By Paula Bernier
If there’s one advantage independent telcos have over larger telco and cablecos it would seem to be their connection to local communities. As IOCs move to offer video services, they can maximize this position by delivering content with a local flavor.
That content may include offering on a broadcast- or on-demand basis local sporting events, parades or historical reenactments; documentaries about historical aspects of the community (or anything else of interest), as New Ulm Telecom Inc. in Minnesota did; cooking shows; or whatever, says Ken Pyle, co-founder of Viodi LLC, which does consulting and produces events and educational materials targeted at independent telcos interested in delivering TV services. IOCs can leverage existing content, such as instructional video provided by the local college, for example, or stage their own content, such as starting a local morning show, like Horizon Telcom Inc. did, or a local children’s show, as Ellijay Telephone Co. in Georgia does, Pyle says, adding that this also opens the door to IOCs selling show sponsorships.
