how to start a news channel

[Walter Biscardi]

What do you mean machine and quantity of machine? You mean VTR’s? Broadcast equipment? control room Equipment? Field Equipment? What?

If you’re going to start a news channel you need a broadcast consultant. Someone like Bob Zelin here on the Cow or WH Platts company here in Atlanta. This is a consultant or a company that meets with you and specs the entire facility and operation. You can’t build a new facility from an internet forum.

We can help with some equipment decisions, but you’re getting into something that requires people working alongside you in your location.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[Grinner Hester]

When starting any new thing, it’s good to have experience with it.
If you have not worked in news, do it for a while. If you have, maybe it’s time to pitch a news show to a network that knows what gear they need.
I’d not hop into millions of dollars of debt in hopes that something good comes of it.

[Ron Lindeboom]

What you are looking at doing would require not only millions of dollars, at least, in equipment and hardware — but also requires deals in place with local stations to act as your eyes and ears on the ground in those specific market areas. Getting them to give you their expertise and content requires some form of reciprocal value and a new station with no viewers in start-up mode is not likely to find much success in accomplishing this. These are just two of the concerns you would have.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom

Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
– Antoine de Saint Exupéry

[David Roth weiss]

All interesting answers above, but I have a very different take.

Today, anyone with a computer, a video camera, and an Internet connection can become a broadcaster. If I wanted to broadcast the local Brentwood news 24-hours a day I could start pumping out the news 24/7 by lunchtime. Sure, as a one man band my coverage of the news would be extremely limited, but as they say, every journey begins with just one step. Youtube and several other video services are ready and waiting to help you spread your news to lots of others if you can tell a story they want.

So Vicky, if you want to start a news service get going now. Just start decide what your niche is and start broadcasting. You may fail several times along the way, but just do it, and do it well.

Good luck!!!

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Walter Biscardi]

[David Roth Weiss] “Today, anyone with a computer, a video camera, and an Internet connection can become a broadcaster. “

Anyone in the U.S. sure, our laws are very accomodating to anyone who wants to start an internet based service. But what are the laws in India? I honestly don’t know. Without knowing the laws in India and how they regulate this sort of service (if they do at all) this is terrible advice to just say “go ahead and do what you want!”

Vicky, a gentleman by the name of Neil Sadwelkar posts regularly in the Final Cut Pro Forum. He is located in Mumbai. If you decide to follow David’s advice and just start broadcasting, and you do not know the laws governing such a service in India, I would highly advise that you get in touch with Neil first. The last thing I want to see happen to any of our users here in this community is get into legal trouble due to advice given on these forums.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

Read my Blog!

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!

[Mark Suszko]

This whole thing could very well just be a case of mis-communication. David, (with whom I agree more and more these days) may be onto the real truth of the question. I think Vicky neesd to define his terms and the scope of what he’s asking a bit more, because the way most of us initially interpreted it, it *was* worded a little on the impractical side. But if what he really means is that he is interested in doing something over ther internet, this could mean almost anything frommsimple podcasting to something moer grand.

So, Vicky, if you would please expand upon your initial question with some more specifics, I think the whole question will soon snap into better focus. Because the original question was so open-ended it could just as well have been: “I like to fly, what do I need to create a competitor to NASA?”

[Bob Zelin]

David writes –
If I wanted to broadcast the local Brentwood news 24-hours a day I could start pumping out the news 24/7 by lunchtime. Sure, as a one man band my coverage of the news would be extremely limited, but as they say, every journey begins with just one step.

REPLY –
I can see it now. “Hello, this is David Roth Weiss, reporting live from Katsuya, on San Vicente Blvd. ”
I am not sure if I am embarased to say this, but I would actually watch a web channel like this. Who’s eating at Capo, who’s eating at Brentwood Restaurant and Lounge ? And how come I’m not there !

What a great idea for starving videographers. A LOCAL news/community channel on the web that promotes the local businesses. You get paid per hit. This could replace the horrible local community newspapers that everyone gets.

David Roth Weiss IS a genius !

Bob Zelin

[David Roth weiss]

[Bob Zelin] “I can see it now. “Hello, this is David Roth Weiss, reporting live from Katsuya, on San Vicente Blvd. ” “

It’s just two blocks away Bob, and having been there once myself, I not sure why the heck it’s always packed. Meanwhile, I’m sure you can count on great pizza next week after your appearance at LAFCPUG. I think Katsuya is out of the question due to the current state of the economy.

BTW, after I suggested it, Michael Horton has already cleared the way for audience heckling at LAFCPUG in your honor. And, I tried to get Dee Snyder (of Twisted Sister) to appear the same night, but of course, since you two are one in the same that isn’t possible. Will you voluntarily submit a DNA sample for testing?

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Mark Suszko]

Well even the *real* 24-hour news channels don’t fill all 24 hours with actual news. They mostly “wheel” the same handful of stories a couple times an hour, then “update” them, not by finding new content, but by having various people, either reporters, lobbyists or pundits, react to the existing material, then covering reaction to the reaction, which costs less than actual reportage and field reporting.

Then run a one hour commentary and analysis program that just rehashes that wheel. And be sure to super “breaking news” or “at this hour” over it, even though it didn’t happen “at this hour” or even five hours back. Spice it up once every three hours with some free VNR footage of something goofy or pop-culture related, and/or do a piece on viewer reactions to the reaction about the reaction to the event. Then take that mix and multiply it by 24 to fill a day.

It is a miracle of recycling. But don’t call it news. It’s fifteen minutes of news and 23 hours of “Hamburger Helper”.

[David Roth weiss]

[Mark Suszko] “David, (with whom I agree more and more these days) may be onto the real truth of the question. I think Vicky neesd to define his terms and the scope of what he’s asking a bit more, because the way most of us initially interpreted it, it *was* worded a little on the impractical side.”

Oh my God, I’ve charted this Mark and there’s a definite trend developing.

I also thought that Vicky’s initial idea seemed rather large to tackle, hence my suggestion to start with something more manageable. When CNN first started they didn’t have news bureaus in every city or in every foreign country either, but they’re doing alright now.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.