RFDTV has finally let the cat out of the bag and is letting affilliates know about Branson plans. This tip originally reached me back in the summer when Patrick Gottsch was negotiating for a theatre in Branson. RFD-TV has strong ties to the area broadcasting Branson entertainment to a rural base for some time. The demographics of the satelite network are a good fit and close access to Branson talent could yield big rewards.
Among the talent being cultivated for the small screen - Jim Stafford worked on a "tonight show" type program and it's very possible that Darren Romeo, who has been working on a reality show, is doing such with RFD-TV (Will confirm when information is obtainable). They met with a number of entities in January including the Branson Chamber of Commerce and local powerhouses to reveal some of their plans and setup shop with technical assistance from Nashville. It's likely that the theater will be producing content within a month. What happened to Wirestreams? As financial troubles arose Wirestreams took something of a nose dive. Personal pockets couldn't support the giant and each business unit was left to sink or swim. In a sense, Wirestreams opened Pandora ’s Box, proving lucrative numbers could be generated online. It's possible that a good production online could yield larger results than the satellite network itself - something RFD-TV is doing with legacy products as they enter the Branson market to capitalize on the offering's of the live entertainment Mecca. A rollout of an online television product appears to be in development at RFD TV.
Will RFD's broadcasts from Branson generate visitors or keep them home? So far, other entities, such as the Haygoods have offered video offerings outside of their live Branson product with decent results. Early experiments by the Branson Edge proved the viability of an online digital television product as well.
