Douglas Berquist: The Public Place Network Is a Video Streaming Platform That Provides a Vital Voice to Members of Our Communities Whose Stories and Messages Have Been Under-represented by Traditional Media

The Public Place Network is a video streaming platform that provides a vital voice to members of our communities whose stories and messages have been under-represented by traditional media.

We believe video streaming technology should be democratized and its powerful economic benefits belong in the hands of the citizens who create the content.

Tell us about yourself?

I am an award winning film and television producer who worked in the industry for 25 years, I have been commissioned by NAIT and SAIT to upgrade their film programs to digital and multiplatform communications.

My early film art has been procured by the museum of modern art in Auckland New Zealand and I am 1 of the original founders and instigators of the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (circa 1978).

I have always been interested in new technology and new forms of distribution. I discovered the PPN technology about 5 years ago and saw it was a way to give control of mass distribution of media back to the content creators.

What problem does your business solve?

Gives the enormous economic benefits of video streaming technology back in the hands of content creators

What is the inspiration behind your business?

25 years of having large studios and distributors make the lionshare of the revenue from my hard work, I wanted to find a solution that opened up opportunities to share in those enormous profits. Youtube make 1.6 billion a month, very little of that goes back to content creators.

What is your magic sauce?

We run a Social enterprise like a co-op. So the channel operators share the cost of a global streaming network through the profits they earn on their channel.

This keeps the overhead for each channel operators down basically to the cost of a cell ph service

What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?

We need more channel operators taking advantage of the PPN opportunity and continue to expand across Canada.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Most people who learn about our service are overwhelmed buy this alternative to posting videos for free and the fact they can monetize their video programs.

We tell them, “If we could give you the YouTube or Vimeo business technology, wipe it clean of content what would you do with it?” That is what PPN offers. In most cases we have found people take time to absorb the enormous possibilities and find it hard to comprehend.

How do people get involved/buy into your vision?

We are looking for entrepreneurs, learning institutions and anyone who realizes the importance of using Video in their business models.

People who would like to regain control of the narrative of their message, had have more opportunity to generate revenue from their activities in the digital space, using video (VOD, Live streaming, Ad revenue, subscriptions etc).