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ATN NewsNotes

Editor:  Kandus Thorp, Assistant to the Director, Adventist Television Network

Adventists Producers Gather for Hope Channel

By Lori-Ann Charlton

            As always, there was plenty of gambling going on in Las Vegas the week of April 19, 2004. But nothing matched the stakes at the Mountain View Adventist Church, a few blocks off The Strip, where delegates at the first official Adventist TV Producers Advisory met to talk about the future of ministry via television.

            The irony of the week, of course, was that God’s spirit was alive and hard at work in a town that’s long been dubbed “Sin City.”

            Nearly 200 Adventist producers, managers, communication directors, university students and lay people attended the four-day conference, organized to coincide with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Electronic and Media Expo, at the Circus Circus Hotel.

            That number included more than 50 delegates from Europe, Africa, South and East Asia, Central and South America, and Australia, where the four-month-old Hope Channel is already establishing a foothold.

            After checking out the latest and greatest in broadcasting equipment on show at the NAB (which attracted close to 100,000 industry professionals from around the world), delegates to the General Conference-organized advisory were given an overview of what’s been happening with the Hope Channel so far, and where it’s headed in the future.

The philosophy of the satellite and internet accessible channel was also laid out, and there was discussion about target audiences and how to meet their needs with Adventist television programming.

            Twelve media centres from various parts of the globe vetted three- to five-minute sample clips of their work—ranging in style from documentaries to animation and music videos—and participated in a question and answer session.

            In addition to fellowship and networking opportunities throughout the four-day event, delegates were given a chance to brainstorm in small groups, talking about things they were doing at home that might help the greater mission.

            According to Brad Thorp, ATN Director, the whole concept of 24/7/365 Adventist television programming is something a lot of people need to get used to. “There’s been a paradigm shift in the Adventist Church, in terms of production. In the past, we’ve paid for one Sunday morning show, which was produced for a half-hour each week. With the Hope Channel, it’s not just a half-hour once a week any more. We have 17,520 half-hour segments to fill all year round,” he said.

            Gary Gibbs, ATN Associate Director, presented the latest marketing strategy of ATN.  Called “Homes of Hope,” it envisions getting programs off of satellite and into the homes of the people, reaching the world with the gospel and discipling believers toward Christian maturity.

            Of course, there’s still lots of work to be done—program slots to fill (requirements for pitches can be found on the Adventist.tv website under technical information) and relationships to establish with individual stations so Hope Channel can be delivered to TV sets in certain areas. But those in attendance would wager that the odds are pretty good—and the pay-off, which may not be realized for a year or so, will be huge, even by Vegas standards.

            “Everyone left excited that the church is doing this. They were amazed by the providence of God,” said Kandus Thorp. “This opens up a whole new vehicle for the church to use in evangelism.”

(Editor’s note:  This story was written earlier.  Please accept our apologies for the delayed release. KT)

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