 | Charlie Traffas has been involved in marketing, media, publishing and insurance for more than 40 years. In addition to being a fully-licensed life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI). CMI operates and markets several different products and services that help B2B and B2C businesses throughout the country create customers...profitably. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com. |
What's New
2006-06-01 10:04:00
The NWHS TV Network... what’s this?
: My nephew just told me about a new TV Network that is coming to Northwest High School. What's this all about?
ANSWER: WOW, news travels fast doesn't it? The NWHS TV Network is actually not in existence yet, but will be on August 15th, 2006, the first full day of school for the 2006-2007 year. As you might imagine, NWHS stands for the Northwest High School TV Network. It began with an idea, accompanied by some donations. Northwest High School has a beautiful commons area just inside the front doors of the school. This is the 'hub' of most all the activity at Northwest. It's where meals are served; students and faculty attend educational and informational meetings and presentations; and where a wide variety of other events are hosted. In early 2006, some donations were received to assist in overall student development at Northwest. A decision was made to purchase two Big Screen TVs, and put one at each end of the commons area. Originally, these were going to be used only for formal and informal presentations of a wide variety of topics. Once installed however, the ideas began to flow. Jim McNiece, the principal, along with several members of the faculty, parents and a handful of businesses met on several occasions and began to ponder just how far this project might go. It wasn't long before the question that started it all was raised: "What if we were to create our own internal television network?" The idea was more fully explored and discussed over the next several weeks. The cost, for a package of hardware and software called SCALA that could make the network 'happen', was committed to by the area Papa John's Pizza Restaurants and AT&T. The idea was submitted and approved by the board. The equipment was ordered and arrived June 1st. It is being made ready at this writing, and later this month, students and faculty will be thoroughly trained on all that it can do. A ceremony to 'throw the switch' on the new network will take place in mid-August at Northwest. The NWHS TV Network will reach an audience of over 1,500 students, faculty and staff each school day. Additionally, larger and more diversified audiences will be reached at other times. The regular broadcast day during school will be from 7 to 8 AM, mid morning break (s), lunch, and from 3:10 to 3:30 in the afternoons. During this time, a wide variety of student-produced, state and federal programming will be broadcast. Integrated into the programming will be commercials which will be sold to area businesses. The net revenue from the sale of these commercials will go into the General Activity Fund at Northwest, hopefully eliminating many of the projects that require students to knock on doors and solicit contributions from family, friends and the public at large. The operations of the NWHS TV Network, with the SCALA equipment, will become part of the curriculum. Students will be trained on everything from production and editing to marketing and administration. Funding is available from several State and Federal sources to assist as this concept expands and works its way into the future. Interviews with several area businesses show a high level of excitement about the network. The age group from 14 to 18, is not the most easily reached, and to do so can often be quite expensive. Now it can be done most efficiently. Businesses such as movie theatres, fast food and sit-down restaurants, other entertainment venues, armed forces, electronics, cell phones, technology, music, video games, sports, automotive, banking and colleges are most interested. Not only is the cost to reach this audience most efficiently priced, with a low percentage of commercials to programming, but all of the net proceeds go to help the school and its support of the very audiences targeted.
