Post by Okwes on Jun 16, 2006 11:13:20 GMT -5
Red Nation Web TV launches, with glitches
Fledgling 24-hour cable television network offers
dramas, documentaries
By Babette Herman
Updated: 3:23 p.m. ET June 13, 2006
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/>
LOS ANGELES - A 24-hour Native cable TV network has
been a decade-long dream of Joanelle Romero. And
without the help of any television executives — just
her friends and supporters - Romero launched the Red
Nation Web Television Channel on May 1. But if
anyone's visited www.rednation.com and run into some
glitches, be patient: you are not alone.
Romero, 48, founder and creative director of the
fledgling channel, said the response was so
overwhelming it crashed the system. ''It's a positive
thing,'' she said about the response, adding that the
web channel will be up and running within the next
several weeks.
Born of Apache, Cheyenne and Jewish descent, Romero
said she has received more than 200 entries for the
network from Native filmmakers, actors and producers,
and various entities to shape its around-the-clock
programming of films, music videos, music specials,
documentaries, pilots and drama series.
''We're not on MTV, VH1, prime time television, and
we're not being heard on mainstream radio; but now we
can be heard, watched and experienced on Red Nation
Web Television Channel,'' she said.
Meanwhile, the channel will feature the first Native
drama series in the United States: ''Home, Home on the
Rez,'' starring Romero, Larry Sellers, Elaine Miles,
Elizabeth Sage and Conroy Chino. Romero said the
series is about a Native female attorney who leaves
her big-time city job to return to her reservation to
help children and teens in crisis.
Plans are also in the works to produce a Native-themed
children's show, similar to ''Sesame Street,'' called
''Turtle Mountain.''
The first documentary slated for Web airtime,
''American Holocaust: When It's All Over I'll Still Be
Indian,'' juxtaposes the haunting similarities between
the Holocaust in Germany starting in 1930s and the
massacre of North American Indians by white settlers
starting in the 1800s.
Released in 2000, it received a humanitarian award and
was considered for an Oscar nomination. Romero
directed, produced, wrote and scored the music, and Ed
Asner narrated the half-hour documentary.
''This channel carries so much hope because not only
our generation and our elders are going to be able to
say, 'Look, there we are and we are a part of this
now,' our youth are going to be able to identify very
strongly,'' she said. ''They're going to have a voice
with this television channel, and they're going to be
able to relate and have an image of themselves every
single day.''
In 1995, Romero said that when she pitched the concept
of starting a Native cable TV station to television
executives, they told her that her plan was ahead of
its time and to come back 10 years later.
When she readdressed the concept to executives,
exactly 10 years later, she felt the brushoff once
again and decided to take matters into her own hands.
''It's time for our industry to wake up to what's
happening right now,'' she said. It's about taking
action, words are just words and action speaks louder
than words. To make this happen, everyone needs to be
involved.''
Romero has the experience in the entertainment
industry to be a mover and shaker in both Hollywood
and Indian country. She starred in her first leading
role at age 19 in the television movie ''A Girl Called
Hatter Fox,'' the first Native woman cast in a leading
role. She later went onto to star in ''Powwow
Highway'' and numerous other roles in both television
and film.
Born in Albuquerque, N.M., Romero was 3 when she moved
with her parents to Los Angeles. Her mother, whom she
fondly calls one of ''Elvis' girls,'' danced around
the ''King of Rock 'n' Roll'' in his films and later
appeared on ''The Red Skelton Show.'' She credits the
long hours that she spent in studios as child,
absorbing the skills of actors and filmmakers, for her
diverse talents in the entertainment industry.
If one had to sit down and make a list of all the
projects and accolades racked up by this accomplished
actress, singer, producer-director, philanthropist and
single mother of two, that list would take up numerous
pages.
Romero is the founder of the award-winning Spirit
World Productions, the Annual Red Nation Celebration
Concert Series, the Annual Native Women in Music, Red
Nation Records, the Annual Warriors Against AIDS
Awareness Concert, and the Annual Red Nation Film
Festival in Los Angeles during Indigenous Nations
Heritage Month in Los Angeles.
Although the network is in its infancy, Romero said
she has been in negotiations with television
executives about bringing Red Nation to cable TV. She
is currently seeking submissions for all types of
Native programming, in addition to advertisers and
investors.
Fledgling 24-hour cable television network offers
dramas, documentaries
By Babette Herman
Updated: 3:23 p.m. ET June 13, 2006
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/>
LOS ANGELES - A 24-hour Native cable TV network has
been a decade-long dream of Joanelle Romero. And
without the help of any television executives — just
her friends and supporters - Romero launched the Red
Nation Web Television Channel on May 1. But if
anyone's visited www.rednation.com and run into some
glitches, be patient: you are not alone.
Romero, 48, founder and creative director of the
fledgling channel, said the response was so
overwhelming it crashed the system. ''It's a positive
thing,'' she said about the response, adding that the
web channel will be up and running within the next
several weeks.
Born of Apache, Cheyenne and Jewish descent, Romero
said she has received more than 200 entries for the
network from Native filmmakers, actors and producers,
and various entities to shape its around-the-clock
programming of films, music videos, music specials,
documentaries, pilots and drama series.
''We're not on MTV, VH1, prime time television, and
we're not being heard on mainstream radio; but now we
can be heard, watched and experienced on Red Nation
Web Television Channel,'' she said.
Meanwhile, the channel will feature the first Native
drama series in the United States: ''Home, Home on the
Rez,'' starring Romero, Larry Sellers, Elaine Miles,
Elizabeth Sage and Conroy Chino. Romero said the
series is about a Native female attorney who leaves
her big-time city job to return to her reservation to
help children and teens in crisis.
Plans are also in the works to produce a Native-themed
children's show, similar to ''Sesame Street,'' called
''Turtle Mountain.''
The first documentary slated for Web airtime,
''American Holocaust: When It's All Over I'll Still Be
Indian,'' juxtaposes the haunting similarities between
the Holocaust in Germany starting in 1930s and the
massacre of North American Indians by white settlers
starting in the 1800s.
Released in 2000, it received a humanitarian award and
was considered for an Oscar nomination. Romero
directed, produced, wrote and scored the music, and Ed
Asner narrated the half-hour documentary.
''This channel carries so much hope because not only
our generation and our elders are going to be able to
say, 'Look, there we are and we are a part of this
now,' our youth are going to be able to identify very
strongly,'' she said. ''They're going to have a voice
with this television channel, and they're going to be
able to relate and have an image of themselves every
single day.''
In 1995, Romero said that when she pitched the concept
of starting a Native cable TV station to television
executives, they told her that her plan was ahead of
its time and to come back 10 years later.
When she readdressed the concept to executives,
exactly 10 years later, she felt the brushoff once
again and decided to take matters into her own hands.
''It's time for our industry to wake up to what's
happening right now,'' she said. It's about taking
action, words are just words and action speaks louder
than words. To make this happen, everyone needs to be
involved.''
Romero has the experience in the entertainment
industry to be a mover and shaker in both Hollywood
and Indian country. She starred in her first leading
role at age 19 in the television movie ''A Girl Called
Hatter Fox,'' the first Native woman cast in a leading
role. She later went onto to star in ''Powwow
Highway'' and numerous other roles in both television
and film.
Born in Albuquerque, N.M., Romero was 3 when she moved
with her parents to Los Angeles. Her mother, whom she
fondly calls one of ''Elvis' girls,'' danced around
the ''King of Rock 'n' Roll'' in his films and later
appeared on ''The Red Skelton Show.'' She credits the
long hours that she spent in studios as child,
absorbing the skills of actors and filmmakers, for her
diverse talents in the entertainment industry.
If one had to sit down and make a list of all the
projects and accolades racked up by this accomplished
actress, singer, producer-director, philanthropist and
single mother of two, that list would take up numerous
pages.
Romero is the founder of the award-winning Spirit
World Productions, the Annual Red Nation Celebration
Concert Series, the Annual Native Women in Music, Red
Nation Records, the Annual Warriors Against AIDS
Awareness Concert, and the Annual Red Nation Film
Festival in Los Angeles during Indigenous Nations
Heritage Month in Los Angeles.
Although the network is in its infancy, Romero said
she has been in negotiations with television
executives about bringing Red Nation to cable TV. She
is currently seeking submissions for all types of
Native programming, in addition to advertisers and
investors.
Fledgling 24-hour cable television network offers
dramas, documentaries
By Babette Herman
Updated: 3:23 p.m. ET June 13, 2006
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/>
LOS ANGELES - A 24-hour Native cable TV network has
been a decade-long dream of Joanelle Romero. And
without the help of any television executives — just
her friends and supporters - Romero launched the Red
Nation Web Television Channel on May 1. But if
anyone's visited www.rednation.com and run into some
glitches, be patient: you are not alone.
Romero, 48, founder and creative director of the
fledgling channel, said the response was so
overwhelming it crashed the system. ''It's a positive
thing,'' she said about the response, adding that the
web channel will be up and running within the next
several weeks.
Born of Apache, Cheyenne and Jewish descent, Romero
said she has received more than 200 entries for the
network from Native filmmakers, actors and producers,
and various entities to shape its around-the-clock
programming of films, music videos, music specials,
documentaries, pilots and drama series.
''We're not on MTV, VH1, prime time television, and
we're not being heard on mainstream radio; but now we
can be heard, watched and experienced on Red Nation
Web Television Channel,'' she said.
Meanwhile, the channel will feature the first Native
drama series in the United States: ''Home, Home on the
Rez,'' starring Romero, Larry Sellers, Elaine Miles,
Elizabeth Sage and Conroy Chino. Romero said the
series is about a Native female attorney who leaves
her big-time city job to return to her reservation to
help children and teens in crisis.
Plans are also in the works to produce a Native-themed
children's show, similar to ''Sesame Street,'' called
''Turtle Mountain.''
The first documentary slated for Web airtime,
''American Holocaust: When It's All Over I'll Still Be
Indian,'' juxtaposes the haunting similarities between
the Holocaust in Germany starting in 1930s and the
massacre of North American Indians by white settlers
starting in the 1800s.
Released in 2000, it received a humanitarian award and
was considered for an Oscar nomination. Romero
directed, produced, wrote and scored the music, and Ed
Asner narrated the half-hour documentary.
''This channel carries so much hope because not only
our generation and our elders are going to be able to
say, 'Look, there we are and we are a part of this
now,' our youth are going to be able to identify very
strongly,'' she said. ''They're going to have a voice
with this television channel, and they're going to be
able to relate and have an image of themselves every
single day.''
In 1995, Romero said that when she pitched the concept
of starting a Native cable TV station to television
executives, they told her that her plan was ahead of
its time and to come back 10 years later.
When she readdressed the concept to executives,
exactly 10 years later, she felt the brushoff once
again and decided to take matters into her own hands.
''It's time for our industry to wake up to what's
happening right now,'' she said. It's about taking
action, words are just words and action speaks louder
than words. To make this happen, everyone needs to be
involved.''
Romero has the experience in the entertainment
industry to be a mover and shaker in both Hollywood
and Indian country. She starred in her first leading
role at age 19 in the television movie ''A Girl Called
Hatter Fox,'' the first Native woman cast in a leading
role. She later went onto to star in ''Powwow
Highway'' and numerous other roles in both television
and film.
Born in Albuquerque, N.M., Romero was 3 when she moved
with her parents to Los Angeles. Her mother, whom she
fondly calls one of ''Elvis' girls,'' danced around
the ''King of Rock 'n' Roll'' in his films and later
appeared on ''The Red Skelton Show.'' She credits the
long hours that she spent in studios as child,
absorbing the skills of actors and filmmakers, for her
diverse talents in the entertainment industry.
If one had to sit down and make a list of all the
projects and accolades racked up by this accomplished
actress, singer, producer-director, philanthropist and
single mother of two, that list would take up numerous
pages.
Romero is the founder of the award-winning Spirit
World Productions, the Annual Red Nation Celebration
Concert Series, the Annual Native Women in Music, Red
Nation Records, the Annual Warriors Against AIDS
Awareness Concert, and the Annual Red Nation Film
Festival in Los Angeles during Indigenous Nations
Heritage Month in Los Angeles.
Although the network is in its infancy, Romero said
she has been in negotiations with television
executives about bringing Red Nation to cable TV. She
is currently seeking submissions for all types of
Native programming, in addition to advertisers and
investors.
Fledgling 24-hour cable television network offers
dramas, documentaries
By Babette Herman
Updated: 3:23 p.m. ET June 13, 2006
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13302402/>
LOS ANGELES - A 24-hour Native cable TV network has
been a decade-long dream of Joanelle Romero. And
without the help of any television executives — just
her friends and supporters - Romero launched the Red
Nation Web Television Channel on May 1. But if
anyone's visited www.rednation.com and run into some
glitches, be patient: you are not alone.
Romero, 48, founder and creative director of the
fledgling channel, said the response was so
overwhelming it crashed the system. ''It's a positive
thing,'' she said about the response, adding that the
web channel will be up and running within the next
several weeks.
Born of Apache, Cheyenne and Jewish descent, Romero
said she has received more than 200 entries for the
network from Native filmmakers, actors and producers,
and various entities to shape its around-the-clock
programming of films, music videos, music specials,
documentaries, pilots and drama series.
''We're not on MTV, VH1, prime time television, and
we're not being heard on mainstream radio; but now we
can be heard, watched and experienced on Red Nation
Web Television Channel,'' she said.
Meanwhile, the channel will feature the first Native
drama series in the United States: ''Home, Home on the
Rez,'' starring Romero, Larry Sellers, Elaine Miles,
Elizabeth Sage and Conroy Chino. Romero said the
series is about a Native female attorney who leaves
her big-time city job to return to her reservation to
help children and teens in crisis.
Plans are also in the works to produce a Native-themed
children's show, similar to ''Sesame Street,'' called
''Turtle Mountain.''
The first documentary slated for Web airtime,
''American Holocaust: When It's All Over I'll Still Be
Indian,'' juxtaposes the haunting similarities between
the Holocaust in Germany starting in 1930s and the
massacre of North American Indians by white settlers
starting in the 1800s.
Released in 2000, it received a humanitarian award and
was considered for an Oscar nomination. Romero
directed, produced, wrote and scored the music, and Ed
Asner narrated the half-hour documentary.
''This channel carries so much hope because not only
our generation and our elders are going to be able to
say, 'Look, there we are and we are a part of this
now,' our youth are going to be able to identify very
strongly,'' she said. ''They're going to have a voice
with this television channel, and they're going to be
able to relate and have an image of themselves every
single day.''
In 1995, Romero said that when she pitched the concept
of starting a Native cable TV station to television
executives, they told her that her plan was ahead of
its time and to come back 10 years later.
When she readdressed the concept to executives,
exactly 10 years later, she felt the brushoff once
again and decided to take matters into her own hands.
''It's time for our industry to wake up to what's
happening right now,'' she said. It's about taking
action, words are just words and action speaks louder
than words. To make this happen, everyone needs to be
involved.''
Romero has the experience in the entertainment
industry to be a mover and shaker in both Hollywood
and Indian country. She starred in her first leading
role at age 19 in the television movie ''A Girl Called
Hatter Fox,'' the first Native woman cast in a leading
role. She later went onto to star in ''Powwow
Highway'' and numerous other roles in both television
and film.
Born in Albuquerque, N.M., Romero was 3 when she moved
with her parents to Los Angeles. Her mother, whom she
fondly calls one of ''Elvis' girls,'' danced around
the ''King of Rock 'n' Roll'' in his films and later
appeared on ''The Red Skelton Show.'' She credits the
long hours that she spent in studios as child,
absorbing the skills of actors and filmmakers, for her
diverse talents in the entertainment industry.
If one had to sit down and make a list of all the
projects and accolades racked up by this accomplished
actress, singer, producer-director, philanthropist and
single mother of two, that list would take up numerous
pages.
Romero is the founder of the award-winning Spirit
World Productions, the Annual Red Nation Celebration
Concert Series, the Annual Native Women in Music, Red
Nation Records, the Annual Warriors Against AIDS
Awareness Concert, and the Annual Red Nation Film
Festival in Los Angeles during Indigenous Nations
Heritage Month in Los Angeles.
Although the network is in its infancy, Romero said
she has been in negotiations with television
executives about bringing Red Nation to cable TV. She
is currently seeking submissions for all types of
Native programming, in addition to advertisers and
investors.