The podcast
Over the last few years we have grown from a simple audio podcast to a successful HD video podcast – all designed to share the Alaska experience from Scott’s perspective. Our show is now viewed worldwide by hundreds of thousands every month via our online distribution which can be found in all the popular video outlets like iTunes, Miro, Mevio, YouTube and many others.

Other places to find Alaska HDTV
Since 2007 we have put a strong emphasis on creating great HD video which has led us to a variety of other interesting places to share our Alaska video content. Our videos have been seen onboard Alaska Airlines flights, can still be seen in every Fred Meyer store in the USA and across the entire country of Canada inside Costco stores. We’ve been asked to share our shows by quite a few production companies and cable TV operators around the world.

In response to the demand for Alaska content and video, we have decided to enter into the TV market this Fall 2009. Beginning in August we will be sharing a season of Alaska HDTV shows on a national TV channel followed by local TV is September. This is just the start, we’ve got some other exciting plans lined up for 2010 to really expand on the Alaska experience!

Productions and Perfect Blend Media
There seems to be some confusion for businesses and sometimes our viewers about “what do you guys do?” or “what is Perfect Blend Media?” Please allow me to elaborate!

Perfect Blend Media at the core is a digital media production company. So, beyond our own show (Alaska HDTV) we create TV commercials, online marketing campaigns and video productions for others. The lines can appear blurred at times since we tend to focus most our efforts on productions that have a tie-in with Alaska HDTV. So, while we are often focused on Alaska HDTV and growing that production, we also tout ourselves as a “digital agency”.

We have created TV commercials, websites, social/digital media campaigns, DVDs and of course video productions. Our capabilities are broad which can sometimes muddy the water about who we are. Most of what we do outside of Alaska HDTV is either in support of clients we’ve already worked with as part of the show or projects we find interesting to help pay the bills!

Working with destinations and businesses
Some of the shows you see currently on Alaska HDTV are adventures and destinations with lodges, tour operators, guides and business owners that have paid for a production. For those that have paid for a production we make an extra effort to give them additional coverage and use of the video for their own websites or promotional materials. This really falls under a simple premise of “more is more”. This doesn’t mean that comp deals are treated to any less quality, but we do want to work with businesses than understand the value of the production and would want to invest in additional advertising across our channels.

How we make money
The core revenue stream that keeps us ticking is the placement of commercial advertising around our programming. We can place a 15-30 second commercial at the beginning and end of ALL our podcast shows. This means that an advertiser’s message will be seen by every viewer online whether they watch the newest show or one of the previous episodes. These ads will stay with that download in perpetuity, giving the advertiser loads of shelf life for their message. We also now offer :30 commercials on our upcoming TV distribution. So, whether an advertiser is looking for local, national, online or global reach – we have that option!

Donations
While we have been growing to the point where can offer more advertising opportunities, we have counted on our donors and viewers to help make ends meet. The online advertising deals have been great with Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Airlines Visa Card (Bank of America), however they have been few and far between. Personal donations have often saved the day and helped keep us afloat while we negotiate with advertisers that we believe fit our viewers. For those who have donated, we are forever grateful, thank you!

Summing it all up
The basic story is that we are a highly motivated team of individuals with a passion for Alaska and creating new media productions. Alaska HDTV is our baby, and we’re excited to see her starting to move from the crawl to walking stages. Who knows for certain where we’ll be in another 2 years, but I fully expect that Alaska HDTV will be much more than it is today. I hope you’ll join us and stay along for the ride!

/Kevin