BARRHEAD - A Barrhead-area man will have to wait until February to find out if the municipality will help fund his quest to become a reality TV star.
Dale Kiselyk appeared before council on Dec. 17 to ask them to consider contributing $5,000 towards the creation of the first season, which he hopes will become a multi-series reality show for Wild TV and the Outdoor Channel.
However, for it to come to fruition, he and his producer will first have to raise roughly $60,000 to film six episodes of a series showing Kiselyk's attempt to survive 72 hours in the wilderness using items he receives from select outdoor enthusiasts.
"The reason it is 72 hours is statistically the amount of time that people [who are missing in the wilderness] are either found alive or well by search and rescue," he said.
Kiselyk, a plumber by trade, has lived in the area since 2003 and owns Nature Alive Adventures with his wife, Colleen.
The company, which he has operated full-time since 2018, offers customized wilderness and canoeing excursions, back-country survival courses and camping at its Goose Lake Adventure Centre.
For the municipality's contribution, they would receive a 30-second commercial in one of the episodes, which audiences would see every time the episode was broadcast.
Kiselyk said he planted the seeds during Fort Assinoboine's 200th anniversary celebrations in the summer of 2023.
"[As part of the celebrations] they filmed a documentary series [Cooking with Hot Stones aired on Wild TV earlier this year], and we were extras," he said. "[During a break in filming] I approached the producer, Tim McKort, and told him my idea for a TV show."
McKort owns Western Directives Inc., which has produced and distributed 10 films and over 100 corporate videos through A Little Late Films. He is also a former Fort Assiniboine resident.
McKort then pitched the idea to Wild TV and the Outdoor Channel, who told him they liked the concept but wanted to see a final product.
The Outdoor Channel is a U.S. pay television channel focused on the outdoors. It offers programming on hunting, fishing, the western lifestyle, off-road motorsports, and adventure. Wild TV is a similar Canadian network.
"[McKort told me] the way television works is that you put together a team and produce the series, then you take it to a broadcasting company, and if they like it — it will roll, and we all can money," Kinselyk said. "But in the first year, we have to come up with the money."
Kinselyk added that McCourt estimates producing an episode will cost about $5,000.
In addition to the county, Kinselyk has also asked the Municipal District of Greenwood, Northern Lights College, Vermillion College, Bartle and Gibson, all of which he noted he has worked for or with in some capacity.
"We are trying to keep it local and advertise our area's specialities and get some exposure for our region," he said.
Kinselyk said, in that vein, he and McKort plan to shoot all six episodes in the region, including the County of Barrhead, to highlight the area further.
He specifically suggested the areas surrounding Thunder and Peanut lakes as potential filming locations.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked about how many subscribers Wild TV had.
Kinselyk replied that he did not know but said the county's ad would be incorporated into the episode and thus shown every time it was broadcast.
Reeve Doug Drozd asked if the municipality would have any input into the ad's content.
Kinselyk said the municipality would work directly with McKort to draft the 30-second spot.
Deputy reeve Marvin Schatz asked what would happen to the sponsor's money if Wild TV and Outdoor TV chose not to air the series.
"I knew you were going to ask that," Kinselyk said, adding that he did not know the answer as McKort was handling the TV.
To safeguard the county's interest, he suggested the municipality write what happens to the funds into the agreement.
Drozd suggested that if the networks opted not to air it, they could perhaps recoup their investment by airing the series on YouTube.
Kinselyk replied that it could be difficult, noting that TV money was much more substantive.
"I've been running the YouTube game for eight years [Nature Alive Adventures & #microadventures] with roughly 8,000 subscribers," he said, adding his average video garners about 300 views. "And I make about $70. It is a hard game to get into, and unless you have 200,000 or 300,000 subscribers, you aren't making money at it."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
