Starting up a new TV station!?

Hi everyone,

Last month, my producer talked to me about the ideas of starting up a new TV station that has a production unit in house. It will just be a small local station where we do news, talk shows, and events, etc...He asked me to do some research about how to set up a control room to switch news and talk shows. I don't really know where to start. Please advice on how, where, and who I can contact or please point me to the right direction. BTW, it's not gonna be live feed. We're just gonna feed the program using a DVCam or BetaCam tape. Thank you very much!

Also, we're just trying to build a SMALL LOCAL channel TV with a very limited budget. Thanks.



Post Edited (05-09-06 15:55)

How limited is the budget? News and Master Control switchers cost a pretty penny all by themselves, even used. Setting up a TV station is not something you can do with a couple of XL-1s and FCP with firewire drives. It's a major engineering task.

There are companies that do exactly what you are asking. In San Diego there's a company called TV Magic which can create scaleable production facilities. You never mentioned where you are, but I would look for companies like them near to where this will be happening.

Your producer doesn't need to be asking an editor, he/she needs a production manager.

Andy

Forgive my intrussion, I am a Houston local editor/producer the question I have is : Do you have a FCC license for a TV station?
That's were the build-up of a TV station start.
Usually or a TV station with multiple licenses sells or leases one as I understand or you need to apply for your local market for one at the FCC which is a very complicated process.
By 2008 all transmissions in the USA must be digital so be aware of used analog transmiters.
best of luck!
Daniel



Televisionworks

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies.

We're currently located in Southern California. For equipments alone, we just want it to be under few hundreds thousands. Also, we're not doing any tranmission. We just produce programs in house and set the final program to tape to another facilities to air.

Daniel, we don't have a FCC license just yet. That's my producer's job. We just ask me to worry about the equipment costs.

Anyone in Southern California I should call? Thanks....

"We just produce programs in house and set the final program to tape to another facilities to air"

Then it's not a start-up TV Station...it's a Production Unit. Are you going to have a full blown studio with greenscreen facilities? Are you going to do your own news gathering & production? Get ready for 140 hour work weeks & say goodbye to your family if you have one. Put lots of duct tape & a pair of channel locks on your equipment list. You never know.

- Joey



When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Tony,
Email me off list with you ph#. I can point you in the right direction.
Frank.
fjnolan@pacbell.net

Hey Joey, We are going to have a studio with greenscreen facilities and just subscribe to routers or CNN for news footages. Thanks for your advice though.

Frank, I'm gonna drop you an email. Thanks.



Post Edited (05-12-06 13:02)