About Us
ABOUT PGTVBELIZE.COM
PGTV News Network is among the Belize’s leaders in environmental news and environmental information delivery. Staffed 24 hours, seven days a week by a dedicated staff in PGTV News Network headquarters in Cattle Landing, Toledo District, Belize. PGTV features the latest multimedia technologies, from live video streaming to audio packages to searchable archives of news features and background information. The site is updated continuously throughout the day.
Our History
Toledo Exposure was established on March 16, 2010, in the Toledo District of Belize. Over the past several years, the organization has carefully documented and shared the region’s stories using various modes of communication including radio, television, and social media, as well as project-based learning experiences. Since its founding, it has successfully used the power of broadcast to bring attention to important local issues. For instance, it pioneered a public awareness campaign highlighting the garbage disposal problem in the town of Punta Gorda through public service announcements aired on PGTV and YouTube. Similarly, it used PGTV as a medium for educating local people about HIV prevention. Toledo Exposure has also played a crucial role in preserving the diverse natural resources of the region. For example, its videos were a catalyst for action in the illegal rosewood trade in Southern Belize. As a result of its efforts, the species is now listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Likewise, Toledo Exposure has helped reduce illegal fishing by monitoring and reporting illegal activities to the Belizean government. Toledo Exposure is enthusiastic about continuing its work in the region to help bring awareness to important problems and create a more informed, active public.
Our Work
Toledo Exposure is a nonprofit organization that provides quality, locally-based news and information to the residents of Toledo and the broader country of Belize as well as Belizeans living abroad. The organization believes in strategic storytelling as a means of empowering Belizeans to embrace and protect the cultural and environmental resources that make Toledo an exceptional place. The Toledo District of Belize features some of the most pristine rain forests in the country, diverse marine and jungle wildlife, over 2,000 species of flowering plants, and remote Mayan villages that maintain precious ancient traditions and practices. However, unsustainable development threatens many of these species as well as the native culture. Additionally, because of the region’s remote location, many Belizeans are unaware of Toledo’s resources and the need to preserve them. As most news is collected and broadcast from the country’s more populous and accessible northern regions, there are few outlets for residents within the Toledo region to learn about what is happening in their own communities. The mission of Toledo Exposure, therefore, is to respond to these needs through informative, regional storytelling. Since its inception, Toledo Exposure has actively sought platforms and partnerships that enable it to disseminate Toledo’s stories throughout Belize. To this end, it currently produces a Punta Gorda-based news program, PGTV, which is broadcast bi-weekly on the Belizean network, KREM. Given the increasing popularity of the program in Toledo and beyond, Toledo Exposure hopes to grow the PGTV staff and its broadcast assets so it can continue shedding light on the issues that impact the region. In addition to PGTV, Toledo Exposure produces a weekly talk show called talk a d town , as well as documentaries and other short videos which are disseminated through its Facebook page. Each of these undertakings is designed to inform and educate Belizeans so they can better advocate for sustainable, value-added practices that preserve and protect their way of life.
Our Values
We believe Toledo Exposure is uniquely positioned as a local, independent nonprofit to courageously advocate for the well being of the Toledo region and its people.
We believe that sharing previously untold stories about Toledo with Belizeans at home and in the diaspora can help spark positive change in the region.
We believe that Toledo Exposure plays an essential role in catalyzing governmental and citizen-based action to protect the region’s resources and natural beauty.
We believe Toledo needs a well-informed public to meet the significant challenges it faces, including the exploitation of natural resources, unsustainable economic practices, under-representation in voting, and low health literacy.
We believe the stories of Punta Gorda and the Toledo region have inherent value and need to be shared.