By Jason Smith
This article is presented by the NTCA Innovation & Business Opportunity Committee (IBOC). The author currently serves as chair of the IBOC.
Like other rural communications providers, Rainbow Communications (Everest, Kan.) enjoys a special connection to its community. While large corporations may undertake “community relations” efforts aimed at establishing bridges to small communities, locally operated providers like Rainbow are already part of the community. As part of our continued commitment to our community, Rainbow felt it was important to connect our customers to our local schools. To accomplish this, Rainbow Communications started the Borrower/Lender Program (BLP). This program allows our area schools to provide local content of student activities to Rainbow’s website for customers to enjoy watching from the safety and comfort of their home.
The Rainbow BLP provides the participating school with close to $5,000 in video equipment, including cameras, lights, and a laptop. In return the school streams content to our rainbowLIVE website. Programming is also saved and stored to video on demand, so the program can be viewed as many times as you would like. The participating school takes responsibility for the live streaming broadcast and management of recording the events which can include sporting games, theater activities and any other programs the school would like to showcase.
In addition to utilizing the video equipment for live streaming events, the schools have the opportunity to offer a media class as part of their curriculum. Rainbow provides the students with training from our own video production team, as well as technical support when needed. Students can present play-by-play of sports, events broadcasting, and so much more. The limit to what the students can do with the equipment is really their imagination. Along with the equipment, training, and technical support, Rainbow provides promotion of the content via Rainbow social media posts. This, too, provides educational opportunities for our students by teaching them about advertising. Students are guided to establish timelines, create promotional material, and increase awareness and viewership of the programing.
Our investment in the BLP returned significant dividends over the past year. In 2020, COVID-19 affected everyone in our service area in some way, especially in our local schools. One of the challenges faced by the school districts was restricted attendance to school events. The BLP became a tool to livestream school events. Streaming these events meant that grandparents, parents, and other family members did not have to miss an important sporting event, a senior signing, graduation, or other milestone. They were able to watch from the comfort and safety of their homes. Rainbow also made the decision to make access to the rainbowLIVE website free to everyone. This was a benefit to all, as there was no restriction to location: so long as a person has access to the internet, they are able to view the events streamed to the website.
Local high schools have streamed active sports; seniors signing to colleges; and even a hot dog eating contest. Local high schools have “pitched in” to livestream middle school events and grade school programs. Highland Community College, our local community college, has been a participating school for several years and recently started Highland E-Sports, which livestreams tournaments that can include up to five other community colleges.
We are happy to be able to provide our local school districts and college with the BLP. Community members have also been very excited to be able to view local sports and activities from their home, and students gain valuable experience in video production and promotion. It is a win-win-win for Rainbow, the schools, and the community.
Jason Smith is the CEO/General Manager of Rainbow Communications (Everest, Kan.).
