Pete Belcastro is a longtime American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 television and radio personality who has worked as a sports commentator, news anchor and reporter and is running for political office. He is the former director at Rogue Valley Community Television

Rogue Valley Community Television

Rogue Valley Community Television is a Public-access television cable TV station based at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. The interim director is Nena Scuderi-Fox and the program director/operations manager is Joe Brett...

 and was football and basketball commentator for the Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University

is a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...

 on local radio. He resides in Ashland, Oregon

Ashland, Oregon

Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...

.

Broadcasting career

Belcastro spent time as a commentator, news anchor and reporter at KTVL

KTVL

KTVL, channel 10 is a CBS television affiliate based in Medford, Oregon and broadcasts from a transmitter high atop Mount Ashland, 15 miles south of the city. The station covers eight counties in southern Oregon and northern California. The studios are located on Rossanley Drive in northwest...

 Channel 10, a CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 television affiliate in Medford, Oregon

Medford, Oregon

Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...

 before accepting a position as director of Rogue Valley Community Television, a Public-access television

Public-access television

Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...

 station based at Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University

is a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...

 in Ashland

Ashland, Oregon

Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...

 in 1989. While holding that position, he served as the play-by-play voice of the Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University

is a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...

 Raiders football, women's basketball and men's basketball teams for KTMT

KTMT

KTMT may refer to:*KTMT , a radio station licensed to Ashland, Oregon, United States*KTMT-FM, a radio station licensed to Medford, Oregon, United States...

.

In 2004, he was the recipient of Ashland's James M. Ragland Memorial "Volunteer Spirit" Community Service Award, given to one citizen each year for making significant contributions to the community.

On August 9, 2007, Belcastro resigned as director at RVTV when his contract was not renewed. He works at Lithia Realty in Ashland.

Political aspirations

Belcastro announced that he would be running for the Oregon State Representative

Oregon House of Representatives

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

 seat in House District 5 as a member of the Independent Party. The seat is held by Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

incumbent Peter Buckley of Ashland.

External links

• Ashland Daily Tidings: RVTV director resigns (July 14, 2007)
• Ashland Daily Tidings: Belcastro to run for state rep. (July 1, 2008)
• Medford Mail Tribune: Belcastro enters race for Buckley House seat (July 8, 2008)