Newsmaker Episode-James Green
Jame Green: Welcome back to another episode of green 325 Podcast. I'm the host, Jamie Green, and I'm here with Eric Campbell on this Wednesday, December 11. Eric, how are you doing today?
Eric Campbell: I'm good, Jamie, how are you?
JG: I'm doing pretty good. Now I want to talk to you because you're the producer slash director slash one of the founders of Braxton Live, which is a local broadcast company here in Braxton County. What, what made you want to start it, and how did the start come to fruition?
EC: So there was a few, a few guys that were involved in in high school sports here in Braxton County. Some of us were working on the with the football team, doing stats, and others were just involved in in helping teams, whether that was through coaching or other means, and it was actually through a small men's group Bible study. And we were tossing around the idea because some of us had helped with the local radio broadcast, which had been going on for several years prior. Wouldn't it be cool to put video with that, because the radio announcers that we had were outstanding, just so people that could could watch the broadcast that maybe couldn't make it to the game when we first started looking into it, the technology was really over, overpriced and out of our budget. What we were able to do to start to start that from the ground up, there was a new system that came on the market that that made it more our budget friendly. And we went to some local business owners and pitched the idea sight unseen, because we had nothing to show them. Basically. Just believe in us that this, this is going to work. And quite a few took us up on the on the offer, and we were able to roll with that season one, and he just kind of took off from there.
JG: Now, what season is this going for Braxton Live are you currently on? Yeah, this is season this is season six of Braxton. Live. All right. Now, what's been the biggest like issue you've had? Now I know traveling and setting up other places can be a pain. But besides that, what's been one of the biggest issues you've had.
EC: Honestly, the corporate sponsors have been there. We kind of run as a as a volunteer model, pretty much everybody that that helps in any way, myself included, we all just volunteer our time with the local Braxton broadcasts to make it happen and and finding that core group of people that's willing to to run a camera or run graphics or do stats, that's been the that's been the biggest challenge. And then, as you mentioned, the coordinating any away games, that's a whole different level of complexity that gets thrown in.
JG: Where do you want to see Braxton live go and the next couple years, maybe five years down the road, I know you guys have done playoff games and you do the LKC baseball. Do you see more, more trying to do stuff throughout the state, or just trying to stay local?
EC: I would like to see us try to do some postseason stuff. It would be cool to do a state championship game of some sport. That would be neat to do. And it would also be nice to be able to expand into a student led part of it as well, where the local, the local high school could take, take ownership of some of the other games, and maybe be able to broadcast more of the games that we're not able to do.
JG: What's been the most rewarding part of doing racks in life for you personally?
EC: I think, a couple of things. So it is nice to do it as, really a group of Christian believers, and try to give, we give God the glory and then the praise for being able to put this effort together to do something to try to give back to the community. And it's nice when the comments kind of roll in from we've had people from out of the country that have been able to watch a family member play in a game that they would have had no chance of watching that happen if it wouldn't have been for our live stream. So grandparents that that aren't able to get out or the live away, that are able to watch your grandkids play, that makes it, that makes it worth it, all right.
JG: Now, where can we find Braxton live at, you know, kind of a chance to plug your socials and plug the plug the whole thing.
EC: Sure. So we're on both Facebook and YouTube. You can search Braxton live. Our YouTube address is youtube.com, forward slash, Braxton live. WV,
JG: Alright. Well, Eric, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day and doing this for me, and hope you have a great day and a great Christmas coming up.
EC: Thanks, Jamie, Merry Christmas.
