In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine...
Once you watch us, you won't watch anything else!

Welcome to MikeSummers.org's companion site devoted to In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine, a locally-produced seasonal magazine show that lasted only five episodes from the summer of 1995 to the spring of 1996. In Focus was Action Video Entertainment's only other television broadcast project outside of AVE Sports. It took a look at the events, activities and personalities that helped make and shape the face of Siskiyou County.

From the highlights of the annual 4th of July celebration in Mt. Shasta to Alan Mainwaring's "Siskiyou Portraits", In Focus gave viewers a glimpse of what Siskiyou County was all about following in the tradition of Evening Magazine/PM Magazine, a popular magazine-format program based in the Bay Area. Now over 10 years after its debut on King Videocable's Channel 3 in Mt. Shasta (now Northland Cable Television), the show is looking to make a comeback... hopefully in 2009.

Check back periodically for updates on future plans for In Focus: your Siskiyou Magazine.

In Focus is now on Facebook!

March 5, 2010: In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine can now be found on Facebook. To access it and become a fan of the show, both in its past and its future forms, click here and click the "Become A Fan" button!

In Focus to return to MCTV 15!

February 20, 2010: In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine is set to return to Mountain Community Television MCTV 15 in the near future, but this time with all five original episodes! The "What Makes News Channel 7?" special has been found and is already airing on MySpace Video and YouTube, but it is now copied to DVD and ready to send to MCTV 15 for air.

"The original In Focus would not have been complete without the KRCR special," said Mike Summers, owner of AVE and executive producer of In Focus. "Now viewers on MCTV 15 will get to see the whole shabang!"

Episodes 3 and 5 were heavily edited for MCTV's benefit due to a two-part segment about a college/career fellowship group at the time that raised the ire of some when it aired on Mt. Shasta cable channel 3. Those segments will still appear on the MySpace and YouTube channels as is, but will not air on channel 15 or at MCTV15.org, the station's website. Still, it's a step in the right direction for a possible return of In Focus to local TV with all-new episodes.

"Despite what some people think about my faith-based segments, the show will carry on with or without them. That is a whole 'nother argument. I feel the show will gain a new audience and could make a way for a return to Mt. Shasta cable TV. It's a bold move despite the fact I'm in Chico now, but the show will once again be a seasonal program, so it makes it easy for me and for (returning host) John Googins."

Googins, who hosted four of the five original In Focus programs in 1995 and 1996, is currently recovering from medical issues, but does plan a possible return to the show.

In Focus's KRCR special now on both MySpace Video and YouTube!

February 18, 2010: The 1995 In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine special program, "What Makes News Channel 7?" can now be seen on BOTH their MySpace and YouTube channels. Host John Googins and cameraman (and former College of the Siskiyous instructor) Ray Berry visited colleague Mike Summers while he was interning at Redding, California, ABC affiliate KRCR-TV Channel 7. Mike gave the two a studio tour and John interviewed several key players in their #1 Northstate news program News Channel 7 including NorCal favorite Mike Mangas, who now anchors the news at KRCR with now-news director Jennifer Scarborough (who makes a brief appearance in the video). You'll also see plenty of Rich Eisen, now of NFL Network.

"This gives people a chance to see my first big break in the TV business," says AVE owner and new In Focus executive producer Mike Summers, who now works at Sainte Television Group in Chico. "It may have been 15 years ago, but it is still a chapter in my career I don't take lightly. I am currently working on plans to do a similar special on In Focus looking at FOX 20 (KCVU) and the other Sainte stations."

You can access the entire episode by clicking here in the In Focus on demand section of the website.

In Focus debuts on YouTube!

February 13, 2010: In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine has finally made its way to YouTube by way of Action Video Entertainment's new YouTube channel. It's aply named AVE on YouTube. While the first three shows have yet to air, they are still shown on AVE on MySpace Video. The fourth episode entitled "What Makes News Channel 7?" is finally seeing inertnet play and the other edition will soon make their way onto YouTube.

"Now people will get to see what I did before my current job at FOX 20 (KCVU)," said new executive producer Mike Summers, who was only segment producer at the time when he interned at KRCR-TV in Redding. "I worked in the news department helping get the sports news put together with highlights from local and national sports. You won't see much of me, except helping Rich Eisen (now of NFL Network) get his script together. Not a bad start to working in network TV affiliation. That was 15 years ago! My, how times have changed!"

To access In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine's "What Makes News Channel 7?" special program which aired on Continental Cablevision's Channel 3 of Mt. Shasta (now run by Northland Cable Television), go to the official AVE on YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheOfficialAVEtv.