Jorge Rivera has been called “a singular moving force behind cultural and community growth in St. Johns County.” Six seasons of his “St. Augustine Tonight” show and his FirstCoast.TV channel have put the spotlight on many local events and much talent. He was one of seven individuals honored May 14 by the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach and The Recorder in their 34th Annual Local Heroes Awards.
Tell us a little bit about your background.
I was born in New York City in 1955 and moved to Puerto Rico with my family at the age of 11. Growing up, I worked alongside my father in the restaurant business. At 18, I returned to New York — this time to Rochester in upstate New York.
Over the years, my journey took me to Orlando, back to New York City where I attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and later to Europe for 13 years, then Maui, and ultimately St. Augustine, Florida.
I left Maui to return to St. Augustine, where I became my mother’s caregiver for 17 years.
I have worn many hats: short-order cook, waiter, electrician, firefighter, teacher, actor, hospital and court interpreter, videographer, documentarian, humanitarian worker, art gallery salesperson, rental car agent and more.
My life has been shaped by hard work, service, creativity and a willingness to embrace new opportunities wherever they led me, always willing to learn, listen, understand and above all help.
When and how did you first get involved in documenting local events and news?
When I moved to St. Augustine and St. Johns County from Maui, I quickly realized that this was a very special and vibrant community. I also noticed that the major Jacksonville news outlets were not covering many of the important stories and events taking place in St. Johns County.
That observation inspired an idea: to create a local news channel that would be easily accessible to everyone through YouTube. After months of planning, I launched the channel about 12 years ago and named it First Coast TV.
Our very first story covered a grassroots protest by St. Augustine residents who opposed the construction of a proposed 7-Eleven on May Street. The citizens organized, made their voices heard, and ultimately prevailed — the project was canceled.
Tell us about “St. Augustine Tonight.” I read that you have featured more than 275 guests. Was it difficult to find sufficient numbers to keep the show going through all those years?
I have to confess that St. Johns County has many people with wonderful stories to tell, so the short answer is no. St. Johns County is full of musicians, authors, artists of all sorts, opera, classical music, ballet, magicians, preachers, politicians, entrepreneurs and the list goes on.
Do you have some episodes that really stand out? I’m reminded of your visit to Venice.
The trip to Venice in 2025 was to set up our Season 6 of the “St Augustine Tonight Show.” Through a GoFundMe and personal contributions, we were able to bring our fans with us, so we used FB, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and our YouTube Channel to allow them a window into our Venice Carnival adventure.
We have had some very interesting guests, like Harris Hurley Haywood the American former race car driver, local painter Roger Bansemer with a show of paint and travel on PBS — he also went down to the wreck of the Titanic on a Russian submersible, and Kevin Venardos and his circus, just to name a few.
What’s next for “St. Augustine Tonight”?
I never know, even during interviews. Sometimes there are surprises. As of now, I still don’t know when Season 7 will be announced.
Are all the episodes available for viewing?
Yes, they can be seen on the YouTube channel, youtube.com/@FloridaFirstCoast and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jorgel.rivera.9210.
Tell us about FirstCoast.TV and what people will find there.
There are about 1,100 videos on First Coast.TV, and you will find everything under the sun: festivals, parades, concerts, interviews, the mayor’s first 100 days, history, art, music, products, politics, community projects, hurricane news and so much more.
Where can they go to access it?
youtube.com/@FloridaFirstCoast
What was your reaction to learning you’d been named a Local Hero?
Surprised, humbled and curious about the award. Also wanting to meet and get to know the other nominees.
What do you like most about living in this area?
Its ability to keep reinventing itself, its diversity, tolerance and above all its strong sense of community.
