Eight years after Christina Andrianopoulos last produced “City Vibes Metro,” she looked around at a media landscape dominated by news and decided there might be room for something else.
So she is getting back in front of the camera.
Andrianopoulos, a longtime Worcester-area public relations and media professional, is reviving “City Vibes” as a locally produced lifestyle program built not for a single television outlet, but for the way audiences increasingly consume media now: online, on social media, through YouTube and as a podcast.
The first episode is being filmed Sept. 24, with the new CityVibes.tv expected to premiere in early October.
“I looked around and realized that so much of what we were hearing and seeing was news, news, and more news,” Andrianopoulos told the Worcester Guardian. “Of course, we need to know what is happening in the world and in our community, but I also felt there was a need for something different — a platform that could highlight People, Places, Ideas and Life in a positive way and show another side of our city and county.”
The concept isn’t entirely new for Andrianopoulos. “City Vibes” is a reimagining of “City Vibes Metro,” a program she hosted eight years ago featuring local people and topics.
What has changed considerably is both Worcester and the media environment around it.
Rather than recreate the earlier program, Andrianopoulos said she designed the new City Vibes as a digital-first show distributed through its own website, YouTube, social media and podcast platforms.
“Eight years later, so much has changed,” she said. “We’ve all lived through a pandemic that changed the way we work, connect, communicate, and experience the world, accelerating our move into a much more virtual reality. I wanted the new ‘City Vibes’ to reflect that change while keeping the heart of the original show.”
Worcester’s own changes provide much of the material.
The program focuses on local and regional personalities, businesses, culture, entertainment and community life, with Andrianopoulos looking for guests whose experiences extend beyond simply promoting an event or organization.
She said she wants to feature people who have overcome challenges, built businesses, pursued ambitions or made an impact on their communities—conversations that leave viewers with something beyond an update on what is happening around town.
“One of the inspirations for me has always been Oprah Winfrey,” Andrianopoulos said. “When I watched Oprah, I often walked away feeling like I had learned something, been inspired by someone’s story, or looked at life a little differently. That is the feeling I want to create with ‘City Vibes.’”
Each episode is divided into three segments featuring three guests or stories, a format Andrianopoulos said is intended to keep the program moving and give viewers multiple entry points into an episode.
Among the guests for the premiere is Tim Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and a former Massachusetts lieutenant governor.
Andrianopoulos said she chose Murray in part because his work gives him a broad view of businesses, organizations and projects across Central Massachusetts. She also pointed to his television experience as host of his own program on Spectrum News.
The premiere, she said, is intended to establish the mix she envisions for future episodes: local personalities, conversations and stories that tell viewers something about the community around them.
The setting is unmistakably Worcester.
Through a brand partnership with Niche Hospitality Group, “City Vibes” is filmed at The Vue, 24 floors above downtown, using the city skyline as the program’s backdrop.
Andrianopoulos is producing the program independently rather than through a traditional television studio, requiring her to assemble everything from the show’s format and branding to its cameras, production equipment and location.
She is also bringing local students into that production.
Two communications majors from Worcester State University are joining “City Vibes” through a formal internship arrangement that will provide academic credit and hands-on experience in media production. A local high school student with an interest in photography and video production is also working with the show.
Andrianopoulos said creating those opportunities was a priority as she developed the project, particularly for students who might otherwise have to look toward larger media markets to get comparable experience.
The show has a charitable component as well. Andrianopoulos said she plans to donate 10% of City Vibes brand sponsorship revenue to the Shea Foundation, which supports the Burncoat Spirit program and Worcester Public Schools Arts and Magnet Quadrant. She hopes eventually to expand that giving to other local arts and cultural organizations and causes.
For now, however, the focus is on getting the first episodes produced and finding an audience.
A year from now, Andrianopoulos said she hopes “City Vibes” has developed a following of viewers who seek out new episodes, share them and engage with the people and subjects featured on the program.
Her longer-term ambitions extend beyond Worcester. She envisions eventually developing the show’s more personal and inspirational interviews into a broader platform centered on people’s experiences, challenges and lessons learned.
But she doesn’t define the show’s success solely by how many people eventually watch it.
“For me, success isn’t simply having a lot of viewers,” Andrianopoulos said. “It’s building a community around ‘City Vibes’ — creating something people want to watch, share, talk about, and be a part of.”
City Vibes is scheduled to premiere in early October, with episodes available through CityVibes.tv, YouTube, social media and podcast platforms.
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