Background and Summary
Hey there! I'm Heather, and since 2009 I have been podcasting on Tudor England with my show, the Renaissance English History Podcast. In addition I created the first ever online virtual summit on Tudor history, the Tudor Summit, which brings together leading authors and historians to discuss Tudor history every six months. I also have a radio show on Tudor music in the UK. That show actually sparked the idea of creating an entire online radio station devoted to Tudor history. I wanted a way to distribute the show to my podcast audience, and since I don't have a radio license, I wouldn't have been able to do that on my show - the laws say that without a license you can only play 30 second snippets of music, covered under Fair Use. If you want to play full works (which I do on my radio show) you need a license.
The idea to get a license snowballed, and I've decided to start an internet station devoted to Tudor history. I'm gathering content from the leading podcasters out there, and I'll also be playing music from the 16th century. We'll have book shows, interviews, and more.
Basically, it will be an online station available through Tune In and its own player, and it will be focused on All Tudor, All the Time. Bringing you into the 16th century, no matter where you are. Whether it's in your car during your commute, at the gym, or when you're cooking dinner, you'll be guaranteed to turn on this station and hear something Tudor related - whether it's music or talk.
What We Need & What You Get
I need some funding to make this station a reality! The first thing is the licensing, so we're legal to play all the music we want. Also, the radio station software, and web space, so we can broadcast out all over the Tudor-loving world! Then, money for licensing and paying for content from other shows and presenters.
I'm doing flexible funding with this, and everything you contribute will go straight to the campaign, even if I don't reach the final amount. This is something I'm going to do regardless, and I've created some (what I think are) great rewards and sweeteners to ask for your support.
The Impact
I believe deeply in my bones that learning about history connects us to different cultures, and helps us see different viewpoints - something that has often become missing in modern discourse. I also think that the stories of this time period are just plain fun.
I've been talking about history, and sharing stories with people since I was 14 years old, and my first summer job was as a student docent at a Revolutionary War home in my hometown. I can remember so vividly the experience of being in the home alone, looking at the possessions of the family that had lived there, and thinking how very close we were - only time had separated us. When you can cross time, and start to see the world through the eyes of the people who lived those events, you start to build empathy, and it becomes easier in general to see the world through the lens of people who might view it differently than you do.
The Tudor Radio Network will bring together presenters and experiences to connect you to the 16th century, to challenge your mind and help you see the world through the eyes of the people who lived five hundred years ago.
Risks & Challenges
The biggest challenge is going to be finding programming to fill 24 hours a day. My goal initially is to only fill up the day with 8 hours of programming which I would repeat three times - that's so that people in each time zone around the world would be able to catch the shows (there seems to be pockets of Tudor fans in Australia, Europe, and America, so broadcasting three times throughout the day ensures everyone will be able to listen to everything).
Part of the money raised from this indiegogo will go towards developing more original programming, and paying people to present shows.
I will say that I am uniquely positioned to be able to pull this off because of having been in the podcasting world for so long (9 years), being part of a podcasting network (the Agora Podcast Network where I have access to brilliant content creators), and the people I know through doing my Tudor Summits, and being deeply involved in this world.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can't help financially, I'd LOVE for you to share this with all your Tudor-loving friends! You can also listen like crazy once the station is live! We will need listeners to help us pull this off!!