Channel 31 has been the springboard for many big names in Australian media today, but more importantly it has given a voice to local communities across Melbourne and Geelong.

The community television channel has recently welcomed young Greek-Australian Emmanuel Heretakis to their Advisory Committee.

Mr Heretakis is a financial analyst with a passion for empowering local communities and is excited to get stuck into his new role.

“I like to think that I’ve always been involved in Channel 31 – as a fan of their content…Naturally I was delighted to be chosen for the Advisory Committee after seeing them ask for volunteers over their social media platforms,” he told Neos Kosmos. 

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Volunteering is a common theme in Mr Heretakis’ life, having been a part of various organisations in Melbourne’s Greek community and so he found himself drawn to Channel 31 for its ties to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

“C31 has always seemed to provide an opportunity for multilingual content that other stations sometimes forget. Even during lockdown when our community couldn’t attend the big Easter Church services, C31 broadcast those, which let me and my family follow along and keep that tradition alive. So I guess I wanted to give back a little to a station that does a lot for our community,” he said.

Mr Heretakis also continues to dedicate time to communications and youth programs at the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne and will see that his experience here translates effectively to his new role.

“I really hope I can just create some connections between C31’s broadcasting services and the Greek Community. Maybe we’ll be able to find another show like Vasili’s Garden. Hopefully Greek Social Groups and Businesses can learn how help from C31 can improve their connection with the community,” he explained.

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Above all, Mr Heretakis takes on each new endeavour with excitement with a drive to improve the world around him alongside other passionate individuals.

“The team assembled is very experienced, so I’m looking forward to working with them. I’m also looking forward to contributing to C31’s programming, the station’s community engagement, and maybe even bringing a few more Greek-Australian faces to television. The whole committee is working with their communities to make sure C31 continues to be a voice for Melbourne’s diverse communities long into the future!”

The free-to-air channel continues to support community based content.