City of Grand Island

Grand Island, Neb. — After a successful debut season in 2024, “The Business Beat” is changing its tune for at least one year. You can now refer to it as “The Department Beat.”

Grand Island Television Productions is excited to announce a new direction for its original series featuring Grand Island Police Chief Kevin Denney. What began as a way to connect the police department with local businesses through "The Business Beat" is now evolving into something broader, deeper and even more entertaining.

Starting this month, the series will relaunch under the new name "The Department Beat," shifting its focus from the business community to a behind-the-scenes look at Grand Island’s city departments. Still hosted by Chief Denney—known for his approachable style and good-natured humor—the show will explore the inner workings of the city’s departments while offering residents an engaging and lighthearted perspective on how Grand Island runs.

“The first season of “The Business Beat” gave us a great foundation,” Chief Denney said. “We met incredible business owners, showcased the strength of community partnerships and had a lot of fun along the way. Now we’re taking that same energy and using it to spotlight the dedicated professionals across our city departments. I may be out of my element in some of these places—but that’s part of the fun.”

The premiere episode of “The Department Beat” drops Thursday, May 15 with its first broadcast being on GITV. The episode will also drop at 10 a.m. that day on all Grand Island Police Department social media channels as well as the City of Grand Island’s YouTube channel. It will feature a visit to the Grand Island Public Library, where Chief Denney learns what it takes to keep a modern public library running smoothly—from checking out books and managing digital resources to planning community events.

Future episodes will dive into departments such as Utilities, Fire, Parks and Recreation, Public Works and more. Each episode aims to humanize the people behind the services residents rely on every day, while also offering viewers a fresh and often humorous look at what goes on behind the scenes.

“This new format allows us to educate the community while also building appreciation for the many roles that make Grand Island function,” Grand Island Communications Manager Spencer Schubert said. “With Chief Denney’s natural charisma, expect these episodes to be both informative and fun."