K
Years ago
Funny ABL on Channel 31
I don't know how serious any of you were about starting up an ABL show on Channel 31, but I think it's a great idea and I am willing to invest some time in it, if others are willing to join me. It's going to take a while to get organised, but I figure if we start planning now, we can have the show underway next year and do one a week for the duration of the ABL season (ie. approx 20 shows). I've done some scouting for information, and here's what we will need to do:
We can choose between an hour or half-hour each week. Half an hour will probably be our best bet, because making the show will take a lot of time as it is, and an hour-long show will add a lot of extra work, cost etc.
Channel 31 works like most TV stations... its shows are interspersed with "sponsorship breaks" ("sponsorship breaks" because it's illegal for a community TV channel to have "commercials"). A half-hour show will probably have about 7 30-second sponsors' ads interspersed with the program, maybe 3 breaks of 2-3 ads each, plus a 2 minute Channel 31 ad. Total actual program time = 24mins 30 secs a week.
There are two options with this advertising. If we pay Channel 31 to air our show, a half hour show will cost us $200 a week, and an hour-long show will cost $400 an episode. For that cost, Channel 31 will find sponsorship for us.
Our other option is to find sponsorship ourselves. If we do this, we find our own sponsors (ie. 4+ companies / businesses to pay $50 a week for a 30 second ad during the program). We then have the option of making a small profit. Also, product placement does not count as sponsorship, so if we hang sponsors' signs around our set, we have the option of making more money.
It's possible to submit each week's episode on a MiniDV tape for broadcasting. This means that we will need a digital video camera (I have one; we will probably need more to get footage of simultaneous games, etc) and access to editing facilities (I can edit at home on Final Cut Pro, and some segments could be done on simpler programs like iMovie if others have access to them and are willing to spend a little time each week editing part of a show). These would all be fine for the segments of the show that will be shot at various games each week, etc.
I am assuming we will also need some kind of "studio" setting in between different segments of the show. Channel 31 does have a studio available, with equipment (stage, 3-camera setup, studio lights, control room, vision mixing facilities, etc). Most of their shows are done in that studio. We have the option of using it ourselves, however it is hired out at a cost of $150 AN HOUR, so we are probably better off setting up a makeshift "studio" somewhere else. (Although if we want to put sponsors' signs up around the set, we could probably cover the cost of hiring out the studio, equipment etc for an hour a week).
Anyway, that's the business side of things... it will take some work, but I think we can get it done... there is a lot of possibility for sponsorship from the local basketball community, sports-related businesses, etc.
What we need to do next is decide what it is we want to do and who is willing to be involved with what. We have to decide what the program will involve, the target audience (kids? parents? the whole basketball community in SA?) The way I see it, we could generate a lot of interest for the show, putting the time etc on ABL programs, mentioning it at ABL games, putting it on the website... we could even run it both ways by putting the website address in the credits to attract people to the forum.
We also need to decide what kind of segments we will have, and what style the program will be. Then we need to write a proposal so that we can present it to Channel 31 and go about getting a timeslot for next year. (Are we thinking of it as a night-time show, daytime during the weekend, after school, after work...?)
We will need people to:
Find sponsors.
Design a logo / graphics / titles etc. for the show.
Film games and other segments each week.
Edit segments of the show each week / edit segments together to make the show.
Host (ie. be in front of the camera for various segments, or run the overall show from the studio).
Compose music to use (we can't use copyright music so we'll need people with contacts with local bands etc who would be willing to write music for us).
Find a location for the studio, if we decide not to use the one at Channel 31.
Design a website (Isaac, is there any possibility of having a page or two of hoops.com.au dedicated to the show? ie. what's on this week, the time and channel, coming soon, etc?)
We will also probably need a representative from each club to liaise with management, players etc and let them know what is going on, print articles in the newsletter, arrange for copies of game tapes if we don't film them ourselves....
If you can think of anything else that needs doing, let me know.
If you are seriously willing to get involved and spend a couple of hours (or more) a week to get this show on the air, please let me know, and tell me what skills you have to offer (even if you don't have any skills, you can easily be taught).
Also, if you have any ideas on how the program should be run, add them below. This is a great opportunity to promote South Australian basketball and I think that we should take it, rather than sit around talking about it.
