Roots Television | Og Blog

Og is coming out -- with GREAT NEWS!!! Read on.....

Roots Television wants everyone to flaunt their roots! Launched just a few months ago, this first-ever online home for family history programming boasts 20 channels of great shows for the roots-enthusiast – all available 24/7 and almost all for free. And now viewers have the opportunity to submit their own video through the freshly introduced RootsTube channel and win $500!

Yes, it's finally here! The perfect way for millions of genealogists around the globe to share their sleuthing adventures, family reunion mishaps, cemetery explorations, interviews with WWII vets, trips to the old country, or even the local society's monthly lectures. With a few easy-to-follow instructions, anyone can put their video out there for fellow roots-lovers to enjoy.

To celebrate the launch of RootsTube, Roots Television™ is holding a Wild Roots! contest. While submissions of all things genealogical are welcome, viewers are invited to tell the world about the craziest thing they ever did in their quest to learn about their heritage. Did you accidentally pull an all-nighter at your computer? Did you cross a field with a bull in it to get to an old cemetery? Did you purposely get yourself locked into a library overnight? If so, we want to hear about it. You can tell your tale directly to the camera, re-enact it, animate it, use hand puppets or whatever appeals to you. Do it by yourself or with your sister, research buddies, fellow society members, or that 6th cousin of yours in New Zealand. On May 15, 2007, Roots Television will select and announce the winner of the Wild Roots! contest.

While you're at it, why not take a few minutes to explore EVERYTHING else Roots Television™ has to offer? Check out our recently unveiled new look that makes it easier than ever to navigate around our 20 channels that include DNA, Military, Kids, Dearly Departed, African Roots, How To and more. Watch your favorite speakers at national conferences, peek over Flat Stanley's shoulder as he does his roots, or see how Bob Zins used DNA testing to find out who his real father was. Browse the program guide to see what must-see video you might be missing. While you're there, subscribe to the Og Blog or our newsletter to keep up on the latest programs – and keep an eye out for an exciting new original series coming soon!

Og wants everyone out there to have their chance to win $500, so you better get busy! I can't wait to see what you've got!!!

Og from Roots Television

In newly added programming, check out Seeing London, 1920, which provides a terrific glimpse of some of our favorite London landmarks in the 1920’s. Amazing architecture, fascinating statues, interesting facts – but what strikes Og most is that, apart from the obvious difference of the lack of many vehicles, London today still STRONGLY resembles the photos in this show from nearly a century ago.

Hey, I wonder whether Flat Stanley has ever visited London...to keep up with his escapades, don't forget to look for him on the Kids Roots channel of our programming guide. And, while you're flipping through our 20 new channels, don't forget to think about sharing your Wild Roots with us for your chance to win $500!!! Click on the Wild Roots! contest button at the top of Roots Television home page to enter!

Enjoy!

Og from Roots Television

Where to start? How do I begin? Familiar questions faced by absolutely EVERYONE who has ever decided to delve into their family’s past. In new programming, Ancestors: Family Records, you'll find the answer is deceptively simple – start at home! Take the time to look in your attic, pull out old letters that have been hiding in boxes in the garage, search for the old Family Bible, check for notations scrawled on the backs of old photos, and seek out journals or diaries that your family members might have kept.

Suzanne Ballard had no idea that when her grandmother passed her a yellowing scrap of paper with some cryptic family information that she’d be able to use it to help unfold a family history that would eventually lead to her discovery of a famous relative, preserved and published family diaries (the Harshaw Diaries, shared with Suzanne by a previously unknown relative, Marjorie Harshaw Robie), and a trip to Ireland to share the dedication of a new gravestone for a long-lost family member.

Take a few minutes to watch and see how Suzanne’s experience reinforces the importance of every scrap of information that can be found – and then get moving to both find your ancestors’ stories, and then create for future generations the same priceless recollections that descendents generations from now will find PRICELESS!

Marjorie Harshaw Robie exemplifies this advice with her new book, Dwelling Place for Dragons, which was inspired by the Harshaw Diaries, and spans 19 years (1830-1849) of Irish History. Her story follows the lives of three men who lived in south Down, and examines the religious and political tensions of the day. For more information, go to Belfast Telegraph.

Og from Roots Television

Og really likes today’s new programming, which is a quick interview with New York Times best-selling author Barbara Delinsky. In her new book, Family Tree, the lives of a young white couple are shaken up by the birth of their child who emerges with African American features. Those of us who have been involved in genealogy for some time know that traits like this can lie dormant for several generations, and then pop up unexpectedly. This story’s main character knew nothing about her family, including her father, but is led to seek them out because things aren’t always as they seem.

Og from Roots Television

Sometimes Og feels very old! In today’s new programming, English Children: Life in the City, which can be found both on the New and the Kids channels on Roots Television, we’re exposed to the daily lives of British schoolchildren just after World War II. Watching this show, produced by Encyclopedia Britannica Films, Og understood and remembered way too many things that children today (especially in the U.S.) would not find familiar: wickets, shillings and pence, a wireless, train compartments, tea as a meal, and going on holiday. That being said, however, it’s a fun look at how much things remain the same with children. They always enjoy playing with their friends at school, watching or playing sports, eating with their family, and enjoying time with their pets. As long as Og has lived – and that’s a long, long time – I still find that some good things just never change. Enjoy the show!

Og from Roots Television

Og has been taking a little break and is feeling more relaxed these days, so he wants you to relax too. You know that Wild Roots! contest where you can win $500 for submitting your family history video? Well, now you have more time. Take until June 15th to show the world your roots! Click here to learn more.

It’s been a while coming, but our Pay TV channel is finally up and running. Don’t worry – we will continue to offer the bulk of our programming for free. But there are some gems out there that we can only get on a pay-per-view basis, so in the interest of offering our viewers the widest selection possible, we’ve opted to include Pay TV as one of our 20 channels.

We've also had requests from viewers interested in purchasing DVDs of our Roots Television original productions. Although we will continue to run pieces such as “In Search of Annie Moore” for free on the site, in the future you will also be able to purchase and download these videos, and burn your very own DVD copy. Og knows it’s not a perfect world - not every genealogical society meeting room has a high-speed connection!

Og from Roots Television

Og came across some home movies this week. As old of a family as we are, we've had the chance to garner a lot of "firsts," including the first hairstyle! So you think your family is swell too? Send me proof!

Og from Roots Television

Don't miss Dick Eastman's keynote address from the recent BYU Computerized Family History and Genealogy Conference. His lecture, entitled "Putting the Genes in Genealogy", takes a serious look at the new role of the family historian in a DNA world.

While you're at it, check out the rest of our Conferences Channel. Now, you can learn the latest tips and tricks from leading genealogists, all from the comfort of your own home. It's like that dream when you show up to school in your pajamas - only this time, it's okay!

Og from Roots Television