For nearly 95 years the amazing invention of television has been part of our lives. So simple for us to enjoy. Sit down, take the remote in your hand and discover a world of amazing stories and fantastic locations. Up until very recently, creating the magic of TV was the result of the efforts of as many as hundreds of people at once involved in the process to create, capture, assemble and then distribute them by broadcasting them over the air or on cable to our homes. In addition to the number of people, the equipment and facilities required to get that image into your home were significant. Anyone with dreams of starting a television station or network had to be very well funded to make it happen. Fast forward to today – With the advent of the internet and the advancements in camera and home computing technology in recent years, the gap has closed dramatically. Practically anyone can start a Youtube or Vimeo channel and upload videos for the world to see with only a cheap camera. But Youtube and Vimeo aren’t really TV as we have come to understand it are they? However, since the introduction of Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV devices, there has been a sea change in the accessibility of TV station ownership. Now with a few steps it is possible to get a TV channel launched with your vision and branding using OTT technology. OTT stands for Over The Top . It refers to transmitting TV “Over The Top” of the internet. Smart TV’s and the immensely popular Roku devices are a great example of this technology in use.
How Do I Start a TV Channel?
One of the first decisions you will need to make when starting a TV station, is will I be leasing a channel from a cable or satellite TV provider or will I pursue an OTT channel. There are on occasion, broadcast spectrum auctions that can be used to launch Broadcast TV. Generally speaking though, the cost of securing one of these licenses is well beyond the capacity of the average individual or small company. If you are serious about creating a branded TV Channel of your own, you will need to find an expert to help you or go the DIY route. Exporexi can help you solidify your idea and simplify the process for starting your own TV network into a few easy steps that we will discuss in this article. If you or your business are thinking about making your very own TV station, we recommend taking some initial steps before you to begin. Understanding your goals and creative expectations can be determined by answering some simple questions first.
1. What Genre will this channel content be in? What are its goals and what is the main subject matter going to be? Maybe you want to simply entertain or maybe your content will be purely spiritual or educational. The layout and functionality of the channel may need to differ based on your answer.
2. What method of broadcasting this content do you plan on using? Cable, Satellite, or Internet?. Your choice here can dictate the type of equipment you purchase, the work flow for the channel and also possibly staffing requirements. Time will be required to secure a carriage agreement with a cable or satellite TV provider if you choose that route.
3. How will you acquire the content on this TV network? Self produced content can be affordable and lets you maintain creative control . Maybe you want to acquire content from other producers to get a quick start or fill out your offering. If you use others creative content you generally will need a license to use it.
4. How many hours a day will the network broadcast (8 hours ,16 hours, 24/7 ) or will you be on demand like Netfix? Maybe you want to have both options. With an OTT channel, you can have a mix of scheduled content as you would find on a traditional television network and live events as well as Video on Demand programming.
5. Do you plan on broadcasting live? If so, you will need a location to broadcast from. Will you use a real location? Will it be inside or outside or will you create a studio environment where you can control everything more simply? Determining this point brings about another set of choices.
6. How will you present the information that might be necessary to communicate your message most effectively? Will you need to develop onscreen graphic elements like lower 3rds or other graphics ? Will you need these to be regularly updated or can you reuse the same elements for every show? If you need to update them for each episode then you would certainly need to prepare these in advance and have a means to place them into any feed you are creating. Your program material will need to be transmitted either to the satellite or cable provider or streamed out from a Content Distribution Network (CDN) . The latter would facilitate the need for live streaming software and/or hardware as well.
7. How will you monetize your TV channel? Subscriptions , advertisements, donations? You can sell you own ads, use a 3rd party ad network, sell sponsorships of programs, sell access to individual episodes or series or just charge a subscription fee for the channel. We will gladly help you understand the requirements and implementations of each type of monetization effort as it pertains to running your channel.
All of these above steps might appear obvious. However once you begin the journey down this path to television channel ownership, you should take the time to answer these questions to help you reveal anything unexpected .
There are many details that can go into the successful development and deployment of a TV station or channel. Exporexi offers a clear path to getting your very own TELEVISION STATION in a rapid and cost effective manner. Our experts are available to consult with you free of charge to help you to gain a better understanding of the process and solidify your needs.