2020 Inductee - Resti Bagcal

It’s been an honor to be part of the KCTS 9/Cascade Public Media family for more than 30 years! In these unprecedented times, the need for quality video journalism and storytelling has never been more important or necessary.

Versatile” is the best word to describe Resti Bagcal. If you need someone to build a set, record and edit audio or shoot video for any type of program, Resti is your guy. 

 The son of Filipino immigrants, Resti grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. At a young age, he fell in love with filmmaking. He recalls using his parent’s Super 8 camera to experiment with stop-motion animation. 

Resti’s television career began in 1982 when he worked as a production assistant with KAKM 7 (Anchorage’s PBS member station) running camera for pledge programming and local news segments. From there, Resti went on to study in the Radio and Television Communication Arts program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. During his time at PLU, he held a work study position with KPLU public radio, recording live music in Seattle’s famous Jazz Alley. 

 Today, Resti is the lead television and production technician for KCTS 9 and Cascade Public Media, where he has been working since 1986. Resti honed his audio recording and editing skills so well that he was able to work on numerous high-profile public television productions around the world, most notably the team behind the KCTS 9/Walt Disney co-production “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

 Other local productions Resti has been excited to work on include “Check Please!,” “Cooking with Nick Stellino,” and “Graham Kerr.” He has been the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Outstanding Documentary, two national Emmy® awards and four regional Emmy® awards.

Through his work as a videographer and sound engineer on the KCTS 9 series “IN Close,” Resti was connected with the Salaam Cultural Museum. As a result, he volunteered to help collect goods for Syrian refugees living in camps in Greece and Jordan and to document the organization's story. In addition, he has volunteered as a professional mentor for Reel Grrls and Reel Queer Youth, organizations committed to filmmaking and media literacy for teenage girls and LGBTQ2+ youth.

In recent years, Resti has been a leader in CPM’s pivot from broadcast television to digital media. Whether creating elaborate studio production setups, shooting in the field or executing live-streamed events, Resti continues to prove “versatile” in a constantly changing industry. He thanks his family and two sons Christopher and Daniel for their continued love and support.