…sign me up!….
In 1937, Saudi Arabia was among the pooerst countries in the world.
Think Somalia, but with nothing.
Then, in 1937, an oil wildcatter named Frank Holmes, working for Standard Oil, without much evidence for anything, dropped a test well into a salt mound called Damman 7 in the Hasa Province of the Arabian Peninsula.
What he hit was the largest oil reserve on the planet.
Six months ago, we began negotiations with Discovery Communications to partner a deal for a VJ training course. We were convinced that there was an appetite. Discovery, who had never been in this kind of business before, was not so sure.
They finally agreed, but wanted to limit the first course to 20 people. We agreed if we did not get 12, we would close the operation down.
It was to be called Travel Channel Academy. (You can find more information below). Through this blog, we were able to sign up 9 people. We felt we were close.
Yesterday, Discovery began to run its on-air ads for our Academy.
By 5pm yesterday, we had 270 people signed up for Miami.
We are already a bit oversubscribed.
So we’re going to add a lot more courses in a lot more locations across the country.
This is ‘citizen journalism’ at its best.
But it’s a kind of ‘focused’ Citizen Journalism – a citizen journalism with training, direction and a destination.
Because we’re also busy developing strands of programming so that our newly minted and certified Citizen Journalists can not only produce content, but get paid for it and get on air…. right away.
Its a whole new approach to television making.
But obviously, like Frank Holmes, we have hit something big.
And… unlike Frank Holmes, we’re now going to expand to offer training for current professionals who want to up upgrade their skills, both technical and jouranlistic, and learn how to do this as well. Stay tuned…..
