Clear your calendar - It's going down! Schedule Blocks kicks off on May 20th, and you're invited to take part in the festivities. Splash HQ (122 W 26th St) is our meeting spot for a night of fun and excitement. Come one, come all, bring a guest, and hang loose. This is going to be epic!
Clear your calendar - It's going down! The Emancipation Day festivities will take place on Saturday, April 13 and the parade will start at 2:00 PM at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The concert kicks off at 3:00 PM and will feature an all-star lineup of some of the best artists in the game! The concert at Freedom Plaza will also feature many of DC's own homegrown talent. Stay tuned for more updates and visit the "Save the Dates Section" for more information!
The holiday season is a time when we reflect upon the accomplishments of the year. From an in-person, star-studded Emancipation Day concert, to our first outdoor 202Creates Month Kickoff to celebrating DC Radio's 5th anniversary, none of this would have been possible without the support of the 700,000+ DC Residents.
Once again, we've "decked the halls with boughs of holly" for the annual production of holiday TV shows. A line-up of local and national recording artists filled the studio with the sounds of joyful music as they performed renditions of their favorite holiday classics. Be sure to catch all of our holiday programs all month on DCN, DKN, DCE and DCRadio 96.3HD4.
The DC Entertainment Office would like to wish District residents of all 8 wards a wonderful holiday and we will see you all in the New Year!
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LaToya Foster
Director
DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment
The #EntertainDC Office would like to welcome LaToya Foster as the new Director of the agency.
Director Foster was appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to serve as the Acting Director of the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME). In her role, she also serves as the DC Film Commissioner and oversees the Comcast, Verizon, and RCN District of Columbia cable franchise agreements. Director Foster previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Communications and served as the chief spokesperson for the Bowser Administration.
To learn more, please see Director Foster's biography. Welcome Director Foster!
The 202Creates Residency Program provides DC creative and artistic entrepreneurs with the resources and support to start and scale their businesses. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 pm on
Monday, December 12, 2022.
Visit 202Creates.com to apply, learn more about the Residency Program and meet our past residency cohorts.
It’s that time of year, when the jingle bells are ringing, the elves are working, the egg is nogging and the holiday is spiriting. Yes, it’s the annual return of DCE’s ‘The Holiday Spirit Christmas Carol’. Join the host of ‘Raiding The Crates’ on DC Radio, John Avery, for his yearly celebration of everything Christmas, with a variety show filled with love, music and a lot of laughter.
"From the acapella opening song, to the hilarious American Idol-style auditions, [you'll hear] all the wonderful holiday music," John said. With the visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future along with his extra special guests and many co-workers, you’ll experience an hour filled with warmth, whimsy and wonder. "When you see the children auditioning for the role of Tiny Tim...it’s just precious," John says proudly. “I can’t wait for y’all to experience what we have created just for you!”
“The Holiday Spirit Christmas Carol” airs throughout the month of December on DCN, DKN and the agency's streaming service DCE, where you can watch it at your leisure.
Photo Courtesy of @bryantjohnsonphoto
Throughout the month of December, DC Radio 96.3HD4 is celebrating the season by playing holiday music and encore episodes of your favorite programs and podcasts:
“Rememories For Seniors” hosted by Elliot Michael Gold
“The Wind Down with Will Downing”
"Putumayo World Music Hour” hosted by Rosalie Howarth and
Putumayo founder Dan Storper
"The Brazilian Hour" hosted by Sergio Mielniczenko
Special holiday mixes by DJ Oxygen and DJ Class.
On Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25 and Monday, December 26, listeners will hear 48 hours of encore episodes of the popular “Raiding The Crates” hosted by John Avery, including the Emmy Award winning episode of “Holiday Spirit.”
Listeners can hear DC Radio at 96.3HD4, DCRADIO.GOV, on the DC Radio app for iPhone and Android and on Tunein.com
This Fall, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented the 37th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards: “A Night of DC Stars,” to honor artists and organizations and celebrate the District’s arts, humanities, and creative communities.
The #DCMayorsArtsAwards is the most prestigious honor the city can bestow upon the arts, humanities, and creative community. District residents across all 8 wards nominated, voted, and selected the winners in 13 of the 14 categories via online voting.
Watch the 37th Annual Mayor's Arts Awards on YouTube now.
In this special 5 part series, produced by WHUR's EZ Street, you will hear from gun violence victims, families who have lost loved ones, frontline agencies charged with reducing gun violence and youth who shed light on whats really happening with our young people. #solutions.
Do Betta DC airs in December on Fridays at 7:30 pm. Check out new episodes weekly on DKN.
Join us for the latest Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents 202Creates Masterclass featuring musician and producer Amy K. Bormet and singer, songwriter, and international recording artist Deborah Bond where they discuss their creative process, their music journey, and their inspirations.
Subscribe to @Entertain_DC on YouTube to receive alerts and check out the rest of the Masterclass series.
Join Dr. Mary DeRaedt, LPC, NCC Director, Masters of School Counseling, The George Washington University, and Dr. Monica P. Band, Therapist, Advocate, and Educator for a lively conversation about the connection between gratitude and mental health. Learn how to create a gratitude practice and why it is important to slow down and practice mindfulness year-round not just during this season of gratitude.
The Care for Creatives program is accepting new creatives! The partnership between the DC Creative Affairs Office and the George Washington University Community Counseling Services Center provides pay-what-you-can mental health services to area creatives.
To receive care, email CCSCFoggyBottom@gwu.edu and the Care for Creatives team will follow up with more information. You will be asked a couple of questions and then paired with a clinician for support.
The #EntertainDC Office is pleased to recognize Dylan Graves Barbeta-Comstock as the OCTFME December 2022 Filmmaker of the Month (FOTM)!
District-based filmmaker Dylan Graves Barbeta-Comstock is currently the creative director at Holaday Graves Media, a multimedia production company he founded in 2019 that specializes in short form, docu-style, issue-based video production for educators, government entities, non-profits, and social justice organizations. As a queer kid growing up in rural Virginia, Dylan started making experimental art videos in a barn at age 13 with a mini-VHS camcorder. Surviving a variety of crimes as a child and adult further galvanized his drive to create meaningful media. He chose to leverage art, lived experience, and education in service of inspiring change.
“It is an honor to be trusted with others’ stories," Dylan said. "It is a privilege that my journey and work may be in service of others’ truth. Thank you for this opportunity.”
To keep up with Dylan's filmmaking journey follow him on Facebook or LinkedIn. Congratulations Dylan!
The #EntertainDC Office is pleased to recognize the Focus Social Club as the OCTFME December 2022 Location of the Month (LOTM).
The Focus Social Club, located in Ward 6 on the historic H Street Corridor, in Northeast Washington DC is an exciting, vibrant, and visually dynamic location for a special event or media production. The venue, which features two floors of event space spanning 10,000 square feet, includes a dynamic multifunctional area. The look, feel and atmosphere of the Focus Social Club combines rustic exposed brick walls and lush greenery, setting a picturesque backdrop for a multitude of dramatic visual scenarios. Focus Social Club is available to reserve for media production filming or other special events. The entire venue, or individual floors at the venue, are available for rental. The location can accommodate up to 500 people.
“The team at the Focus Social Club is extremely excited to be showcased as the OCTFME Location of the Month and we are proud to offer this restaurant as a media production location,” said Nebiu Daniel, Director of Operations.
If you are interested in learning more about the Focus Social Club as a possible location for a media production or still photography shoot, contact the owner and Director of Operations Nebiu Daniel at (202) 403-7994 or by linking to their website.
OCTFME will highlight the achievements of District of Columbia residents who exemplify excellence in the area of creativity, education, creative entrepreneurship, economic revitalization of creative businesses, social justice, or racial equity.
James Beard Award nominated chef Danny Lee and his mother, Yesoon, opened DC's first full service Korean restaurant 16 years ago in Dupont Circle. Danny and his "Fried Rice Collective" restaurant and hospitality group operate CHIKO, Anju, I Egg You, and TFRC Catering throughout DC, Maryland, Virginia and California. Danny has been featured in several national and local publications and media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Food Network, Men’s Health, and many more. Most notably, Danny and his mother are featured in the HBO Max series Take Out With Lisa Ling, exploring the history of
Korean cuisine in the Washington, DC area.
Congratulations Danny!
The Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment is the regulatory agency that protects and advances the cable service-related interests of the District. At the #EntertainDC Office, our dedicated team is proud to consistently deliver world-class customer service in all aspects of our work. We readily supply information to meet the diverse needs of each constituent and make every effort to educate and inform. If you are a cable television customer, you have rights concerning billing practices, late charges, rate increases, disconnection or service interruption, and dispute resolution procedures. The #EntertainDC Office is here to assist.
Any questions? Ask MARCELLA!
Our mission is to produce and broadcast programming for the District of Columbia’s public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable channels and digital radio station; regulate the District of Columbia’s cable television service providers; provide customer service for cable subscribers; and support a sustainable creative economy and labor market the District of Columbia.
