Current Taps Stars to Guide Potential Reporters
January 9, 2006
By Anthony Crupi
Current TV has upped its star wattage, signing deals with the likes of actors Robert Redford and Sean Penn and author Dave Eggers to serve as special instructors for online users hoping to contribute digital programming to the network.
The recently launched net, helmed by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and his business partner Joel Hyatt, is offering viewers a crash course in storytelling with its VC2 Survival Guide, a free online training kit designed to optimize the narrative value of amateur submissions.
The guide will feature taped interviews with former New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell, NPR host Ira Glass, McSweeney’s founding editor Eggers, and a host of others, who will give tips on how best to frame a story for both the Current linear TV net and its online channel.
Penn will contribute an introduction to the guide. Each of the interviews will be housed in the Current Online Studio section of the network’s Web site, and a number will also turn up from time to time on the linear TV net.
Approximately 30 percent of Current’s programming is submitted by viewers, with the remainder produced in-house or acquired from third party professional production studios.
Current also increased its commissions, paying first time contributors $500 for a piece, and upping payment of a fourth accepted piece to $1,000.
Launched Aug. 1, 2005, Current reaches 20 million U.S. households.
Source: Media Week
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/cabletv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001808393