I had a free hour last night here in the UK to catch up on some web browsing and got to see what's up at Sogo Media ... here's a press release on the project from a few weeks ago. Worth subscribing!
SOGO MEDIA TV: A NEW KIND OF ONLINE CHRISTIAN TELEVISION NETWORK
CHARLOTTE, NC (November 12, 2012) -- Billy Graham’s former top “Internet evangelist” and an “Outlaw Theologian” are the unlikely partners in Sogo Media, a new Internet startup that is sure to shake things up in the religious media world. Sogo is the brainchild of Steve Knight, former manager of the Internet division for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Phil Shepherd, pastor of The Eucatastrophe in Fort Worth, Texas, and YouTube personality a.k.a. The Whiskey Preacher.
“Sogo is a new kind of Christian television network -- on YouTube,” explains Shepherd. “We’re creating a channel for some of the biggest and most forward-thinking voices in Christianity -- as well as others who are on the fringes but still talking about the future of religion and spirituality.”
Launching today on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/SogoMediaTV), Sogo includes a
collective of video contributors that includes Darkwood Brew (a groundbreaking Internet-based spiritual gathering), Tripp Hudgins (American Baptist minister and blogger), Homebrewed Christianity (popular progressive Christian podcast), Rachelle Mee-Chapman (spiritual director for creative souls), Anthony Smith (pentecostal pastor and blogger/writer), ChurchNext (an interview show hosted by Episcopal priest Chris Yaw), and OnReligion (a weekly recap of the best religion and spirituality videos on YouTube), among others.
Sogo contributor Brian McLaren, dubbed by TIME magazine as one of the “25 Most Influential Evangelicals,” says, “Sogo has a bold vision: in some cases to provide an alternative to, in some cases to enhance, and in some cases to reverse some of the damage done by traditional religious broadcasting. That’s a bold, needed, and worthwhile vision!”
Sogo’s creators point to the exponential growth of YouTube -- increasing by 50% in the last year alone -- and the continued viral popularity of religion and spirituality videos as the winning formula for what will make this new venture a success. “YouTube is a big wave,” says Knight, who also formerly served as Social Media Manager for Charlotte-based Halogen TV. “We’re naming and claiming a very popular niche that just hasn’t been tapped yet. Some of the biggest viral videos of all time have been religion and spirituality themed or based, but until now no one has been curating this space. In addition to providing great original video content, Sogo will be the place to go to find the best, most interesting, most compelling, funniest, weirdest religion and spirituality videos on YouTube.”
About Sogo Media TV Sogo (http://www.sogomedia.tv) is a new kind of Christian television network that uses the exploding platform of YouTube to distribute exclusive videos from an impressive collective of progressive Christian voices, as well as curates the religion and spirituality niche on YouTube. Founded in 2012, Sogo is short for “social Gospel,” a play on words that also refers to “social media + Gospel message,” the Gospel (or “good news”) of the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed.