You Can Start a Television Channel

The world of television is changing at a rapid pace. Just a few short years ago, no one knew what the Internet would mean for television. Today, it’s clear that the Internet will change even more industries in the coming years. 

The same can be said for how we watch television now. As more and more streaming services offer their original programming, traditional cable and satellite providers are forced to compete on an individual basis rather than the respective channels they have. 

This prevents low-quality channels from appearing on other channels and allows quality brands to show up where they’re needed most: on individual networks like AMC, BBC America or IFC. 

So if you’re looking to grow your business or start a new channel, here’s how to set up a virtual TV station — without spending thousands of dollars.

Before setting up a virtual television station, you must clearly understand your business’s objectives. This will help you design your channel’s strategy. Whether setting up your channel or hosting a show for a large company, your channel’s basic purpose will guide how you structure your content. 

For example, suppose you have a travel channel that focuses on destinations in Europe. In that case, you’ll want to avoid serials and talk shows because those tend to attract a particular audience. While you can’t please everyone, you can focus your efforts on providing quality travel programming relevant to your audience and helping them get closer to their goals.

Once you’ve determined the objective of your virtual television station, you need to decide how to fund it. There are several different options you could choose from, including advertising, fundraising, or borrowing money. There’s no perfect solution for all situations, so you’ll want to carefully consider your broadcast and monetization model when deciding how to fund your channel.

If you started a travel channel and aim to raise funds to bring your series to Europe, you could advertise on other broadcast networks and websites that sell merchandise, like Amazon. This would give you a cheaper alternative to having full-time staff and a professional video production budget while raising funds you can then put towards your travel destination of choice.

After choosing the platform to broadcast your digital TV signal, the next step is to develop your programming schedule. The format and schedule for your virtual television station will vary depending on several factors, including your broadcast platform and available bandwidth. Generally speaking, you’ll want to avoid broadcasting several hours of live programming daily as this will quickly attract unwanted attention from the authorities. 

Instead, you’ll want to focus on producing high-quality, engaging content that will be addictive and win you, loyal viewers. 

While you don’t have to broadcast on YouTube exclusively, it’s generally considered best practice to focus your efforts there first since most of your audience is likely to be online. You’ll also want to avoid playing videos in a loop, which can lead to insomnia and nausea. 

Instead, you should feature more breaks between segments and mix up your programming schedule so that your viewers aren’t too exhausted to take advantage of your available offerings.

After choosing the format and schedule for your virtual television station, it’s time to decide what shows to air. The format you choose will depend on several factors, such as available bandwidth, ratings, and the type of channel you want to run. 

If you want to create a general entertainment channel that’s popular among families. In that case, you may want to avoid investing too much time and energy into building a schedule that features only reruns of The Real Housewives of Miami and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. 

Instead, you’ll want to focus on creating original programming that people are interested in, like reality shows, talk shows, and game shows. 

Again, this will vary depending on your broadcast platform and available bandwidth. For example, if you want to air a news channel, you may not have the resources to purchase the latest episode of every show you want to air. 

In this case, you’ll want to research which channels are available in your area and then focus your scheduling efforts on those channels.

After choosing the format and schedule for your virtual television station, it’s time to prepare your equipment. For example, if you’re planning to use an indoor antenna to pick up local ABC, CBS, and Fox stations, you’ll need to mount the antenna on a wall or lay it on a table. 

If you want to avoid running electrical cables through your house, you can also purchase an indoor antenna with a wireless mode so you can still pick up the network without running extension cords. 

You’ll also want to ensure you have a digital antenna to pick up your local Fox and CBS channels. This is important because most TVs these days come with built-in digital tuners, so you won’t be able to watch local channels without an external antenna.

After preparing your equipment and selecting your broadcast platform, it’s time to announce your channel. This is the moment when all the hard work starts. You’ll want to create a Facebook or Twitter account so people can know where you’re located and when you’ll be broadcasting. 

You can also post a note on your site to let people know you’re live. You can also contact local news channels to see if they’re interested in your channel since many will likely be interested in what’s happening in their region. 

You’ll also want to ensure you have a clear message when launching your virtual television station. For example, you can always add a new channel to the mix, but you can’t take away or add to the existing channels people watch. 

This behavior will give your viewers the impression that you’re the operator of a network that’s not complete yet, ultimately turning off potential advertisers.

Once you’ve announced your channel, the work is just beginning. You’ll want to build a quality YouTube following to support your channel. This will allow you to increase your reach and make more money through sponsorships, video content, and more. 

You can grow your channel organically or through a subscription model that rewards you for your loyal followers. 

You should also ensure a clear strategy for monetizing your channel. If you want to host paid series, try to avoid the tried-and-true “money-making-adjacent-programming” format that’s common on most networks. 

Instead, look for unique, creative ways to make money through your channel. Remember to incorporate all these ideas when learning how to start a TV channel. If you want to be successful, you need to be excited about what you’re doing.

The future of television is changing before our eyes. With the advent of the Internet and numerous streaming services, many traditional television providers have been left with no choice but to compete individually. This means that the quality of programming available on individual channels can vary widely, as well as the number of channels available at any time. 

On top of that, many providers are now looking to expand their reach with additional broadcast centers. You may want to expand your virtual TV station to include additional local stations to target even more viewers. To thrive in this competitive environment, you’ll want to carefully consider your broadcast and monetization model to ensure that you’re generating a healthy income from your channel.