ResearchChannel: Think Forward' Think Success'

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ResearchChannelThink Forward. Think Success.

• Timothy J. LorangProgrammingSept. 19, 2005
• Philadelphia

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Programming Committee

• Chris VargasHoward Hughes Medical Institute
• Douglas LichvarUniversity of Southern California
• Glenn SmallJohns Hopkins University
• Larry PribylOregon State University
• Paul LawrenceYale University

• Rob SmithUniversity of Virginia
• Rodney ZentTexas AM University
• Susan KehoeGeorge Mason University
• Todd MundtUniversity of Michigan
• William HydrickA.B. Freeman School of Business,
  Tulane University

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Programming Committee Projects

• Prepare for video-on-demand on cable
• Explore ResearchChannel news magazine
• Develop public TV carriage proposal

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Why Video-on-Demand on Cable?

• ResearchChannels mission is to make knowledge
  widely available
• ResearchChannel is committed to using
  leading-edge technologies
• Therefore, make programs available on Comcast and
  Charter new VOD service
• And, develop policy and procedures

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Policy Statement
• ResearchChannel will showcase the best programs
  selected from a cross-section of participating
  institutions in the following categories
• Social and Political Sciences
• Arts and Humanities
• Business and Economics
• Engineering and Computer Science
• Health and Medical Science
• Technology and Basic Sciences

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Policy Statement
• The programs will be of the highest quality and
  will represent the channels diverse topics and
  participants. They will consist of unique,
  current and newsworthy topics. And they will be
  presented by credible speakers and institutions.
• The goal of the video-on-demand service through
  cable broadcast providers is to bring together
  the ideas of the worlds premier institutions and
  disseminate those ideas to the public directly,
  unedited and without interruption.

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Procedures
• On the program submission form will be a check
  box if the submitting institution wishes the
  program to be considered for cable video on
  demand.
• These programs will be reviewed by the
  ResearchChannel Programming department and
  evaluated according to the following guidelines
  

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Procedures
• Guidelines
• Credible A respected speaker, institution or
  forum representing credible and reliable
  information, science or research.
• Current or newsworthy Relevant to current
  topics, events and discussions in science,
  research, society and politics.
• Unique Noteworthy, news breaking and unique
  programs and topics.
• Representative An even representation of topics
  and ResearchChannel participants.
• Quality Production quality and broadcast
  standards will reflect the high standards of
  nationally distributed programs, ResearchChannel
  and its participating institutions.

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Procedures
• An effort will be made to balance the programs
  between the following ResearchChannel program
  categories
• Social and Political Sciences
• Arts and Humanities
• Business and Economics
• Engineering and Computer Science
• Health and Medical Science
• Technology and Basic Sciences

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Procedures
• The programming department will strive to
  maintain a balanced representation of
  participating ResearchChannel organizations.
• Each month the Programming department will submit
  a list of five (5) new programs to the
  Programming Committee for review.

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Procedures
• If there are no objections or concerns from the
  Programming Committee, the Programming department
  will submit these five (5) new programs each
  month to the cable televisions video-on-demand
  service.
• The Programming department will maintain fifteen
  (15) programs on the cable companys
  video-on-demand library. Programs will be rotated
  out of the video-on-demand services after three
  (3) months.

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Prepare for Cable VOD Distribution

• Procedures
• If there is a discrepancy concerning a programs
  status on the video-on-demand services, the
  program will be submitted to the Programming
  Committee for review. The Programming Committee
  will make recommendations on program inclusion in
  cable video on demand.

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ResearchChannel News Magazine Goals

• Provide additional outlet for information
• Opportunity to repurpose material
• Provide venue for participants with restricted
  media production capabilities
• Present information in an overall
  ResearchChannel context

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ResearchChannel News Magazine Sample Formats

• Video news releases
• Single-camera (news-style) interviews
• Two-person interviews
• B-roll and copy
• Stills
• Press releases

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ResearchChannel News Magazine Program Sample
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ResearchChannel News Magazine Estimated Budget

• Series 10 shows
• Direct costs 53,010
• In-kind donations 179,250
• One-time series expenses 7,500
• TOTAL SERIES COST 239,760

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ResearchChannel News Magazine Challenges

• No funded production budget
• Need to identify funding opportunities
• Need commitment of participants

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Public TV Carriage

• Opportunity
• During the analog to digital television
  transition, upgraded cable systems that offer
  high-definition television will carry four
  streams of free, noncommercial digital broadcast
  programming and associated material from one
  public television station in each market. That
  is, four streams in addition to that stations
  analog signal. Cable companies will also
  re-broadcast these four digital streams.

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Public TV Carriage

• NCTA, Public TV Reach Carriage Deal
• MultiChannel News January 2005 The cable
  industry has agreed in principle to carry
  multiple digital services of public television
  stations under a 10-year agreement likely to
  begin taking effect within a few months.

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Public TV Carriage

• Developing Response
• Ted Krichels Pennsylvania State University
• Todd Mundt University of Michigan
• Byron Knight Wisconsin Public TV
• Dennis Haarsager KWSU-TV, Pullman, Washington
• Programming Committee

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Public TV Carriage

• Draft Proposal to Public TV
• ResearchChannel has a solution to this
  programming shortage. We can provide a digital
  broadcast stream 24 hours a day, seven days a
  week. We can help you fulfill your programming
  needs, give your audience access to free,
  noncommercial television programming, and embrace
  new opportunities to serve the public with
  quality educational programming.

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Public TV Carriage Draft Proposal

• Benefits to Public TV
• Free 24/7 access to ResearchChannels digital
  broadcast stream
• Permission to promote ResearchChannel on their
  channels and websites
• Access to programming schedules and information
• Permission to key local channel ID information
• Being listing on the ResearchChannel website as a
  distributor of ResearchChannel programming

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Public TV Carriage Draft Proposal

• Access
• ResearchChannels 24/7 digital broadcast stream
  is available to public television stations via
  digital satellite downlink or a 3.6Mb/s Internet
  stream for retransmission over one of their
  available digital cable channels.

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Public TV Carriage Draft Proposal

• Cost
• ResearchChannel programming provided for a
  nominal price of 1,000 a quarter.
• Public television stations affiliated with
  ResearchChannel participating universities exempt
  from carriage fees.

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Public TV Carriage

• Next Steps
• What is the process for engaging stations?
• Develop PTV marketing plan.
• Do we need to change programming?
• What is the price structure?
• How should we structure retransmission agreement?

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Programming CommitteeSept. 19, 2005

• Timothy J. Lorang