Should Squamish launch an online TV channel?
The answer is yes, if we follow the lead of Pluto TV, an American start-up that mimics the cable television experience by providing dozens of free channels over the Internet. The company’s selections include news, sports, entertainment and programs about food and animals, as well as almost anything else that moves or shakes.
Squamish TV could get into the game by offering one online channel with daily programming ranging from traditional to more edgy and disruptive fare. Of course, a forestry themed segment has to be considered in a community where logging was once the primary industry.
It could follow in the footsteps of such popular broadcasts as America Loggers, Extreme Loggers and Ax Men, albeit with strictly local content. Traditional skills associated with lumberjacks, including tree topping and speed bucking, would be featured in addition to Squamish logging history dating back to the late 19th century.
But there are plenty of other avenues Squamish TV could explore. We know this community is home to almost as many pooches as people, so a production dedicated strictly to our four-legged fur bearing companions would be popular.
And there is no better template than Pluto TV’s Dogs 24/7 channel where, according to the company’s advertising blurb, “all types of dogs along with their crazy antics” are showcased and “their keen athletic ability and unintentional silliness is on display all day on shows like Dog Pile, Cool Canine Friendships, Heroic Pups, and Awesome Dog Tricks.”
To ensure feline fans don’t get left out, a Cats 24/7 channel on Pluto TV features “all cats, all the time.” Another consideration for Squamish TV is a Woodfibre Liquid Natural Gas series. It could unveil the latest assortment of scuttlebutt and cherry-picked scientific data, both for and against the project. Even though FortisBC has now been issued its conditional Environmental Assessment Certificate, whether the contentious venture ever gets launched will ultimately be immaterial.
The issue has now taken on a life of its own, so the discussion could continue in the parallel online universe indefinitely.
Of course, a Squamish derelict boat exposé could easily be added to the scheduling itinerary. It would present videos of abandoned vessels on the verge of sinking into the murky depths of the Mamquam Blind Channel.
Part of that lineup would include officials from all three levels of government passing the buck about who is responsible for the clean-up. A weekly “What Will Sink Next” expert panel discussion might be featured, complete with the option of placing bets at Chances Casino on the next deserted vessel most likely to slip below the waves.
The above scenarios are just a small sample of the limitless potential Squamish TV offers. And there is no better time than now to seize this emerging opportunity.
