On Ramp: Opportunities on Satellite

If it were a perfect world--well, a perfect video world--we'd all be rich and famous.

Let me set up a little scenario in Perfectdom. Joey Camcorder utilizes all of his video skills to produce a pretty impressive and technically adept 30-minute program entitled High School Hidden Video. The show is taped under cover at various learning institutions, capturing the wacky, real-life turmoil of the teenage populace.

With sponsors for support and a sizable potential audience, all that's left for Joey is a means of distribution. Packing a couple of episodes in his car, Joey heads down to the local TV station, where the manager is waiting with open arms and empty decks. Smart guy that he is, the manager realizes both the need and want of locally-produced programming. He's also aware of the strong following this type of show tends to develop, and the great financial rewards he stands to gain by scheduling such a sure-fire hit.

While the description above is purportedly for those living in a perfect world, it comes quite close to the truth about successful video productions. Unfortunately, there's one snag in the works. And this snag is a biggie. You know when I described the television station manager waiting for the tapes? That's not gonna happen. Not by a long shot.

This commonly found barrier to distribution may be the largest, hardest-to-overcome hurdle facing potential producers today. We can get the technology. We can learn the skills. We can hire the talent. We can find the locations. But for some reason, we can't get broadcasted.

Don't despair, videomakers. The promises of the impending information superhighway look good. Digital TV, TV on demand, video dialtone--shucks, with all these possibilities, an audience outlet is sure to arrive. If we can just hold out a little longer...