North Country Matters, the local video news magazine, produced by WCKN in Potsdam, under the direction of Dan Dullea of the Center for Excellence in Communication at Clarkson University, will start taping show the week of Sept. 23.

Potsdam’s Donna Seymour, one of the NCM programming organizers for AAUW-St. Lawrence County, said, “We are grateful to WCKN, Clarkson’s Dan Dullea, and his media students for their part in making community-based civic journalism come alive in the North Country each semester.”

This semester’s shows will feature local politicians, candidates for public office, and area experts discussing a variety of topics of local interest. The half-hours shows will be broadcast on local public access television as well as on YouTube for later viewing.

“The unique opportunity we have to educate people about important community issues through North Country Matters provides a great service to voters and the public,” said Kathleen Stein, Canton, president of the League of Women Voters of SLC.

Among this season’s guests will be Town of Potsdam Supervisor Marie Reagan, giving us a Town check-up on local issues. NCM will also take an in-depth look at some of the ballot issues before the voters on Election Day, Nov. 5.

BOCES Superintendent Tom Burns, a frequent NCM guest, will be back to educate us about the school merger process, something the Potsdam and Canton school districts will be exploring over the next two years. His colleague, Steven Todd, will discuss grants as an education funding mechanism and how BOCES can help local districts in a different show.

The popular and informative Conversations with Candidates will be back, as well. Both candidates for St. Lawrence County District Attorney, incumbent Nicole Duve and challenger Mary Rain, will sit down in separate interviews to discuss the issues surrounding their respective races. Candidates from other local races are also booked.

A later NCM guest is Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, who will discus the 2013 legislative year, local issues of concern in her River District, and take a look at what the 2014 legislative season holds in store.

In addition to local broadcasts, the shows are also available at www.youtube.com/user/danieledullea.