Press Release March 12, 2008

OTV AVAILABLE FREE ON THE WEB

Roll em Productions, a team which includes Palauan and American owners, dreamed of a Pacific Island television station back in 2003 after its successful launching of the Palau Visitors Channel on Channel 37.   Four years later, Roll em proudly began Oceania Television Network, known locally as OTV on Channel 23.  

It is the first Pacific Island television station in Palau and in Micronesia dedicated every day to the production of local television shows.   Not surprisingly, over the past year, OTV has seen its local viewership soar.   In fact, when OTV first started airing, its broadcast hours were only 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, but the local demand allowed OTV to increase its broadcast times from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am seven days a week.   Starting humbly with only two local shows and local weather, OTV now boasts five locally produced shows, including Chised, The Jock Block, Game On, Uum er a Belau, Ollekeang and Meral Belau.   Also, more shows including local news are currently in development.

Moreover, last week OTV made a ground breaking move and began streaming for FREE selected episodes of its locally produced shows on the web to share with Palauans and islanders all over the world.   Visit www.oceaniatv.net for complete programming schedules and more information.  

In the first week alone, nearly 1,000 viewers visited the website and viewed OTV's local shows.   Tell your family and friends abroad to watch OTV from any computer anywhere in the world or keep in touch with local events while you are traveling on business or pleasure away from Palau.

OTV has been serving this community since 2002 and is the first media company in Palau to stream Pacific Island television online.   With the continued support of the community, advertisers, and our dedicated volunteers and staff, OTV promises to increase its programming and technology so that Palau will continue to lead the Pacific in media.

Press Release February 22, 2007 Printable version

A New Sports Show on Oceania Television Network:

The Jock Block with Mike and Meyers

For those who have had a chance to watch the new local television programming on Oceania Television Network, you might have come across a show featuring a couple of bald guys hanging out talkng about sports.   The show is called the Jock Block with Mike and Myers and is one of several locally produced programs on OTV.   The Jock Block brings an ESPN style talk show format highlighting the popular regional sports scene in addition to covering international sports like the NBA and NFL.  

It's two hosts, Mike Fox and Myers Techitong are no strangers to sports.   You might recognize Myers, a respected referee in the National Basketball League and former local athlete himself.   His counterpart Mike is a veteran of over 10 years in radio broadcasting, where he's covered sports teams from Denver to San Francisco.   Before coming to Palau, he worked for ESPN affiliate KNBR in San Francisco where he was the commercial voice of the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, and San Jose Sharks.   Mike's background in professional sports in the States compliments Myer's expertise in Micronesian competition.   The producer of the show, Spis Gordon, is a star local athete who won an athletic scholarship to Iowa Wesleyan College in baseball.   He continues to participate in the local leagues.

“When I moved to Palau, I was suprised at how big sports were not only here but throughout the Pacific,” says Mike.   “When I started following local sports I was impressed with the skill and athletiscm of Palau's athletes and could see they are serious in their approach to the games.   There was definitely more than enough material to start a local sports show.”     Mike who works for Roll'em Productions and Myers who works for PNCC came together as their respective companies were developing the framework for Oceania Television.   Myers says they had been talking about doing a sports show for some time.   “Everytime Mike and I would run into each other, we'd talk a little more about doing the sports show.   Then one night on a whim, we did a 5 minute test run and we could definitely tell we had something.”  

That five minute show would be the only rehearsal they would get as they jumped right in with their first broadcast that aired right before the Superbowl.   Having just completed it's 4th episode, the Jock Block is starting to gain momentum.   “We're playing with the format each show and have now come up with some segments that I think local sports fans would like,” says Mike.   Myers adds, “Yeah, we've got the Game of the Week which is becoming quite popular.   Since we got families in addition to our day jobs, we can't make it to every great game so we try to focus in on one potential standout game people would like to see.   It could be Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball.   If the game is played   here in Palau, it could be a Game of the Week.”   The guys are encouraging their viewers to let them know what games they would like to see featured as the Game of the Week.   You can e-mail them at jockblock@oceaniatv.net .   

The Jock Block with Mike and Myers premieres a new show every Wednesday night at 8pm on Oceania Television Network.   You can catch the replays of the show on Thursdays, Saturdays and Monday nights. Check out Oceania Television lineup on www.oceaniatv.net.