• People You Should Know:  WHKY First Talk’s Hal Row hosts a monthly show that features an in-depth, one-to-one discussion with a person of interest in the area.
• Travels With Jeff:  World traveler Jeff Cline shares his travels with the audience through video episodes.  These trips can be to the other side of the world or the other side of state — wherever there is an interesting story to tell.
• I’m With the Band:  An interview show with a local/regional band, hosted by our local musical artist Chad Austin, allowing the band to talk about their career, feature some of their original songs, and even play a tune or two in the studio.
• Leadership GPS:  A discussion show between Father/Son team Tony and Alan Jackson, focused on aspects of leadership and some of the changes we are seeing in leadership styles throughout the generations.
• Bleeding Blue:  A monthly sports talk show about the University of North Carolina Tarheels, covering basketball, baseball and football recruiting, schedules, and predictions
• Education Matters:  Representative from the area’s Education Matters initiative discuss topics dealing with the status of education and challenges we face throughout the state.
• Footcandle Films:  A film review show, hosted by the founders of the Footcandle Film Society, that reviews one new featured film each month, discusses the latest film news, and gives recommendations to the audience.
• Free Range Chicken Thinking:  A roundtable discussion, led by the creative minds of Pixelspace, discussing innovation, creativity and new ways of thinking in the business world (what they have branded “Free Range Chicken Thinking”).
• The Catalyst Connection:  A roundtable discussion show dealing with issues that face leaders and managers in organizations with a special interest on healthcare organizations.  (This show was originally broadcast in 2006; The MESH is repackaging the show for new audiences.)

What you want… when you want… where you want.

The network was developed by Jackson Group Interactive, a Hickory-based video and multimedia production firm producing original media for organizations since 1997.  The MESH takes the production capabilities of Jackson Group Interactive and combines them with the broadcast opportunities of the Internet to deliver locally-produced content to a potential worldwide audience.

The network is launching with nine shows, with more shows planned to start throughout the remainder of the year.  All shows are free to listen, watch or download.  Visitors to the web site can choose a show of interest, listen to the latest or past episodes at any time, and then choose to “subscribe” through iTunes to ensure they automatically receive new episodes whenever they are available.  All shows, initially, will deliver monthly episodes.

The majority of the shows are recorded and produced in the Jackson Group Interactive offices, which contains a specially-built “MESH Studio”.  The finished shows are published on the web site and on iTunes within a few days of their recording.

The shows feature local personalities and professionals discussing topics of interests to them or connected to their area of expertise.  The shows are generally discussion-based, with many of them unscripted and allowed to go in-depth on particular topics.  While most of the shows are currently audio-only, there is at least one current show that is a video series.

“We see The MESH as a way of not only providing interesting, original content through today’s technologies, but also as a way of spotlighting talent, personalities, and our local area in general to a potential worldwide audience” says MESH Director Mary Margaret Baker.  “It’s exciting to think that a show produced here in Hickory featuring local personalities could be listened to by people in other states around the nation or other countries around the world.”

Sponsorship opportunities for the network will be announced in the near future, with commercial advertising available for each of the shows.  “Ratings” will be gathered for each show — much like a television show — to gauge the show’s performance and the audience size.

Alan Jackson, Executive Producer of The MESH, is quick to point out that the network is not meant as a replacement to traditional news and media sources.  “We see MESH content as a supplement to existing media sources.  Our shows are special interest — much like hobby or very specific magazines — and are focused on discussions and unscripted conversations.  Plus, we are focused on providing content through the Internet and to mobile devices, a very high-growth area for today’s communications.  We hope to see The MESH sit alongside many of our high quality media sources and provide yet another opportunity for our area to get the exposure it deserves.”

For more information about The MESH, to listen to any of the shows, or for instructions on subscribing through Apple iTunes, please visit the network web site at www.themesh.tv.  Questions, suggestions, or feedback can also be sent directly to The MESH by email at info@themesh.tv.

The service is structured in two phases: 1) JGI can establish your social media presence on various platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.) if your organization does not already have one, then 2) JGI can manage the content and network growth of your social media networks each month.  Your organization would develop its own content (press releases, photos, blog posts, announcements, etc.) and send to JGI through email, and we would take the information and funnel it through to your social media networks.

Please visit the Social Media Management services page for more information, or click the “Contact Us” link to speak with someone at JGI about this service.

Working with real students, professors and alumni who have a passion and appreciation for their education made for an amazing production experience.

Click this link to view the finished video!

Students are encouraged to address multiple issues of distracted driving in their videos, such as but not limited to cell phone use, texting, eating, overcrowded vehicles, loud music, etc.  A Grand Prize limousine ride to a local restaurant for lunch will be presented to the individual or team presenting the winning video, or if the winner is a club/organization, a $100 cash prize will be presented to the school or organization. A certificate will be presented to the winner of the Viewer’s Choice competition. All winners will be announced by May 31, 2011.

For more information about the contest, visit their Facebook page by clicking this link.

Our resident video guy, Chris, got to spend a lot of time with the camp and the kids that were involved… and enjoyed it so much he almost decided to go back to school to be an engineer!

This is a great program, and its exciting to see kids get interested in science and math at an early age. To learn more about the camp, watch the video. To see how you can help support the camp next year, contact the Catawba County Champions of Education.

“Did you get your flu shot?”

That’s the question on the mind of Catawba County Public Health, and JGI was happy to help them share that question with the rest of the county. Two television spots were produced using local faces and talent, informing the public about facts regarding the flu vaccine and to encourage everyone to get the flu shot.

You may see some familiar faces in the spot – including some of our local Hickory Crawdad baseball players. Thanks to Fanjoy Labrenz for the use of the studio for the shoot!

You can view the spots by clicking this link.

Now what are you waiting for? Go get your flu shot!

Jackson Group Interactive, along with Chad Austin Design & Media, worked with Sunrise Technologies to produce its Virtual Office Environment earlier this year.  We are very pleased to have been a part of this project and helping Sunrise achieve such a wonderful national recognition.  You can visit the virtual office at www.sunrise-ax.com.

“Sunrise sets the bar for marketing excellence and plays a very important role in the growth and success of Microsoft Dynamics” said Darlene Perfetto, Senior Director, U.S. Microsoft Dynamics National Managed Partners.

Way to go, Sunrise!

The film is directed by Academy Award-nominated director Marshall Curry, and has many local connections.  The documentary follows three young racers as they compete in the World Karting Association’s National Pavement Series.  These racers are chasing the national championship title as well as reaching their dreams of racing in NASCAR.  Portions of the film were shot in Charlotte at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and one of the young racers will be in attendance for the screening and available for a Q&A afterwards.

If you are interested in learning more about the Footcandle Film Society, please visit our web site at www.footcandle.org.  Tickets will be $5.00 at the door, but free to current society members.

Jackson Group Interactive is proud to be a supporter of the Footcandle Film Society!