Sunday, April 15, 2012

Nobody panic, but I'm barely still employed...

One would think Arvig would've bothered to mention this by now, but since to my knowledge they haven't:
DTV20 School and Community TV will no longer exist as we know it. It will operate similarly to Arvig's old channel 14 which has operated in the communities north of the old Diversicom stomping grounds (and DTV20 will in fact move to channel 14, and have it's name changed as well...also it's coverage will be expanded to include the likes of Osakis and maybe Wadena (don't remember) but the overall shift in station policy is that it will no longer spend money to produce content that is not previously contracted...In other words, we will still film city council meetings in towns where we have been filming them, and I think Adam Saltmarsh will still be doing Movie Reviews on Main with Main Street Theatre owner Bob Douvier, but beyond that, anything else which is not already on our filming schedule will no longer be filmed by DTV20. Note that the 2012 Sauk Centre and Melrose proms are on our schedule, as is one other community event that eludes my memory at the moment. But, no more high school activities or athletics (or graduations or proms or coronations) for Melrose or Sauk Centre. No more community events or concerts. No more original shows. Assumably no more filming of the Sinclair Lewis Days Parade Live or Santa Live. As far as Arvig and DTV20 are concerned.
However.
Though details are currently murky at best, as I understand it Arvig's policy has historically been that camera equipment can be borrowed (or rented?) from the community tv station for use in filming community events. I'm not certain that this was true for just anyone, although the impression I get is that that is the case. That said, I will now independently offer my services as a videographer for school and community events in the nearby communities, contingent upon an agreement involving free use of the station's cameras, though I cannot afford to work for free, and so my tentative rates are currently as follows:
I need $50 down (cash or check) to film any school or community event. However, I will also provide 5 DVD copies of the production to the party(s) who funded the production. Any additional desired copies will be available at the cost of $5 each. The event must be within 50 miles of Sauk Centre, MN for this rate to apply. For an additional 50 miles, another $5 will be added to the initial production charge (making it $55). Any distance beyond this is outside my operating range; talk to me if you really want it to happen and we'll figure something out. Note that I am not including performances, plays, larger productions, and the like at this rate, as they take considerably more time to edit and therefore require a higher price tag. Also I do not intend to film any performances involving copyright issues unless I know for sure that they can easily be resolved. So, no Music on the River, for example, sorry.
Anything I film can still be submitted to and played on whatever DTV20 becomes, though it doesn't have to be - it's up to the people who request it to be filmed (keep in mind, the new general Arvig policy is simply to not spend any money on content)
Also, once some of the fog of general confusion clears, I'll have a better idea of what the fate of DTV20's former sports sponsors is, and whether I'll be able to have them sponsor my efforts instead, or if I'd have to get new sponsors--doing so would for sure let me reduce and maybe allow me to eliminate the production charge listed above.
Additionally, this change may open up the possibility of streaming live video of some school events, though I'd have to work those details out with the school districts.
My phone number: 3.2.0 2.6.0 5.8.2.0

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