A website promoting Canadian Television! Well...you've identified something that we need, and it seems to bother you that there is no such thing....Why not be the one to create it?!He/she basically said stop whining, or be part of the solution. My attempt to get an interview about The Jane Show was part of trying to be part of the solution, but is now part of my frustration. Besides, how is it my role to publicize the industry, especially if they won't help?
My response was:
I would love to, and have thought about it, but that would require time I don't have - finding the sources is hard enough when I'm just trying to be a viewer, never mind trying to launch and promote a website.After I posted that article in late May, I really thought someone would come along to say "have you seen this site?" When that didn't happen, I did think about trying to do one myself, but was overwhelmed at the thought.
But I am a guilt-ridden Canadian, and feeling guiltier about using the "no time" argument. Because when I say that, I mean that I have more I'd like to write about than time I like to allot to blogging, not that I have brain surgery to perform or fires to put out. And right now, guilt and curiosity are winning out. I've decided to take up the challenge and see how it goes.
I'm not entirely sure how or if this is going to work. I'm still feeling my way around WordPress, which I chose because it has a built-in category function, and you can make separate pages for ... whatever I might decide to do with them. I have no clear vision, just the thought that I can try to post stuff about upcoming shows, upcoming episodes of those shows, and link to news and features about Canadian TV shows. Some day maybe it will reach a critical mass where it actually is the kind of clearinghouse I was asking for in my Invisible Networks article. Or I might give up after realizing it will take too much time to scrounge for sources, or that nobody but me ever thought this was a good idea.
It's in its very early stages and so far it's pretty lame. I don't want to have to write original content, so it'll be information compiled from network sites and press releases, and links to articles published elsewhere, and it'll have to build slowly as I find ways to gather the info.
The big issue I see right now is that some Canadian networks (hi CBC) don't seem to send out regular media releases on their upcoming programming, and that information isn't easy - or possible - to find on some of their websites. I really need that information to come to me, since I'm not going to be able to scour dozens of sites for it all the time, and without it, I'm not sure there's much point.
Suggestions are welcome, especially for sources of information in general, and tips on the existence of shows I'm inevitably going to miss. But let's call it an experiment for now.
