Connected to people 55-plus
Erickson’s longstanding connection to people over the age of 55 prompted his interest in creating a television channel to specifically address their needs. “I certainly understand what they’re interested in—you can see the vibrancy of what they like to talk about and what they like to hear about. This huge contrast became obvious between this group being avid information seekers and nobody giving them any content.

“I decided to start attacking this. I went to see the top TV people I could find. People who started cable networks, the gurus of this, and all of them said ‘I think it’s a good idea.’”

Comcast agreed to give Erickson four hours of midday television time to try out the idea along the eastern seaboard. Says Erickson, “It was just enough to say if they’re going to do that, that’s the right omen to say we’re going to launch this.”

Programming started in September of 2006 with shows on finance, politics, health, and lifestyle—all targeted for the 55-plus audience. “The reaction has been very good,” Erickson says. “We’ve had some very high ratings and we’re learning what we need to do to connect with this audience.”

Shortly after launching on Comcast, Retirement Living TV signed a deal with DirecTV, which broadened the channel’s reach across the country.

Fine-tuning the channel
Though it’s still early in the process, Erickson is focused on fine-tuning the channel to deliver programs his audience wants to watch. “We’ve only been on for four months. We’ve done some testing, and the market said, ‘Move it along a little faster. Make it a little more dynamic, so that’s what we’re doing,’” he says. “We have a couple of new interesting shows coming out that I think people are really going to like.”

“Every time you start something new like this, you wonder, ‘Why do I keep doing this?’” he asks. “It’s always lot harder then you initially expect so that’s kind of where I am right now. But it’s fun for me because I’m learning a whole new industry. It’s exciting. It keeps the mind going.”

Are you tired of the junk on TV? Inside this edition of the Tribune you’ll find a reply card to express your support for quality programming. Retirement Living TV will deliver all of the cards to the networks and cable and satellite carriers to get the programming you want on the air where you live.