- What do you want to get out of your TV station?
- What content do you want to provide?
- What will be your hours of operation?
- When will you be live versus pre-recorded?
- Create a schedule of events and topics.
Step 2: Get a domain.
I recommend getting a domain name just for this endeavor. .Tv domain names have been the most popular for anything related to a TV station. What you need to keep in mind is that .tv does not stand for television. It is actually the extension for Tuvalu, the Polynesian island nation.
Step 3: Hire a good team to design and code a Web site.
- It should look like a typical Web site. The difference: in the middle of the screen, there should be a large TV that is streaming your video or broadcasting live.
- Publicize your sponsors.
- Have different sections on your Web site where people can browse your products and services, learn more about you, contact you and all the other typical options.
- Change your site often to reflect current promotions and features.
Since you will be doing both pre-recorded and live videos, you should have an area in your home office (or an off-site office) that is decked out with all the necessary equipment and will look great on film.
Step 5: Purchase suitable equipment for recording video and broadcasting live
- An HD camera is recommended.
- Audio equipment: microphone, headset, clipped microphone, or even some wireless audio equipment.
- Lighting: invest in some great lights.
- Green screens. (These are great as it allows for easier editing of video and still photos.)
- Teleprompter, if you want to read from a script.
- Connect your camera to your computer, and get ready to stream live!
Step 6: Get a good Web site host that can handle the bandwidth and the constant streaming of video.
Some good companies include:
- Rackspace.com
- StreamHoster.com
- Veeple.com
- EndavoMedia.com
- TalkPointCommunications.com
Step 7: Record content you can load onto the station.
Don’t think you need hundreds of hours of content to launch your station. You can start with just a few hours of content. Reread the ideas for the live events in the earlier part of the chapter for content ideas and things you can do live or pre-record.
Other content ideas:
- Webcam broadcasting 24/7 (or in certain hours).
- Other people’s content you can use (with permission).
- Old video recordings.
- Testimonials from clients and customers.
Step 8: Keep in mind you don’t need to have content up 24/7.
- We have four hours of pre-recorded content daily, two hours of live stuff and some commercials mixed in.
- We let that content repeat for six hours.
- We then have 12 hours where there is nothing more than a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and some music.
Step 9: Host some live events.
Live events are a great draw as we talked about previously. The difference is you will be hosting your events on your Web site rather than appearing on someone else’s.
Step 10: Promote your hot new TV channel everywhere.
- Link it on your Web sites, social sites and beyond.
- Send out multiple press releases using a service like prweb.com
- Partner with some other people in exchange for free advertising.
Step 11: Step it up a notch!
As your station becomes more popular you can start commanding a variety features and money-making opportunities:
- Paid advertising.
- Banner ads on your site.
- High-profile guest interviews. Heck, maybe you will become the next Oprah!
