Geno TV

Call Geno Geng the ultimate “community broadcaster.” Geng licensed and operates cable Channel 17 out of his home on Nantucket Island, Mass. There, he single-handedly broadcasts, via local cable provider AT&T, pre-edited pieces of local news, weather, interview programs, and pre-packaged features about his world travels.

Local freelancer Tihomir Ivanov, who handles graphics and maintains Geng's in-home computer network, and occasional interns, are Geng's only human help in running Channel 17. Ivanov also handles video encoding and other Web issues for Geng as he simulcasts some of his material via his website, GenoTV, at www.genotv.com.

Geng puts his shows together using a simple tool arsenal — a Sony VX-2000 DV camera, a Mac-based Media 100 XR digital video editing system, and most recently, the addition of a Matrox InfonetTV system — that he says “is cost-effective if you know what you are doing.” The InfonetTV system is a new information-delivery product designed to automate split screens, create graphics, and schedule and playback broadcast material simultaneously to both Web and cable television systems. Geng had InfonetTV installed a few months ago and says it has made things a lot easier for this type of broadcasting, allowing him to easily and automatically display different types of information on different zones on the screen — corner ads, for instance. “Perfect for community television,” he says.

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