Beyond the Sound Bites: TV Santa Barbara Brings Election Conversations to Every Screen
Nonprofit media hub offers free, long-form coverage of Santa Barbara’s Mayor and City Council races, now available on television, mobile and connected devices
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. | September 2026 | As Santa Barbara voters prepare to choose their next Mayor and City Councilmembers, TV Santa Barbara (TVSB) is delivering an extensive slate of locally produced election coverage, giving candidates the time, setting and professional broadcast platform for substantive conversations about the city’s future.
Comprehensive Local Election Coverage
TVSB has already recorded eight long-form candidate interviews for Mayor and City Council, hosted by local journalist Josh Molina in the TVSB studios. TV Santa Barbara recently produced and is broadcasting a debate featuring the three leading mayoral candidates at the newly reopened Vic Theater, in partnership with the Santa Barbara News-Press, video above.
In the weeks ahead, TVSB will host three City Council candidate forums from its professional Salinas Street studios and will record and air the League of Women Voters’ election forums, further expanding access to nonpartisan election information. New interviews, debates and forums will be added to TVSB’s platforms as the election approaches.
Filling a Gap Left by Sound Bites and Social Media
At a time when many civic conversations have migrated to webcams, Zoom calls and short-form social media, TV Santa Barbara believes local elections deserve something more durable: a professional broadcast environment where candidates and community leaders can engage in thoughtful, unhurried conversation.
“Local elections deserve more than sound bites,” said Erik Davis, Executive Director of TV Santa Barbara. “TV Santa Barbara can provide something increasingly rare in local media: the time, professional setting and broadcast platform for meaningful conversations about the future of our community. Just as importantly, we can make those conversations accessible to everyone.”
Available Anywhere, Anytime
The election coverage coincides with the launch of TVSB’s new apps for iPhone, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and additional connected-TV platforms. All interviews, debates and forums will air on TVSB’s local television channels and stream on demand, giving Santa Barbara residents an easy way to watch the conversations that matter on their television, phone or device of choice.
Residents are encouraged to download the TVSB app and check back often as new candidate conversations are added throughout the election season.
Together, this coverage reflects TV Santa Barbara’s growing role as Santa Barbara’s civic media hub: a professional home for the local voices, issues and conversations shaping our community.
About TV Santa Barbara
TV Santa Barbara is a nonprofit community media organization dedicated to empowering people to make media that matters. TVSB provides professional media facilities, education, production resources and multiplatform distribution to connect Santa Barbara through local stories and shared experiences. Learn more at tvsantabarbara.org
