. http://www.tvsb.tv

A lifelong Santa Barbara arts journalist and musician, Joe Woodard is a guitarist/ songwriter who has traversed multiple byways of blurry music.The Mission of TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) is to empower people to make media that matters. TVSB provides open access to media technology for companies and individuals who want to tell stories, share ideas, and create television shows, independent films, web videos, and documentaries. http://www.tvsb.tv

On this week’s episode, Newsmakers TV’s all-star panel of top local journalists examines the growing visibility of opposition to the cruelty and chaos of Donald Trump in Santa Barbara, as Ella Heydenfeldt, Christina McDermott, Josh Molina and Nick Welsh join the genial host to discuss whether there is an age gap in pro-democracy protest efforts, the state’s rescue of Planned Parenthood from Administration cuts, and an up-close-and-personal look at the soccer mom realtor who stood up to the violence of immigration agents on the Eastside. Plus: the latest in the mystery death of UCSB freshman Liz Hamel, a new episode of the “Welcome to I.V.” podcast and yet more legal trouble for the Sable Offshore oil company.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmakers TV, Sheriff Bill Brown provided his most extensive public comments to date about recent conflicts and controversies surrounding the actions of federal immigration agents in and around Santa Barbara County, which he said have had a “corrosive effect” on public trust in local law enforcement.

In this episode of "The Creative Community," Host David Starkey sits down with noted memoirist Diana Raab. They discuss her life, her writing, and she gives the audience a few short readings from her books.The Mission of TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) is to empower people to make media that matters. TVSB provides open access to media technology for companies and individuals who want to tell stories, share ideas, and create television shows, independent films, web videos, and documentaries. http://www.tvsb.tv

With the nation’s attention focused on the spectacle of murderous federal agents gunning down citizens in Minneapolis, the masked violence of the Trump Administration – and civil society’s opposition to it – manifest in Santa Barbara this week. Ryan P. Cruz, Josh Molina and Nick Welsh join the genial host to discuss the invasion of the Eastside by immigration authorities, the protests that arose in response, and the precarious role that local law enforcement plays in the conflict. Plus: rent freeze, new plan for State Street, homeless center update, farewell to local heroes.

On this episode of Creative Community, host David Starkey sits down with local poet Chryss Yost to discuss what inspires her and her role with Santa Barbara publications.The Mission of TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) is to empower people to make media that matters. TVSB provides open access to media technology for companies and individuals who want to tell stories, share ideas, and create television shows, independent films, web videos, and documentaries. http://www.tvsb.tv

On this week’s episode, a mash-up of stories that illustrate Santa Barbara’s unique character, as the Newsmakers TV panel discusses the alarming decline in of butterflies at Elwood Mesa, appointment of the Harbor Commission’s first Chumash member, and a roiling City Hall dispute over a summer camp called Lobster Jo’s, with Callie Fausey, Ryan P. Cruz and Josh Molina also breaking down the city of Goleta’s big win in hosting a World Cup team, allegations of anti-Semitism by UCSB’s former student body president, and the rich local history found in the newly-resurfaced archive of the Santa Barbara News-Press.

One year after Donald Trump’s inauguration, Newsmakers reconvenes our All-Star Panel of National Political Pundits to assess the damage the Administration has done to date and to forecast what comes next. As pro-democracy Americans and the Democratic Party look to the November mid-term elections as the next best opportunity to slow down or stop the march to fascism, veteran political writer Carla Marinucci, national campaign strategist Bill Carrick, and Kamala Harris biographer Dan Morian join the genial host with their takes on Year 1 of the Trump Regime.

With Santa Barbara’s political brawl over rent control certain to shape the 2026 elections for mayor and city council, Josh Molina, Ryan Cruz and Christina McDermott on this week’s episode of Newsmakers TV break down all the latest campaign and policy developments on the housing beat. Christina also goes behind-the-scenes about her new podcast focused on IV, Ryan discusses how his new cover story that puts a human face on deportation cruelty, and Josh reprises Monique Limón’s big hometown celebration, as she ascends to one of the most powerful posts in state government.

The Trump Administration recently seized jurisdiction over Santa Barbara County’s disputed and timeworn Refugio pipeline, triggering new fears about renewed local offshore oil drilling, as Nick Welsh joins the genial host on this week’s episode to sort out the new layers of legal and bureaucratic complexity that as a reuslt have descended on the maddeningly convoluted – and enormously consequential – matter. News-Press Editor Josh Molina parachutes in to discuss his scoop about City Council member Eric Friedman jumping into the mayor’s race, and the three amigos break down what it means for the mayor’s race and the year’s other big local elections.

It’s the Fifth Annual Newsmakers New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show, as we bring together both types of newsmakers -- those who make news toiling in the public arena, and those who make news by writing and opining about them – into one great All-Star Panel to reflect on two key questions: What Just Happened and What Happens Next? Join Supervisor Laura Capps, Mayor Randy Rowse, SB Council member Meagan Harmon, News-Press Editor Josh Molina, Newsmakers Producer Hap Freund, and the genial host to say farewell to 2025, and hear some fearless forecasts about 2026.

The Santa Barbara News-Press this week named Josh Molina the first editor of the newly-launched, digital incarnation of the historic local news operation and, in his first extensive interview, he talks with Newsmakers TV about the vision for the new News-Press and its impacts on the media landscape, speaking emotionally about his deep roots in the community, long journey through a tumultuous period in the industry, and views on the importance of maintaining venerable values of credibility and fact-based reporting.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse checks in to offer his perspective on the two big issues that have consumed City Hall in recent weeks – the future of downtown development at the Paseo Nuevo shopping mall and the push by City Council’s liberal majority to impose a new set of strict rent control regulations on landlords and property owners. News-Press Editor Josh Molina joins the genial host to also interrogate the mayor about his 2026 re-election campaign.

As City Council prepares to vote on a new plan for Paseo Nuevo, City Administrator Kelly McAdoo, State Street Master Planner Tess Harris and two of their key consultants join Josh Molina, Nick Welsh and the genial host for an in-depth and detailed conversation about the finances, housing and design impacts and implications of the project, Santa Barbara’s most complex and consequential land use issue of this century.

On this week’s edition, Josh Molina and Ryan Cruz preview and handicap the vote for next week's City Council showdown decision on that controversial development plan for the Paseo Nuevo shopping center, while Callie Fausey reports “the threat is real” amid the Trump Administration’s move to open new areas off the coast of Central California to oil drilling. Plus: $8.3 million in public housing for new UCSB chancellor, an 18-story building proposed in Carp and Josh’s inside report on City Hall's attack on the massage therapy industry.

In a special Three Amigos episode of Newsmakers TV, Josh Molina and Nick Welsh join the genial host for droll stroll through the week’s top news stories in Santa Barbara, from the foggy future of Paseo Nuevo, simmering conflict over a homeless navigation center and private sector pushback on the city’s waterfront leasing policies, to the latest chapter in the endless story of the North County jail, a hopeful development in the saga of State Street’s future and a new twist in the tragic saga at UCSB.

The Santa Barbara City Council’s refusal to endorse a controversial redevelopment plan for the Paseo Nuevo shopping center has left the hugely consequential land use issue in limbo, and on this week’s edition of Newsmakers TV, Josh Molina and Ryan P. Cruz break down what comes next, as Christina McDermott reprises her reporting on the latest injuries inflicted on local communities by the Trump Administration. Plus: Jerry rants about what’s ultimately behind the mob boss president’s immigration policies.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse returns for a new “Ask the Mayor” episode, addressing questions from Josh Molina and the genial host about the controversial proposal to build housing at Paseo Nuevo; the new plan for the Sears site at La Cumbre Plaza; the state of State Street; the latest push for rent control; and a spate of bad news about the city budget. Plus: an update on his 2026 re-election plans.

On this week’s episode, it’s a special tour of the Halloween hellscape the Trump Administration is creating in Santa Barbara, as Christina McDermott, Ryan P. Cruz, Nick Welsh and Josh Molina join the genial host for a conversation about cuts to food stamps and housing aid, neighborhood terror and political clashes stemming from immigration raids, and the mob boss president’s hand in next Tuesday’s special election and the ongoing fight over offshore oil. Plus: Ryan’s search for ghosts and the never-ending horrors of what to do about State Street.

Christina McDermott leads off this week’s edition of Newsmakers TV with breaking news, reporting that federal food stamp benefits appear to have restored, even as non-profits and other community groups were jumping into the breach to help thousands of local residents cut off by Donald Trump’s government shutdown. Nick Welsh also joins the genial host, recounting the latest remarkable turn in the Sable Offshore oil saga, while Josh Molina sorts through the complex, simmering feud over the future of State Street. Plus: new clues about the mysterious developers behind the outrageous plan for an eight-story tower behind the Mission.

In a special bonus edition of Newsmakers TV, City Council member Kristen Sneddon announced she will seek election as Santa Barbara’s mayor, setting the stage for an intriguing generational challenge to incumbent Randy Rowse that will be shaped by conflicts over rent control, the future of downtown and how the city should accommodate ever-increasing demand for more housing and greater density.

It’s a big week on the housing beat, as Newsmakers TV’s All-Star Panel of Top Local Journalists features Christina McDermott, Josh Molina, Ryan P. Cruz and Nick Welsh breaking down all the latest about that monstrosity project proposed for the Mission, the City Council’s latest misadventures with rent control, and the icy response city planners had to the first-look development at Paseo Nuevo. Plus: a big court ruling on the Sable Oil pipeline, local impacts of the federal government shutdown and a shock new budget report out of City Hall.

Rep. Salud Carbajal checks in with Newsmakers to discuss the ongoing shutdown of the federal government. He breaks down the key health care issue that Democrats are pressing in the conflict, talks about some of the real-life, day-to-day impacts of the government being closed, and expresses deep concern over some recent actions Donald Trump’s “fascist administration.”

Our All Star Panel of National Political Pundits returns, as veteran journalist Carla Marinucci, author Dan Morain and media strategist Bill Carrick join the genial host for a deep dive into Proposition 50, Gavin Newsom’s not-so-secret bid for president, and Donald Trump’s destruction of the East Wing of the White House, among other matters, including the governor’s race, what’s up with Nancy Pelosi and fond farewells to two giants of California politics.

Our All-Star Panel of Top Local Journalists roves through the full range of politics and public policy stories animating Santa Barbara this week, as Nick Welsh offers a behind-the-scenes view of the Independent’s Yes-on-50 front cover editorial, Josh Molina sheds light on the city’s meeting-before-the-meeting on the big Paseo Nuevo development and Ryan P. Cruz breaks down the agendas of the city council members pushing anew for rent control. Plus: why supes punted on health department layoffs, why Montecito Union School District decided to settle a $7.5 million, decades-old claim of child abuse, and why Nick went long in this week’s issue on Good Samaritan homeless services.

In an exclusive interview, celebrated public health leader Dr. Peter Marks joins Newsmakers for a far-ranging conversation about the clear and present danger posed to the nation by Robert F. Kennedy’s purge of science-based health and safety policies. Dr. Marks recounts his own defenestration by RFK, after years of government service - including his pivotal role in developing the Covid vaccine - and offers a sobering forecast of what it will take to repair and restore fact-based practices to the task of keeping the U.S. public safe from unnecessary disease.

Assembly member Gregg Hart returns to Newsmakers TV to discuss his just-passed milestone legislation requiring the rogue Sable oil company to undergo full environmental review in its bid to restart the failed pipeline that caused the disastrous Refugio spill. Hart also offers his up-to-date assessment of the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle California’s efforts on climate; concerns about Gov. Newsom’s support for new drilling in the Central Valley; and the Nov. 4 special election campaign to pass Proposition 50, the Democrat’s response to the Texas Republican gerrymander of congressional seats, which Trump triggered to head off GOP loss of the House in the 2026 mid-terms.

It’s a special Three Amigos edition of Newsmakers TV, as Nick Welsh and Josh Molina join the genial host to break down the latest in this week’s top local news stories in Santa Barbara, including the showdown over expanding the Hilton Beachfront Resort, efforts by the city to find a new operator for the FARO homeless navigation center and the local multi-front battle to block Sable Oil’s restart of an antiquated offshore pipeline. Plus: the first you-heard-it-here-first gossip from the 2026 city council campaign trail.

State Senator Monique Limon returns to Newsmakers TV for an urgent conversation about Proposition 50, the one and only issue in the Nov. 4 special election, by which Democrats are trying to respond to Donald Trump’s efforts to redo the national political landscape in advance of the crucial 2026 mid-term elections. Characteristically for Limon, she explains her support of the measure in practical terms – what it means in federal funds for education, health care and emergency services for constitutents, as well as the need to respond to the threats and intimidation that the president has inflicted on communities with large Latino populations, like Santa Barbara.

On this week’s edition, our all-star panel of top local journalists checks in with a batch of scoops,, as Nick Welsh reprises his reporting on the closing of Santa Barbara’s most venerable housing shelter and Sheriff Bill Brown’s double data sets detailing his dealings with federal immigration agents; Ryan P. Cruz has an updated picture of ICE activities on the Central Coast; and Josh Molina has the fascinating story of how SB’s art museum is prep

On a special “Back to School” edition, Santa Barbara Country Superintendent of Schools Superintendent Susan Salcido returns to Newsmakers TV for a conversation of about local districts are responding to a new set of urgent and demanding challenges inflicted by the Trump Administration’s attack on public education, from the looming threat of immigration raids and cuts in federal funding, to the assault on longstanding policies and programs put in place to protect the civil rights of all students. Plus: we try and fail to dent her deep-seated optimism.

The normal chaotic hijinks of the Santa Barbara City Council have accelerated into warp speed and sheer lunacy in recent weeks, as Josh Molina and Ryan P. Cruz join the genial host on this week’s episode of Newsmakers TV to try to make sense of the Gang of Seven’s words and actions on recent key budget, housing and immigration issues. And Callie Fausey discusses her exclusive reporting on the State Street Fiesta stabbings, shedding light on big systemic problems at the courts and on the county’s policies over bail for criminal suspects.

Callie Fausey, Christiana McDermott, Josh Molina and Nick Welsh join the genial host for a fast-paced recap of all of Santa Barbara’s top local news stories, from the financial impacts of Trump Administration cuts being felt by public schools, Planned Parenthood and public broadcasting, to post-mortems of this year’s Fiesta, which could yield a re-imagining of Old Spanish Days, to the latest on the housing front, from vacation rental conflicts to a new vision for Paeo Nuevo. Plus: $55/hour to afford to live in Santa Barbara?

The Independent’s prize-winning columnist and editor Nick Welsh joins the genial host for a one-on-one conversation that takes a deep and detailed dive into the tangled legal, political and policy affairs involving the Sable oil company’s effort to restart offshore oil production and pumping through Santa Barbara County. Plus: updating the myriad of immigration-related matters surrounding Trump’s loutish deportation crusade on the Central Coast.

On the eve of Fiesta, tensions in the community are high over ongoing indiscriminate arrests and harassment of people by brown skin by federal immigration thugs agents, and on this week’s edition of Newsmakers TV, Ryan P. Cruz, Nick Welsh and Josh Molina join the genial host to discuss how Trump’s brutal deportation regime may impact Santa Barbara’s biggest annual civic celebration. Plus: an end to the landlord-tenant battle at 215 Bath Street, another twist in the twisted saga of the Sable offshore oil pipeline, and new transit developments on Cliff Drive and on the 101.

An outraged Rep. Salud Carbajal returns to Newsmakers TV with a full, detailed account of his confrontation with federal immigration officials in Carpinteria last week, warning that Donald Trump is orchestrating from Washington military-style raids by Immigration and Customs Service agents as public displays of pure, partisan political power - in furtherance of his use of ICE as an internal police agency that backs his authoritarian project to transform U.S. democracy into an autocracy.

Ryan P. Cruz and Josh Molina go behind the scenes on their reporting about a week of fear and intimidation triggered by federal immigration raids on two Central Coast cannabis operations, while the genial host tweaks Supervisor Joan Hartmann for her now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t approach to voting on the biggest environmental issue facing Santa Barbara County. Plus: the story of how Josh came to channel Simon Cowell on his latest podcast.

The Independent’s Christina McDermott and Nick Welsh join the genial host for a deep dive into the two hottest stories on the sizzling housing beat – what the future portends for several hundred elderly tenants in two downtown properties long-operated by the Battistone family, and the outrageous proposal to despoil Santa Barbara’s most iconic location with an eight-story apartment tower next to the Mission. Plus: how the Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax bill are likely to hammer local health care services.

L.A. Times political columnist Mark Z. Barabak joins the genial host of Newsmakers TV for some robust punditry about the state of America on the eve of the nation’s 249th birthday, and how his naturally sunny disposition is being affected by Trump’s provocations, Gavin Newsom’s chameleon act, the disappearance of civility, people making positive change, and his abiding faith in voters.

Chris Meagher made his bones in Santa Barbara, as both a newspaper hack and a political flack, and over the past two decades built a successful career and a splendid reputation as a national communications strategist and political consultant. In an interview with the genial host, he offers an insider’s perspective on the Biden White House and provides clear-eyed perspective on where the government – and the nation – is going under Trump.

Digital news producer Lily Dallow returns to Newsmakers TV for an inside look at how she threw a spotlight on the brutal actions of federal immigration agents in the beating of an Orange County gardener, as she rejoins Nick Welsh, Josh Molina, Ryan P. Cruz and the genial host for a panel discussion of the perils of reporting in the Age of Trump. Plus: all the latest on two of SB’s more controversial housing developments, a slashing Grand Jury report on the county jail and some early prognostication on the issues in the mayor’s race.

It’s a special Three Amigos edition, as Nick Welsh and Josh Molina join the genial host to mark the 501st episode of Newsmakers TV, with a wide-roaming conversation about Santa Barbara connections to the extraordinary events still unfolding in L.A. as well as the latest on the breakthrough achievements of Monique Limón and Meagan Harmon, the nexus of housing and homelessness, and the heartbreaking, still-unsolved death of UCSB first-year student Liz Hamel. Plus: we were talking about the Refugio pipeline on the first shows 10 years ago and we’re still talking about it today.

On the eve of the “No Kings Here” nationwide mass demonstrations against the rogue Trump Administration, four leaders of Indivisible Santa Barbara discuss the plans and politics behind the local protest set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on Cabrillo Blvd. near Chase Palm Park, where rally-goers will form a human chain along the waterfront in opposition to the cruelty, corruption and incompetence of the game show host president.

In a special, extra edition of Newsmakers TV, a dozen former colleagues and friends of Barney Brantingham meet online to offer memories, reflections and funny stories about the great Santa Barbara city columnist, who recently died at 93. Drawn from the SB News-Press diaspora, the group represents a gathering of the local journalism tribe, as they remember Barney as “the heart of the newsroom” who “loved Santa Barbara more than anybody I know.”

Board of Supervisors Laura Capps returns to Newsmakers TV with a warning that the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts in Medicaid and food programs not only threaten Santa Barbara’s most economically vulnerable citizens but also augur fiscal austerity, as county government begins its budget season. In a conversation with the genial host, she also breaks down the raging political and policy conflicts over oil drilling, both offshore and onshore, and talks about “setting a new course” on the cannabis industry.

Community Conversations | Dr Gaylee Beebe | President Westmont College

Community Conversations | Kelly McAdoo | City Administrator

805 Focus | Storytellers Children Center | Dr Gabriella Garcia

On this week’s episode, Nick Welsh untangles the latest legal and political developments in the long-running saga of the Sable Offshore oil pipeline re-start, Josh Molina discusses why that eight-story blockbuster development aimed at the Mission won’t go away, and Ryan P. Cruz reprises the heart-breaking public service for three Dos Pueblos High School students killed in a tragic crash. Plus: a new shopping and dining hot spot in Carp, a look back 100 years at the earthquake that re-shaped the city and all the latest from the pizza and donut beat.