In fact, Robinson isn’t sure if it will be called TV Middletown, but he knows what his goal is.
“This is an effort to bring positive news and stories, televised, back to the Middletown area,” said Robinson, who lives in Franklin.
Robinson‘s day job is commercial realty, but he worked with TV Middletown on sports coverage and more. This endeavor is his true passion, he said.
In November 2024, Robinson purchased a TV production van along with four cameras. It was a “significant” investment, he said.
The van can fit up to six people working graphics, replay, audio, direction and more.
Since purchasing the van, Robinson, his team of freelancers and five Middletown high school students have helped televise eight Middletown basketball games.
The high school students are paid and receive community service hours for their work as part of an after-school program through the Community Building Institute.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“You couldn’t tell these were high school kids,” Robinson said. “They soaked it up. They performed better than anyone could ever imagine...it was very gratifying to see them want to do this.”
Robinson hopes to partner with the city of Middletown to cover events, and he and his team will be covering the 4th of July parade to show the city what they can do.
Though Robinson has big plans, he knows his team has its limitations, which is where a local media company comes in.
ICRC-TV has coverage in 22 Cincinnati communities and is interested in partnering with the city and Robinson to televise content.
The company has a full studio, editing suites and two production suites. It can also help get TV Middletown onto streaming platforms and social media, though it will also be on cable.
“Whatever platforms out there that we can get on, we’ll be on,” Robinson said.
Usually, ICRC-TV charges 40% of cable franchise fees paid to the city, but for Middletown, it would charge the city a yearly flat rate of $120,000 — about $60,000 less than the 40% of Middletown’s average franchise fee income.
Either option — partnering just with Robinson or with Robinson and ICRC-TV — would leave the city in control of what events are covered.
Middletown would also get a seat on the ICRC-TV board, and Robinson would stay on to handle the city’s TV coverage, which has been missing for 10 years since TV Middletown shuttered.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
TV Middletown, in its first iteration, began in 1998 with a focus on being “Positively Middletown,” providing coverage of council, school board and other meetings and highlighting community and school events.
Though it closed after multiple plumbing issues at its building, Robinson said its impact still reverberates.
“It was well respected, it was well received, and what I’m trying to do is get that positive information back again to the area,” he said.
Though plans are preliminary and nothing is set, Robinson has “more than hope” for the future of Middletown’s television coverage.
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