My boss, Bob Hunnicutt, at THE SHOTGUN NEWS finally put it out and brought it to my attention today, so I might as well bring it to your attention as well.
Since August I've been trying to market a television show based on my hog control efforts and experiences. You can go here and see what he wrote.
This venture is a cooperative effort between my son and myself. I would be the 'Host' and he would be the director/editor/producer/whatever of the whole thing.
Essentially, we are encountering a bunch of 'friction' and 'resistance' because it's NOT a conventional hunting show, nor is it anything even close to a conventional 'hunting' show. It's a show based on currently available technology (YES, this technology is expensive, but we want to show what CAN BE DONE WITH THIS PROBLEM if we treat it like a farmer would!!!!...[BIG SMILE]...if you get my meaning.).
However, because it's not traditional 'Fair Chase Hunting' and I say so outright in the beginning it falls outside the norm for 'hunting' show. Our (my son and I) argument is this show is NOT a conventional hunting show, but 'a control and technology' show that deals in a 'realistic' manner with a real world problem. In short, we don't take 'em into custody and put 'em in leg-irons.
I KILL 'EM....often in Cold Blood, but sometimes NOT!
And believe me, no one knows how bad the problem really is until they start working with thermal imagining and seeing just how many hogs there are in a given area.
One network has already turned us down after a lengthy discussion and presentation on what we had to offer. (We were too far off the 'norm' for them.) We are supposed to have a meeting next week with another network to discuss this project. I'm convinced that at some point in the future someone, somewhere is going to offer the same type of show we are trying to present right now. It's just a question of time before it happens.
Stayed tuned...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
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17 comments:
Frank,
Have you considered doing a show similar to what the Pajamas Media www.pjmedia.com folks are doing? They do an entirely web-based show, and in their case sell access via subscription (and give away some to seed the effort).
I don't know if your show idea would fit their focus, but who knows. Email me at billy.harvey@gmail.com and I'll pass your email to someone who works there.
Billy
Good luck with your adventure. A real pest management show will appeal to folks who understand varmint shooting. The city crowd will have a hard time with the reality of what needs to be done.
thrill: We've looked at a web-based show, but there are some serious difficulties with the venue for our purposes.
For one thing no one can make any kind of reliable revenue projections off a new web series.
Secondly, it takes in the neighborhood of a million hits per day before the advertising revenue reaches anything serious or even reasonable and thirdly, a web based series is extremely labor intensive.
My son is obliquely involved with a comedy web series out in LA that receives around three millions hits a day and they are barely able to pay their bills. (It's more or less a volunteer effort by all involved.)
Part of their problem is because they won't abide by the rules laid down by potential high dollar advertisers and the other part is they want to remain independent, but their exercise is extremely labor intensive and involves a whole herd of people, which my son and I don't have.
Until the revenue from a web based series approaches something more realistic I will leave it for others to explore...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
Have you thought about Animal Planet or The Learning Channel? They'd probably never go for it, but who knows? Then again, they might just steal your idea and run with it themselves.
Gorges Smyth: IF you saw our sizzle reel I think you would quickly understand why ANIMAL PLANET is NOT the best choice for our product.
And I think the same could be said for the Learning Channel as our show is somewhat 'Adult-Oriented' in context (only without the babes)...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
Sounds like that particular network didn't want to deal with a 'real' reality show! Best of luck Sir!!!
Not to be negative but... Don't you think are going into the sort of territory that is best kept out of the view of the shrill and chattering classes?
Next thing you know you would have half naked Hollywood starlets protesting hog shooting and more regulation would follow.
I mean, they barely tolerate bass fishing!
On the other hand I would a lot rather watch your show than those morons arguing with each other on West Coast Choppers!
Finally some sanity on the subject of hog control. There is at least one show out there that has them CATCHING the damn things, I think for re-location. When I see it, ( I don't look for it) my vocabulary degenerates to mostly 4 letter words at the idiocy of the subject.
Your show would be a breath of fresh air on reality, instead of a mountain of PC shit.
I have family in Big Sur CA, and I'm told the hogs are moving into the area. Lots of crashes on Hyway#1 at night. Seems they don't look at the headlites of approaching vehicles as they cross the road, so you don't see any eye reflections to get your attention. Should be interesting to see how all those liberal types handle the infestation :)
Keep us informed. My Tivo is standing by!
Frank, have you approached RFD-TV? The demographic would be quite receptive I believe. All the best to your venture.
Frank, you're just ahead of the curve. Here in SW Virginia, deer are eating people out of house and home. We can't have a garden. I've lost interest in hunting them for sport, too damm many. I can look out the window and am apt to see them at any time. Can't legally shoot um, too close to homes. Snipers have been hired by some localities, but the game dept. won't let them use bait. Catch 22
What about RFD-TV?
Their viewers have the problem.
Gerry
To the RFD questions: I sent a short, but detailed email to the head of their programming over 6 weeks ago.
I have YET to hear a response to my inquiry.
After watching several hours of RFD tv, I'm pretty sure they won't have anything to do with a show featuring firearms and killing, no matter how badly the source problem impacts farmers and agriculture.
If you study their programming, their core audience seems to prefer shows on old tractors.........'Nuff Said...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
there is already a hog hunting show on the cable. havent watched it yet so I dont know how it compares to your idea
I really hope you guys get this show on a network. I shoot about 50-60 woodchucks a summer on our farm and really would love a show about extermination. I can definitely relate to having to kill the animals in cold blood but sometimes you really have to "hunt" them. If your show works out you should come up here for a weekend and film a little of our woodchuck problem/disaster! Hope for the best
The Sons of Guns tv show did a hog gun episode recently. THey did their AR in .458 SOCOM, then went airboat hunting at the end. The hog charged the boat, so it was a close range shot.
Meh.
Overload: Yeah, I saw the same episode and had the same reaction as you.
Sure looked mighty 'compact' for a 500lb. porker?????...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
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