[This page is intended as a guide for those contemplating a new channel for The Conversations Network.]

Each channel on The Conversations Network is based on a specific topic or vertical such as IT, biotech, security, environmentalism, social innovation, parenting and so forth. Each channel is managed by a part-time Executive Producer (EP) who is typically an employee of a partner organization that has some association with the vertical focus of the channel. In a few cases, EPs may be independent contractors or even employees of The Conversations Network. Unlike our Series Producers (SPs) the EP role is primarily an business-development entrepreneurial position.

Executive Producers

The Executive Producer (EP) has the following responsibilities:

• Define the scope (vertical focus) of the channel.
• Identify, negotiate with and close the underwritiers and sponsors necessary to fund the channel.
• Identify the events (conferences, lectures, meetings) to be covered by the channel.
• Negotiate with the producers of the events for rights to their audio recordings and collateral.
• Work with the CN staff to prepare for each series (our coverage of an event).
• Review and approve the completed programs (audio and descriptions).
• Schedule each program for publication on the channel's web site.
• Serve as the channel's public personality by writing and recording a weekly audio and email newsletter andwriting and responding to comments on the channel's blog.

The Role of the Network

The Conversations Network provides the following to each channel:

• Post-Production Staff (producers, engineers, editors and managers)
• Technology (programmers and system administrators)
• Infrastructure (content management, web hosting, content delivery)
• Marketing
• G&A (legal, accounting, HR)

Budget

For simplicity sake, we operate each channel on a fixed per-program cost of $375. Here are some examples of how this figure affects a channel's economics:

• Publishing an event with 20 sessions costs $7,500.
• A minimal channel that publishes two programs each week (100 per year) requires $37,500 in underwriting, net of fundraising commissions.
• A fully-loaded channel that publishes five programs each week (250 per year) requres $93,750 per year in net funding.
• These amounts do not include the cost of (payment to) the EP, which is nomincally an additional $125 per program, or $31,250 per year for a channel publishing five programs per week.

All CN channels operate on a cash-first basis, which means that the financing for each program must be in place before that program goes into production. For example, if we want to publish a 10-session series and the requisite $3,750 is secured, production proceeds. No funding? The series isn't published or it is placed on hold until the funding is available.