New Mars Forums

Mark Carter

Banned

Registered: 2002-04-09

Posts: 2

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

Just a thought...

Given the success of "reality" TV shows lately, how about a reality-show that tracks selection of people, their training, and the eventual mission to Mars itself?

The networks pay hundreds of millions for rights to the Olympics and professional sports, why not to fund a space mission which they'd have exclusive broadcast rights for?
Heck, they could start up the Mars channel, and people would *pay* to watch 24/7.

I'd vote for Mars, but heck I'd settle for the Moon.

Mark

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

Considering how much a Mars mission would cost, I can't see any network recieving a profitable return on their investment especially if such a mission were to take place right now.  I could see a broadcaster making a sizable contribution though to some other agency's Mar's mission for television rights.  Anyhow, I bet the contestants would crack up and go mad before they even got to Mars!

---

To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

prometheusunbound

Banned

From: ohio

Registered: 2003-07-02

Posts: 209

Website

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

in all serroiusness I think making a mars mission like that will doom the crew to a early death.
  1.A unstable crew cannot respond properly in an crisis
  2.Reality TV thrives on unstable personalitys
  3.A reality tv based mission will render the crew near-unable to respond to any crisis.

A crisis would tear the mission apart if the crew was inbroiled in a interpersonal fight/battle.

---

"I am the spritual son of Abraham, I fear no man and no man controls my destiny"

HeloTeacher

Banned

Registered: 2002-01-26

Posts: 38

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

I think the intent is more Olympics than Survivor, with a touch of the Discovery Channel.

It would never pay the whole cost but the right idea is to find a lot of revenue sources that, combined, pay the bills.

---

"only with the freedom to [b]dream[/b], to [b]create[/b], and to [b]risk[/b], man has been able to climb out of the cave and reach for the stars"
  --Igor Sikorsky, aviation pioneer

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

*Frankly, I think "reality TV" (including "Survivor" and all the other spin-offs) are just plain trash.  I wouldn't care for a Mars mission to be tarred by the same brush.  Science, not sensationalism (though yes, I know the masses prefer to be entertained).

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

TJohn

Banned

Registered: 2002-08-06

Posts: 149

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

I don't think a Mars "reality-tv" show would work.  I do believe that Mars mission show would do well on NASA TV and PBS.  I agree with Cindy and prometheusbound.  Those shows work on people competing against each other and/or who shacking up with who.  Not the ideal place.

---

One day...we will get to Mars and the rest of the galaxy!!  Hopefully it will be by Nuclear power!!!

martianx

Banned

From: Nottingham, England

Registered: 2003-08-12

Posts: 2

Re: Survivor: Mars?  The Mars Channel? - Could TV fund a space mission?

People will watch mars tv because its new, its not reality tv at all, its so much different, its FUTURE TV! The exclusive TV rights would surely help towards the cost of a mission to mars but will not be the answer. The cost of TV rights will be enormous since you have to think about what the tv company actually gets for their money. They get 6 months of fly on the wall footage, mars approach, aerobraking, landing, the first footstep on mars, the first sunrise on mars, the first sunset, then however many days/weeks/months of footage until the public gets bored. Just thinking about watching any of the above that sends a shiver down my spine (and will glady pay $$ for the pleasure

But what about all the other commercial possibilities? If you have a weekly TV program for 6 months just to get there, there are surely adverising revenues to be had from product placement. Slap a coca cola logo on the spaceship if you have to, anything to get the $$ so we can go to mars!!!! and advertising space on the channel (I assume it would be more efficient to have a separate mars channel for this!) In the end when it comes to landing day the whole world will be watching, and if its exclusive on mars tv the project gets a healthy pay check.

I also think the commercal activities should extended further, if the mission can establish a good turnaround of missions then a futures market could be setup to trade for future land, property and minerals. The thing is the only way our socety is going to get to mars is to set up a martian economy to pay for it, TV will be a part of that economy, so will the land and the minerals. "The case for mars" has already been established, we just need to get the business plan on track.

MX