A virtual show launched five weeks ago, ‘One on One with Tracy Khan’, takes full advantage of the new normal wrought by closures resulting from the novel coronavirus.
The one-hour show, which streams on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube on Sundays at 6 pm, provides the platform for discussion on current affairs, social issues, personal issues, and topics that are trending globally.
The last five Sundays have seen virtual guests from Canada, the UK, the US, Jamaica, and Guyana, including influencers, comedians, rappers, and musicians.
Viewers have grown to more than 2,000 for the last two shows and tomorrow’s is expected to attract an even larger audience as its guests are likely to include US Congresswoman for Brooklyn Yvette Clarke as well as Senator James Sanders Jr, Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman all of New York. Tomorrow’s programme will be a packed an informed one targeting race, COVID-19, immigration, the 2020 census and the stimulus payment.
Tracy, a former Capitol News journalist and producer, said she, like many others at home in self-quarantine, was not doing much and was fishing around for ideas on ways to be better occupied. She thought doing a virtual show would be of interest and since her field is journalism it would be easy for her to find intriguing topics and issues.
So far, one of her most viewed programmes was two Sundays ago when the topic was dating and relationships. A group of men and women from diverse backgrounds and cultures joined the show to share their opinions and experiences.
“The feedback has been amazing and all positive and when I say all positive, I mean even if someone isn’t saying how much they like my show, they are commenting on what I can do to improve it and grow. The show is informing, educational and entertaining altogether. People are enjoying it and they have such interest that that they are even recommending future topics,” Tracy said.
But it is not a one woman show. Tracy is a part of a dedicated team of four. Her technical guy, Rawle DaSilva, who is based in the US, is someone she has worked with for a number of years and was one of several persons who started Capitol News some 20-plus years ago. Kurt Campbell, also a journalist, who co-hosted with Tracy two Sundays ago, has taken up the position of co-host as the show moves forward. He is also responsible for responding to social media questions and comments as well as preparing the layout for the show. Meanwhile, the superb graphics art is all the work of the owner of Graphix Boss, Trevlon Craig who operates his business in Berbice.
Despite all of the work put in, none of them earn an income from the show. In fact, all the funding for ‘One on One with Tracy Khan’ has been coming from their own pockets. Apart from more viewers, the show is hoping to attract its own sponsors.
Tracy also hopes to eventually move it from being just a virtual show, to having her own studio and studio audience. She and her team are assiduously working towards becoming bigger and better in the entertainment arena, to the point where the show can be picked up by one of the big networks.
Along with its large US-based viewers, persons from Canada, the UK, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent, and Guyana also log on.
