Excelsior entrepreneur Robert Atkinson is hoping his Real Estate Network will be to real estate what ESPN has been to sports.
His plan, with the help of a cable TV heavy-hitter, is to create a television network and multimedia platform dedicated to "developing, producing and marketing real estate-related entertainment, news and information to a global audience" via three screens: television, Web and mobile.
The announcement comes at a time of intense interest in the struggling real estate industry. But it also comes at a challenging time for media companies, which are fighting for advertising and audience alike as they adjust to the ever-changing opportunities of digital technology.
Atkinson said he hopes the network will produce a range of content, including news, financial insights, market information and entertainment and lifestyle programming.
Though he's been working on the project for nearly four years, he didn't say when the network would launch. "Stay tuned," he said.
Stuart Evey, who was founding chairman of ESPN in 1979, will be chairman of the board. In an interview from his home in Spokane, Wash., Evey said he's made a "modest" financial commitment to the network, is helping round up investors and is optimistic about its prospects.
"It's a hell of a thing," he said. "I don't have any hesitation about promoting it."
Evey said he joined the board because the network presents "another opportunity to build an iconic television network, Web marketplace and brand in the real estate space."
He said that the goal is to raise $3 million to $5 million and within about 10 months create a beta launch that will help sell the idea to other investors and prospective partners.
"There's nothing like it," he said. "That's why this is so exciting."
Harv Furman, director of market investments at Compass Point Media, said launching a new network is going to be a challenge because there are already so many networks competing for the same viewers and advertisers. He also has concerns about whether there's enough entertainment value -- and day-to-day relevance -- to attract a big enough audience for a 24/7 real estate network.
"Real estate as a general model does touch all of our lives," he said, "but not on a daily basis."
To illustrate the challenges new networks face in a "fractured media environment," he points to the struggles Oprah Winfrey is having attracting an audience on her new cable network.
Steve Lynch, director of group media for the Minneapolis agency Olson, said that while there's an audience for real estate content, the big question is whether there are enough advertising dollars to go around.
"The category has been soft for years and doesn't look to rebound soon," he said.
Atkinson previously ran a small commercial real estate company. He said the new business is based in his home in Excelsior, but he's considering relocating it to one of two other cities where he aims to create 1,200 to 1,400 jobs.
Jim Buchta • 612-673-7376
