Page 16 - The Dispatch September 2018

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES

THE GUARD'S FIRST VIDEO STREAMING APP

Story By: Sgt. Mark Otte
100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Military Department public product went into full swing as Gately and Seyller began
affairs team is all about big ideas, and one of the biggest garnering support for the project.
is available on your home television. In 2018 the public
affairs team launched the National Guard's first video "As force modernization continues to be a part of the
streaming app on Roku. National Guard’s vernacular, public affairs teams have to
innovate and embrace new ways to communicate to our
The project began during a discussion be- various audiences," Interim State Public Affairs Officer
tween John Gately, the department web Joshua Amstutz said. "This is a unique tool in our com-
master, and Bob Seyller the department munications kit and it enables us to tell the story of our
branding manager. Both recognized a dedicated service members to the streaming audience."
need to deliver videos to Guardsmen in
an easily accessible format and discussed Roku is a streaming device that gives viewers access to
the opportunity set top boxes provide in on-demand content via channels. From their televisions,
increasing video access. subscribers with a Roku box can access hundreds of hours
of original content produced or posted by the depart-
“I knew being able to deliver this con- ment.
tent to the largest screens in an armory
or even a Guardman's home holds tre- For Seyller, the project began as a cost saving tool that
mendous appeal. It gives them easily solved a major problem and has grown into much more.
browsable content that showcases the
department’s capabilities and informs "I was charged at the time with finding new ways to com-
them on important command infor- municate with the force in the field," Seyller said. "And
mation,” Seyller said. “But I needed every method I looked into was cost restrictive. Roku was
someone smarter than me to make the least expensive and most robust method of delivering
the tech work so I did what I always video content to our Guardsmen."
do with tech problems, I called John
Gately." TMD TV allows Soldiers and Airmen to access video con-
tent for little more than the cost of a Roku device and a
Nearly a year passed after that Wi-Fi connection allowing armories to quickly connect to
first conversation until Gately the web-based streaming platform.
experienced Roku’s capabilities
first hand. A fellow Texas State "TMD TV has more capabilities waiting to be unlocked,”
Guard member showed him a Gately said. “We can use it to deliver training modules
Roku player and mentioned the and classes to Guardsmen in their homes. Recruiting is
developer mode that let people looking to load its video content online and integrate it
build their own channels. into recruiting functions. We are even working to open
up live streams on the platform for people to join TMD
"I am a sucker for new technology town halls or watch ceremonies online.”
and I love learning new stuff," Gately
said. "I wanted to see what that TMD TV is available online and adds new videos twice a
developer mode was and apply it to month. It can be downloaded on the Roku by searching
building the department brand." TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT. -D

It was that curiosity that drove Gately those first 12 hours
to produce the framework for what would become TMD
TV. After beta testing the channel with his fellow public
affairs personnel, a team effort to polish and refine the

16 TheDISPATCH SEPTEMBER 2018