I Produced and Hosted My Own Broadcast TV Show

Summary

The author produced and hosted a local cable show called "StressLess," which led to valuable life lessons and community engagement.

Abstract

The author details their experience in creating and hosting a local television show, "StressLess," which became a significant community-building endeavor. The process involved coordinating various technical aspects, garnering local support, and learning new skills. The author emphasizes the importance of content quality and the joy of forming meaningful connections, such as with a grateful 70-year-old volunteer. Despite the challenges, including manually mailing CDs and dealing with complaints, the author found the experience rewarding and educational, drawing inspiration from figures like director Robert Rodriguez. The article concludes with an encouragement for readers to embark on their own creative projects and teases a continuation of the story.

Opinions

The author values community inclusion, as seen in their appreciation for the 70-year-old volunteer's gratitude.
Creating the show was both enjoyable and a learning experience for the author.
The author believes that content remains a crucial element in media production ("Content will always be king").
There is a sense of pride and accomplishment in being a "player" rather than just a "watcher" in the community.
The author reflects on the technical aspects of past media distribution methods, such as mailing CDs, with a hint of nostalgia but also acknowledges the inconveniences involved.
Reading about Robert Rodriguez's approach to filmmaking was inspiring and educational for the author.
The author is optimistic and encouraging, suggesting that others should also try producing their own shows.

5 Easy, Life-Changing Things learned

I created a fun, local cable show called StressLess. Everyone in town took my call to be a guest. Big cities are hard to make communities I have found mine. It was nice to be a player.

Not a watcher.

Here’s why creating a show matters and what you can learn if you try.

There are a lot of moving mechanical parts

It was fun to get the support

Fun to learn new things

Content will always be king

You make great friends like:

A 70-year-old lady volunteered on the show. She came up once to me after production and thanked me for including her in the broadcast. She said not everyone includes her at her age anymore and wanted to personally thank me. I almost had tears. I did little but put the show together and ask for volunteers.

We were still copying to CDs. Yes, and it really was not too long ago. I had to mail them out by hand and listen to people complain if they arrived in the mail late. My parents turned out to be the biggest complainers…

I got to read a book about a famous director, Robert Rodriquez. I would have never read a book like this. He explained he got his start by producing and directing his first movie by doing every production role from scene design, construction, and running the camera.

I hope you will do a show of your own.

Ad this story will continue…