Need Help on Some Ideas...

[C. Matthew McMahon]

We have a brand new program we are working on for Public TV. This is very unique and we are the only ones doing anything remotely close to this in the TV industry.

For those who would like to see an online program, and demo spot, go here:

http://www.paradigmmediagroup.com/LearningAbout.htm

Here is my question to everyone -

The series is "Learning About..." It can be about "whatever." Learning about the Ocean, Learning about cars, learning about flowers.

I need to come up with a unique niche that others have not already trampled in the TV industry with infomercial calls. I had thought about "Learning About Oral Hygiene" and was going to contact dentists, toothbrush mfrs, etc. I have called more than 60 people and no response (no one is calling me back). When I was working throught he sleep centers, I had callbacks constantly.

I was thinking about "Learning About Religious history" and calling the major book publishing companies - do a piece on Augustine, Calvin, Luther, etc. I'll tell you how that goes.

But in terms of ideas in general, that are unique, and would have a series of players who would like to underwrite a PTV program for $13,900, I need some ideas.

Some of the guys are doing the following already:
Learning About:
-the enviornment
-nutrition
-history of transportation
-car racing
-computers
-the internet
-diet and exercise
-the brain

What are some other more "niche" topics that you can think of that I am brain dead on? I have been brainstorming for two days.

Thanks guys and gals!

 

[fredtgreco]

Matt,

Look for a tie in with an industry that would view this as marketing. For example:

law firms
accounting firms
financial consulting firms, etc.

Get a group of them to underwrite them. For example: "Learning about the Stock Market" would be seen as a way for a brokerage type firm to get people interested in the market in general and then say, "hey I need to talk with someone about investing."

The tie in could be at the end in a "Sponsored by" or to have some of the "lectures" presented by someone with a byline: "Mr. Smith, partner at Dewey, Cheatem and Howe"

 

[twogunfighter]

Guerilla warfare
Nuclear power
Nuclear medicine
Early Constitutional law
Religion in colonial America
Parachutes
Scuba gear

 

[panicbird]

Good idea, Fred.

Matt, I wonder if it would work if you got a seminary or university to underwrite something on religion (whether it be history or whatever). You could use their professors in it and give them advertising that way. Of course, I do not know how many schools have $13,000 to spend.

Or, maybe you could contact a bunch of churches that would be willing to donate some money for a religious-themed show. You could put them in the "Thanks" credits. Also, they could use the show for teaching their congregations.

Here are some ideas. Learning about:

- World Religions (make pains to show the distinctiveness and differences in each of the major ones; it would be a welcome antidote to the "they all teach the same thing" garbage with which we are constantly baraged)
- America's Religious History
- The Renaissance and Reformation (how these two events contributed to modern society)
- Religion and War (how religion is played out in the trenches)
- Modern American Spirituality (cover the whole range, from New Age-ism to Mainliners to evangelicals to the various Jewish sects to Muslims to Reformed people)

I think one thing that will set you apart if you cover religion would be to really report on religion, to do it justice, not just to paint with broad strokes. Most programs on religion (especially those on Christianity) have no sense of the broad range of ideas within a particular religious camp. I guess part of that comes from the belief in the universality of religion. It keeps people from seeing the differences when all they want to see is the similarities.

Lon

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Great ideas thus far.

All the segments have underwriter credits on them in terms of a 15 second spot on the PTV piece, and then we create a 30 second spot for their local market that we air 40 times on CNN primetime. (It really is a deal and a half).

Maybe the attorney route would be good. Fred, you got $13,900?

Fred, what do you think would be a good series for attorneys?

Maybe, learning about the law? Certain aspects of the law?

 

[ChristianasJourney]

How long is program supposed to be?


Autisim
Seizures
How the electrical grid works
Bird Migration
That really fast train in Japan
The Building of the English Channel
Birds of Australia
Behind the scenes and preparing for the International Auto show

 

[JohnV]

Matt:
Recently I read a book about the history of Country Music. There were great pictures in it all all the favourite stars I knew, and of some before my time that I never knew (I know, hard to believe. ) It was fascinating to me. I kept looking in it for all kinds of details that were written between the line, in the backgrounds of the pictures, all kinds of things. I think I had it for about two months. It was from the local school library.

Something like this has a wide interest, even if you narrow it down to, say, Country Gospel, or Mountain music. It doesn't even have to be Country. As I understand, there are also a lot of firms in the South that could be interested in underwriting such a documentary.

You could maybe do a history of a certain State, like California or Texas, before, during and after the American colonization of these parts leading to statehood. I've been reading up on these lately, and there is an awful lot of small events left out, but which are crucial to the history of each.

You could maybe do a documentary on the Mark Twain era of literature, when tall tales were all the rage, creating such figures as the historical and yet mythical Davey Crocket.

There are more such things I would be interested in. I'm sorry, but I wold not tune into a how-to on oral hygiene. Not if there's a good cowboy movie on.

 

[Christopher]

[quote:5a8bd4652d][i:5a8bd4652d]Originally posted by ChristianasJourney[/i:5a8bd4652d]
How long is program supposed to be?


Autisim
Seizures
How the electrical grid works
Bird Migration
That really fast train in Japan
The Building of the English Channel
Birds of Australia
Behind the scenes and preparing for the International Auto show [/quote:5a8bd4652d]

Janice, I love ya sister! Thanks for mentioning autism.

Maybe instead of just talking about the disability itself you could do one on what happens when the diagnosis is made and all of the programs that they must go through to help the kids. Or you could do one on the theripists who do the training. Or do a day in the life of an autistic child and family.

 

[Gregg]

Some topic ideas ...

Military jet aircraft
MIG Welders
Laminate trimmers
Radial arm saws
Cube vans
Model trains
Dirt bikes

:

 

[ChristianasJourney]

I think this is good because, at least from me, and no doubt Gregg too , you're getting ideas that people are really interested in. I liked the Stock Exchange Idea, too. I also find things having to do with brain really interesting.

But I have to agree with John V. I can't say I'd hang around for long at a show discussing Oral hygene.

[Edited on 5-20-2004 by ChristianasJourney]

 

[Gregg]

[quote:98ca0fc933][i:98ca0fc933]Originally posted by ChristianasJourney[/i:98ca0fc933]
I also find things having to do with brain really interesting.



[Edited on 5-20-2004 by ChristianasJourney] [/quote:98ca0fc933]

Reply...

This guy finds things interesting that have to do with racking his brain.

 

[Craig]

I definitely like Fred's suggestions...there's a lot of possibilities with those:

Another:

Do a series on buying a house. With that, you could get builders to support it...you could get mortgage brokers...realtors...there are a lot of different people involved when buying or building a house. This idea alone could take care of a nice chunk of the programming.

Do I buy or build PC? or What do I need in a PC? Several possibilities here. There are outlets that build PC's to people's specs. Maybe a community college would be interested in underwriting to get people to further their understanding with classes.

Also, if you do want to pursue the investing idea Fred brought up, the company I work for might be interested. We're based in St. Petersburg and I might be able to get you a contact.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

How to buy a house sounds really good. Let me think through that.

Some of the ideas sound good, others would be too difficult, or not work. Remember - we are soliciting XYZ company to SPONSOR a segment on PTV. That means the sponsor has to 1) have a vested interest in the story though they are not going to provide content, and 2) they have to be a big enough company to have the cash to put down, and 3) they will want the marketing value.

The Oral Hygiene story, for instacne, is of particular interest to dentists. But it seems they do not have the money for the advertising.

A program about plastic curgery would be good, because cosmetic surgeons are loaded and do tons of advertising. The content however would not be good because it would be alot of "breast augmentation",vanity stuff. so I'd pass on that.

Its kind of tricky to come up with a good niche, and THEN you have to find the leads to call. usually i like to find an association membership list on the web. that is usually easiest.

I'm partial to the hjome idea, and the law idea, and the nuclear medicine idea, and I'm also thinking about gastric bypass surgery - that is a hot topic.

 

[panicbird]

[quote:7e1a311985][i:7e1a311985]Originally posted by webmaster[/i:7e1a311985]
I'm also thinking about gastric bypass surgery - that is a hot topic. [/quote:7e1a311985]

That line made me laugh for some reason.

Lon

 

[alwaysreforming]

You also have to keep in mind that the subject has to be something that people will want to tune in to. If it sounds TOO educational, people may feel that they'll be watching a college class and not tune in (because they're tired after working all day).

In light of that, I've got a good idea for you:

LOTS of people like DOGS. Especially dog owners.
There are some dogs that can tell when people are about to have a siezure (sometimes 20 min. in advance). They'll make the person sit down so they don't injure themselves. I saw a dog once that gave people a "diabetes test" by smelling their breath. There are many other examples.

A show on how dogs do this could be sponsored by...
PETSMART!

How 'bout it, Mate?

 

[JohnV]

Matt:
The ideas I had, I admit, were founded on the concept of wide interest, and the disire of any one company to "get our name out there" in the quickest way possible, even if it meant sponsoring a football game instead of a documentary.

However, I also had the idea that there are many music companies that would be interested in airing a show about a certain kind of music that could generate a renewed market. A smaller venue may produce a smaller market, but it also caters to a short-lived revival of certain kinds of music, and a less costly way of going about it. Short segments, like the sample program, are just right for this. They could be aired on any station that wants to fill in five or ten minutes, in stead of stretching those infomercial to boring tedium. Public TV may be most interested. The thing is, it is marketable in itself too.

 

[Mary]

[quote:4298f09989][i:4298f09989]Originally posted by alwaysreforming[/i:4298f09989]
You also have to keep in mind that the subject has to be something that people will want to tune in to. If it sounds TOO educational, people may feel that they'll be watching a college class and not tune in (because they're tired after working all day).

In light of that, I've got a good idea for you:

LOTS of people like DOGS. Especially dog owners.
There are some dogs that can tell when people are about to have a siezure (sometimes 20 min. in advance). They'll make the person sit down so they don't injure themselves. I saw a dog once that gave people a "diabetes test" by smelling their breath. There are many other examples.

A show on how dogs do this could be sponsored by...
PETSMART!

How 'bout it, Mate? [/quote:4298f09989]

I have seen a show like that about dogs - they have dogs who can "smell" skin cancer - they had like a 95% accuracy rate. It was fascinating!

I love shows like that, and I would tune in, IF (and this is a big IF) they were going to actually give you information. I watched a series on the History Channel a couple of months ago (that wasn't even about WWII - can you believe it?) about the Huns, the Vikings, the Goths (ancestral research, you know) and basically it was only mildly educational - they did a lot of repeating themselves and only gave you REALLY basic information. Each show was (I think) an hour and the actual information from each show was less than 10 minutes. That annoys me to death!!!

Mary

 

[sailorswife]

I don't know if this would appeal to a wide audience, but I would be interested in a program on homeschooling. Maybe you could talk to those who make some of the curriculms to sponser it.

 

[Craig]

I'll be the one to actually bring this up...

When deciding what sort of programming to do...think about where the money is in your area..."show me the money!" Sniff that out, and you should uncover a lot more ideas and meet the people to make it happen.

 

[sailorswife]

Would this program only be viewed in Florida? If so I was thinking something that would appeal to older, retired people.

Another thing I thought of is comparing different college investment plans and programs.

 

[Craig]

[quote:f29ef36d82]
Would this program only be viewed in Florida? If so I was thinking something that would appeal to older, retired people.
[/quote:f29ef36d82]
I was thinking along the same lines...perhaps a documentary on coffins, etc?:tomb:

Sorry...only kidding.

Also...another kidding idea...a documentary on traveling for all the young Floridian natives wanting to get out of there!