Sarah Palin Launches Online TV Network

Former Alaska governor and one-time candidate for vice president Sarah Palin announced yesterday the launch of her own online TV network, aptly (and unimaginatively) called The Sarah Palin Channel.

Palin promises quite a bit of content for the site, which aims to “cut through the media’s politically correct filter” as she says in a welcome video on the channel’s homepage. The ex-politician is the executive editor for all content, giving her seal of approval on everything before it goes up. Not surprisingly, she will be the focus of many of the videos that will be posted, sharing her thoughts on news items and current events, as well as starring in what appears to be a reality show of sorts focusing on her family.

The media darling also promises that the Sarah Palin Channel will help her get closer to the people, eliminating many of the barriers that have kept them apart. Users will be able to ask her questions during regular video Q&As, as well as post their own videos. Engagement with fans is becoming the norm in all industries involving fans and celebrities, so with that move, Palin is on the right track by interacting with those who support her more often and in meaningful ways.

The channel is available via a subscription that will cost you just under $10 a month, or $100 for an entire year. The network does point out that it is offering free access to those in the armed forces.

Palin is of course not the first politico to head to the web to share their own programming. Controversial figure Glenn Beck also has his own channel, called TheBlaze. While it originated online back in 2011, TheBlaze has made the jump to television and is now carried through Dish Network. It is likely that Palin and her collaborators also have such a business plan in mind.

The Fox news contributor is working with new video startup Tapp on the project, with her channel being one of the earliest to launch. The company, which was founded by former NBCUniversal chairman Jeff Gaspin and former CNN president Jon Klein, is looking to well known personalities to launch original programming online through their network, with radio host Steve Arterburn being their first curator.

Outside of Tapp, celebrities leaving traditional media for the digital world is nothing new, with big names switching sides for the right opportunities. Katie Couric and Larry King both left their big-name television gigs for online ones, and Paula Deen is hoping to launch her own channel this fall, focusing on the buttery foods that made her famous in the first place.