Destination Network
The Destination Network (formerly Tourist Network) was founded 20 years ago in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 1987. Jud Colley and Toni Davis, along with partner, Myron Hines, created a new kind of television station. 'Niche' television programming was a new idea. Just two and a half years since the first "I Want My MTV" campaign, Colley and Davis negotiated their first cable carriage contract. Colley, with a real estate development background, provided the financing and business expertise; Hines with over 17 years of television broadcasting experience, provided the operations and production expertise; Davis, with an advertising agency background, wrote the scripts and handled the marketing and sales. Due in large part to the prepaid advertising support of several advertisers who had the foresight to understand this 'new' form of programming, the station was an instant success on Panama City Beach!
In 1990, the Destination Network acquired Key TV in Key West and Beach TV in Destin, Florida. In June of 1991, The Destination Network added NOTV (New Orleans Television) in New Orleans, Louisiana. August of 1992 saw the addition of Beach TV in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In July of 1993, The Atlanta Channel in Atlanta, Georgia opened in preparation for the 1995 Centennial Olympic Summer Games. In 1999, Beach TV expanded to include Fort Walton Beach; in 2003, the Pensacola market was added, Pawley's Island, SC was added in 2004, and Georgetown County, SC was added in 2005. Key TV expanded to include the Middle Keys in 2005. The network's first satellite carriage took place in 2006 when Panama City's Beach TV was added to the Dish Network lineup.
"What We Are" Videos:
Atlanta Channel
Beach TV - Myrtle Beach
Beach TV - Destin
New Orleans Television
Key TV - Key West
Beach TV - Panama City
The Olympics and the NFL
When the World came to Atlanta for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, a Destination Network station welcomed, entertained, and educated them... in multiple languages, with award-winning style and with state-of-the-art digital technology! The Destination Network was one of the first broadcasters in America to use a fully digital program origination source. When 10,000 Olympic athletes checked into their rooms at the Olympic Village, a very special closed-circuit Destination Network station greeted them. When the Super Bowl came to New Orleans, Tampa and Atlanta, Destination Network stations were chosen as the official NFL Super Bowl stations and welcomed football fans from around the globe.
TripSmarter.Com
1999 witnessed the advent of the Destination Network website, TripSmarter.Com. In the Spring of 2000, another historic achievement was recorded... the Destination Network was the first television network in America to offer 24-hour live broadband broadcasts! The streaming television technology and on-demand video clips available at TripSmarter.Com added an element of entertainment and excitement that had never before been available on a travel website.
Changing World - Changing Responsibilities
In January of 2002, The Destination Network's New Orleans station, New Orleans Television (NOTV) served as the official visitor information station for the first major media event following the Sept. 11th attacks. As the official NFL Super Bowl Channel, the Destination Network confronted its first truly serious challenge as broadcasters - implementing a communication vehicle that could deliver live emergency procedure information without interruption to literally 100s of thousands of visitors. In response, the Destination Network worked with the NFL and the City of New Orleans to develop an immediate response system.
Hurricane Katrina presented another challenge for New Orleans Television. As the official Visitor Information for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Television urged evacuation prior to the storm and was one of the first television stations to return service to the area following the storm. NOTV continues to provide good news updates as tourism returns to the city.
In the Spring of 2004, The Destination Network's Atlanta station, The Atlanta Channel, announced its partnership with the ACVB (Atlanta Convention and Visitor's Bureau) in the creation of Atlanta's first Emergency Visitor Response System (EVRS). EVRS was designed as an extension of the Atlanta Crisis Communication Plan. In times of emergency, the role of the ACVB is to serve as a clearinghouse for information for key organizations throughout the city who are likely players in the event of an urgent situation. The Atlanta Channel, which is carried by an overwhelming majority of Atlanta hotels, will devote its resources to the important job of providing crucial information to Atlanta's hotel guests. In the event of a crisis or major situation affecting visitors (airport closure, terrorist threat, MARTA service stopped, etc.), the ACVB Crisis Communication Committee and The Atlanta Channel will broadcast continual news alerts. Hotel staff will be alerted and asked to direct visitors to The Atlanta Channel for crisis information updates.
From historic Olympic success, to Mardi Gras and Fantasy Fest... from Super Bowl to Spring Break... golf vacations on the Grand Strand to tropical escapes on America's only Caribbean island, Destination Network stations and TripSmarter.Com reach, inform and influence the most sought-after consumers in the world.
