The website PasadenaNow has been covering its city since 2004. Now it’s going to make a big leap. According to a press release, the company is going to launch an internet video channel (they call it a “hyperlocal TV station” – I have difficulty with that terminology) that will have 16 hours of local content, seven days a week. That’s ambitious. How will they make money? According to Pasadena Now publisher James Macpherson:
“We’ll be able to offer our advertisers up to 4 minutes of paid programming as segments on our ‘advertainment’ shows for under $200, fully scripted, taped, edited and distributed… Viewers will be able to watch our shows as scheduled entertainment, as video on demand, or by creating their own personal playlists by topic.”
Also on deck – user-generated content, community news, live events and lifestyle programming. Pasadena Now is tying in its launch (October 17th) to the release of Google TV. It is hoping this will be the first of many channels it will roll out across the country.
A couple of notes on the site: 1. The “About” and “RSS” links go to a “404 Not Found”. 2. Where’s the social love? You’re going to need to tweet, Facebook and more if you want to make a go of this. Free advice, and probably worth it.
Full press release after the jump.
Press Release as received by Lost Remote
Hyperlocal TV to Go Live in Pasadena, CA on Same Day as Google TV Launch
Community website is finalizing a dedicated web video channel to stream original local programming
PASADENA, Calif.–Community website “Pasadena Now” (PasadenaNow.com) announced today it plans to launch a hyperlocal internet “TV station” streaming original local programming on October 17 to coincide with the likely launch date of Google TV.
The channel (Pasadena Now TV, or PNTV) will offer 16 hours of local-content programming daily, seven days a week. Show formats under development focus on community news, live events coverage and lifestyle programs.
“Our shows will be fresh, fun and watchable,” says Pasadena Now publisher James Macpherson. “No-hype advice from community ‘celebrities,’ user generated content, live performances and community news will be our mainstays, all produced with a distinctly cable network feel.”
“Everybody realizes the hyperlocal market drives media strategy today,” says Macpherson. “By capitalizing on video and the web-to-TV convergence that’s exploding right now, we will offer local viewers and advertisers something that’s completely new and exciting.”
Pasadena Now’s teams have developed a proprietary video production system Macpherson says is capable of producing network-TV-like quality for a fraction of industry costs.
“We’ll be able to offer our advertisers up to 4 minutes of paid programming as segments on our ‘advertainment’ shows for under $200, fully scripted, taped, edited and distributed,” Macpherson says. “Viewers will be able to watch our shows as scheduled entertainment, as video on demand, or by creating their own personal playlists by topic.”
Pasadena Now plans to use the system to launch other “stations” across the United States.
Originally scheduled for an August 20 launch, Macpherson says investor interest and technological opportunities required the postponement.
“Intelligent, focused hyperlocal video is media’s ‘final frontier,’” Macpherson says. “We’re excited to be pioneering in this space.”
Macpherson has published “Pasadena Now with Candice Merrill since April, 2004
