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

We’re thrilled to announce our first foray into the television realm with a series of programs that will begin airing this Fall on national and local cable TV. The episodes on TV will include a mix of previously released content already available in the podcast, but we’re also going to premiere a few new shows on TV before they reach the podcast. Details on the schedule will be available in late July and into August 2009.

National TV
Untamed Sports TV will air a weekly 30 minute show titled “Alaska HDTV Adventures” that will take you on a journey to some amazing places around the great state of Alaska. You’re guaranteed to see bears, moose, eagles, glaciers and learn something about this Last Frontier.

About Untamed Sports TV
Untamed Sports TV, is a new premier channel for outdoor programming that signifies four main themes of outdoor living, plus an expansive breadth of exotic adventure travel programs for daring risk-taking viewers. Untamed Sports TV is nationally distributed in over 30 million homes with rapid multicast growth plans over 2009 and beyond.

Local TV
For our Alaskan audience we are also planning to showcase the best of Alaska HDTV shows in a 1 hour show every week beginning Fall 2009. We’re very excited to be working with GCI Cable who has been instrumental in making the local programming a possibility. The 1 hour show will be unique and unlike the national cable programming… I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so stay tuned for another announcement about these local shows!

About GCI local cable TV
GCI cable television reaches more than 147,000 households across the state of Alaska. With GCI Channel 1, Alaska HDTV will now be available to viewers inside the state at least two times per week in a special 1 hour show all about Alaska. Stay tuned for schedule and episode summaries!

What happens to the podcast?
Never fear, we are not abandoning the podcast or our shows with Scott Slone. The number of shows we produce for the podcast may vary as we are transitioning and managing both TV and the online shows…but they’ll always be here. To our faithful viewers, we still appreciate donations and regular support which allows us to continue creating new hiking, adventure and local event shows.

Why TV?
Television will allow us to expand the audience by reaching a whole new audience of viewers that aren’t online or haven’t yet discovered Alaska HDTV. This new audience will also create even more opportunity for advertisers to reach viewers.

Our goal is to keep everyone happy along the way, by bringing you the best Alaska content and delivering relevant messages from sponsors. We strive to find sponsors who can improve your Alaska experience and hope that you will in turn give our sponsors and advertisers the first opportunity to earn your business.

TV Schedule
Stay tuned for updates in late July 2009 and August 2009 for episode and schedule information. The TV Schedule will be located at http://www.alaskahdtv.com/tv-schedule/

Advertising and Sponsorship
If you have a product, service or message you would like to share with the Alaska HDTV audience. Please visit our Advertising page at http://www.alaskahdtv.com/advertising/ for more information.

Stay tuned for a great Alaska HDTV season of shows!

Join us on a two day adventure with Dennis and Susan Swiderski, owners of Orca Island Cabins. We journey to their private island located in Humpy Cove, which is a 40 minute boat ride from Seward out into Resurrection Bay. The scenery is epic and the time spent in the kayak was exhilarating.

I’ve traveled the lengths of Resurrection Bay many times in my life, but this adventure has changed my connection with the area significantly.  I’ve always loved Alaska’s coastal wilderness, habitats, wildlife, and sea life! The trip out with Susan and Dennis to their island, and the experience they offer, have yielded memories that will last me a lifetime.  It is truly an opportunity to get up close with this part of Alaska, and even better it’s right here in our backyard!

Enjoy the show!

Visit Orca Island Cabins
www.orcaislandcabins.com
(907) 491-1988
(888) 494-5846
Seward, Alaska

Music credits:
Artist: Captain Number 1
Title: “On the Back of a Whale”
Web: music.mevio.com

Artist: Kenny Ainge
Title: “Riverboat Fairy Tales”
Web: music.mevio.com

Download the video files:

• Small Format : 57 MB
• Medium Format : 111 MB
• HD Format : 285 MB

Friends of the show,

As this goes, I was originally writing this as a journal entry, but through this exercise of connecting back to the root of me.. I decided it might be worth just sharing a bit of myself with you all, and where I’m going in years to come.

Alaska has profoundly shaped me into who I am today, and I’ve been blessed to have been raised in such an amazing territory of the United States. I’ve grown up playing in a landscape that has the most expansive and diverse habitat than anywhere else in our Union. Alaska to me has always been my friend, and even while writing this I recall moments at places where that friendship has been defined.

My love and appreciation for my home has a lot to do with my family legacy here in Alaska. Six generations of my family are now deeply rooted here into the history of Alaska. I’m constantly inspired by the lives before me, which includes my mother’s family whom were also pioneers of the West - settling their lives in Montana.  Moreover, it’s been my own experiences throughout my lifetime that inspire and motivate me in everything I do today.

I have always had a real strong feeling about what we’re doing as a small production company. It’s always been my desire to use this media as a tool to connect people with Alaska, and I think we’ve had great success. That success is measured by our audience in numbers, and more inspiring the increasing numbers of our local friends.

We’re coming up on three years of producing videos this mid-June. During that time I’ve had the privilege to share nature, wildlife, and people of this last frontier. All of us here at Alaska HDTV have made some amazing friends along the way, some that will last a lifetime. There are so many places, stories, and people that you’ve yet to meet, and we’re forever working to make that possible.

What’s next…

The old saying is true - It’s taken a lot of sweat, blood, and tears to get where we are today. Redefined, it’s been Understanding, Cooperation, and Love that got us here.

Traveling through much of Alaska my whole life, and I’ve grown to appreciate all aspects of her beauty. There is nothing in the World like Alaska, from the Brooks Range, to Wrangell Mountains, from the Chugach Mountains to the Aleutian Range, from the Nulato Hills all the way down to Coastal Mountains of the Inside passage.. Alaska offers incredible beauty and diverse landscapes that sweep away imagination, and inspire adventure.

In all this beauty and space, we are increasingly seeing more conflict between nature, wilderness, and humans as we evolve through time.  Alaska will inevitably continue to grow, but we can take lessons learned by our lower forty-eight states. Over the past two hundred years we’ve developed ourselves into a corner. We’re now needed to spend massive amounts of money and decades of time to restore and preserve our lands and habitat.  I believe Alaska can grow, but not without losing it’s naturalness and without losing our wilderness. I’m speaking about Alaska, but this holds true wherever you in the world, and it’s our responsibility to the generations ahead of us.

Personally moving forward, I want to start doing more in giving back to Alaska and people. Whether it includes using the tools of our trade, or personal involvement - I’ve neglected this responsibility in my life, which inevitably completes me as a human.

In closing, the next several weeks I’m going to be actively pursuing relationships with organizations and people that share my passion and desires. I’m not by any means turning into a hardcore environmentalist, Lord knows I’ve got my own cleaning up to do! I’m making my start with the tools I have in my bag and hopefully help build and inspire a better tomorrow.

So there you go, a bit about me behind the scenes, and hope you enjoyed the read.

Until next time,
Scott

The arrival of springtime in Alaska also means that the local wildlife starts spreading its wings. Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of local birds as they do their thing.

Music credits:
Artist: Tracy Jane Comer
Title: “Rondo”
Web: www.tracyjanecomer.com

Download the video files:

• Small Format : 17 MB
• Medium Format : 49 MB
• HD Format : 157 MB 

Hiking in Alaska can sometimes be unpredictable, especially in the mountains. This early spring hike was a mix of snowy trails, mud, rocks, dust and lots of high winds. Getting out and summiting a local hill can still be a great time, despite the spring conditions.

On this hike, we’re just 20 minutes from downtown Anchorage on a very popular local mountain known as Flattop. During the summer months, this 1.5 mile (one way) hike is often busy with hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers, families and even tourists.

The appeal of Flattop is its close proximity to town and the amazing view you get at the top. While it is an easy hike for the first half, I would highly recommend a good pair of hiking boots for the upper portions of the hike. Once you get past the saddle portion of the hike, the terrain becomes very rocky and eventually becomes a bit more like mountain climbing than hiking.

No matter your ability, Flattop is a great place to get out and gain some elevation for some spectacular views. So, without further adieu - enjoy the show!

Resources:

• Flattop Mountain Shuttle
  Roundtrip from downtown Anchorage for $22
• Large Map of the Flattop Trail System
  (5.9mb JPG image)

Every once in a while, we see very beautiful spring days like we did on this hike. It’s early in May and we’re heading out for a light hike (or a walk in the park) around Anchorage’s Campbell Tract. This time of year it’s not uncommon to have face to face encounters with bears, so we were definitely on guard!

This hike began at the park entrance to the Far North Bicentennial Park via Abbott Loop Community Park which is right in the heart of Anchorage. From this entrance you can connect with the Campbell Tract trails run by the BLM or Bureau of Land Management. So, that’s a mouthful of parks and acronyms…basically, we’re taking a mild hike inside Anchorage’s “central park” which can be accessed from many points around the city.

Our end goal was the parking area near the BLM Learning Center - where we only two months previously we captured dog teams and mushers passing through. The BLM/Campbell airstrip is the finish line for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod.

The bottom line:
If you’re looking for an easy hike or a really great place to ride your bike, definitely check out these trails!

Download shows:

• Medium Format (640 x 480)
• Large Format (1280 x 720)

More information
BLM Campbell Tract Official Site
Anchorage Municipality Website “Healty parks, healthy people”

One of the best kept secrets of Katmai isn’t just the amazing bear viewing opportunities, it’s the historic Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and unsurpassed sportfishing that originally put Brooks Lodge on the map.

Join Scott and our friend Scott McMurren from Alaska TravelGram in this overview of the incredible wildlife, history and scenic beauty that can be found inside Katmai National Park.

More information
Visit: http://www.katmailand.com

Since 1950 the “Angler’s Paradise Lodges” have offered the world’s finest freshwater sport fishing. Katmailand operates the only lodging concessions inside Katmai National Park authorized by the National Park Service, right next to the World Famous Brooks Falls with unsurpassed bear viewing opportunities! Excursions to the volcanic “Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes”, the abundance of wildlife in the park and the incredible fishing opportunities make Katmai National Park Alaska’s most exciting destination.

Download the shows:

• Medium Format
• HD Format

Travel Deals and Tips from Alaska TravelGram

We’re truly excited to have Alaska Airlines as a premiere advertiser and want to publicly thank all those who got behind us. There are quite a few people that helped bring this deal together, but a special thanks to Alaska TravelGram, Explore Tours, Wong Doody and of course the marketing folks at Alaska Airlines for giving the thumbs up to Alaska HDTV.

Speaking of Alaska Airlines, did you know you can watch episodes from Alaska HDTV on the Alaska Airlines digEplayer?

More about the campaign
To learn more about North of Expected, be sure to visit http://www.northofexpected.com to win instant vacation packages, share your own Alaska experiences and explore more about Alaska Airlines.

For all the airplane and aviation fans out there, here’s a simple mash-up of just a few minutes of the hours of Alaska aviation footage we’ve collected over the last few years.

As you probably already know, aircraft is an essential part of the Alaskan lifestyle and means of transportation. Not only does it get us to where we want to go, it gives us a chance to really appreciate the size and beauty of our great state.

We hope you enjoy this little escape with our latest SanitySaver.

Music credits:
Band: Dreamweaver
Title: Island of Dreams and Hope
Web: http://www.dreamweaver.at

/Kevin