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1st Sky Omaha LLC
P.O. Box 11621 Omaha NE, 68111
www.1stskyomaha.com
@1stskyomaha
Paul B. Allen IV
Founding Member
1stskyomaha@gmail.com
+1 (402) 512-3865
Yes
Mark McGaugh - Founding Member, journalist/host/producer. Mark holds a degree in broadcast journalism, and is a documentary film maker. Kietryn Zychal, Journalist with decades of experience. She will be Managing Editor, writer and trainer of journalists. Kate Dussault - In charge of Radio and Sales. Previous owner of the Hi-Fi House Omaha, Kate has 40+ years of experience in radio and advertising. John Heaston - Partner/consultant. John is the owner of the Reader Omaha, El Perico and Pioneer Media. He provides guidance in the Local News realm as well as non-profit funding, and business advice. Julian Young - Business consultant. Stable Gray - contracted Branding and Website company.
Paul B. Allen IV and Mark McGaugh are co-owners of 1st Sky Omaha LLC. They work with a growing team through contracts.
Paul B. Allen IV was brought on to build out the radio programming on Mind and Soul Radio, a program of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation in 2016. Mark McGaugh came on soon after the two of them led a team to build out programing that ran 24/7. During that time, Paul assisted the first group to develop NOISE, (North Omaha Information Support Everyone), and was instrumental in helping the organization receive a grant from the Sherwood foundation. Paul and Mark were part of the force behind the burgeoning trend of foundation funding non-profit journalism. They’ve assisted many partners in the field with new media. With the birth of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning in 2021, Paul and Mark now reach thousands of people per week with news, lessons in civics and calls to action during voting season. They have conducted dozens of interviews and discuss the issues with hundreds of people each week with their live stream show.
1st Sky Omaha Expansion
3949900.0
1844300.0
Combination of capital project and service/program
1st Sky Omaha is working diving deeper into the news related to North and South Omaha, while expanding our reach to different states connected to North Omaha. Connections have been made with Native Omaha people who live in and out of the state and are still very much invested in North and South Omaha on many different levels. 1st Sky Omaha intends on serving the needs of those individuals while raising up the voices in the area. 1st Sky Omaha has found a way to reach many interested neighbors and talk about the subjects that affect all of us and calling to action these neighbors in the process. 1st Sky Omaha does this with the use of new media, which includes digital radio and video channels, live streaming on social media networks, and engaging in regular roundtable discussions on a weekly basis. We fill the gap of hyper local news and public discussion which we intend on duplicating in various other markets. The future means finding and training new writers and turning them into citizen journalists in order to tell and share the news that is relevant to our neighborhoods. We are looking to secure a facility where we can train teams of neighbors, especially people of color, who will be able to have access to places that mainstream media does not. They will be trained in journalism, and in the tech of new media to reach people where they are at, and create an aware, conscious, and civically minded audience ready to make change. In three years, we will be able to have a sustainable model of memberships, ads and sales, non-profit journalism dollars and event hosting, that will allow us to keep gathering and disseminating information where it is most needed. And most importantly, we will be able to keep hearing from even more people in our neighborhoods, especially those who are the most looked over where voices need to be heard. We must do this with North Omaha as the base, and spread out even beyond our state.
We propose sustainability in three years starting with 2023 when we will build out the team, secure a facility, and buy the needed equipment to build business. By 2024, we will have bolstered our business enough to hire more team members for an expansion of services and to assist our partners with providing journalists of color for their organizations. We have a plan for full sustainability by 2026.
1.0
Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)
Other Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.)
The all important roll of media representation being firmly in the hands of the people that make up our neighborhoods. Letting voices be heard, having intelligent discussions, and highlighting news relevant to us. Being in control of our own media allows our community to tell our own stories and be represented the way we choose to be represented.
We propose to help build up the communities of North and South Omaha by helping to create civic minded, action-oriented people that feel they have the power to hold the powers that be accountable. This can only be done but being in control of our own media, disseminating and receiving and deciphering news and crucial information on a hyper local level. Information is the first step for everything that needs to be changed. We can accomplish this by spreading the word and including even more voices with action-based news relevant to us. Training and nurturing new voices to boldly go and find the information and use journalism and story telling on digital media platforms is how to control our own narrative. This effort will put people in our neighborhoods in the forefront of new technology, new media, and new journalism. We can help create dozens of important high paying jobs that serve a great purpose while being the catalyst for change.
1st Sky Omaha aligns by working in the realm of information by means of new technologies and provides training to people to master those technologies. There are many jobs in this field that individuals can take with them anywhere. Journalism, editing, camerawork, video editing, storytelling, fact checking, broadcasting, live streaming, are all tools every business needs currently. These are all high paying jobs and with organization, can come out of North and South Omaha as an industry, with hundreds of people involved in the work.
Our proposal aligns first by providing economic opportunities and training for people of color that come directly from the neighborhoods we serve. It connects our neighborhoods to the outside world and opens our community to the information we need to make informed decisions. Information and connection is the beginning strategy of economic change and opportunity for our communities.
We are creating jobs in journalism, new media technology which includes camerawork, editing, audio and broadcasting jobs.
6 permanent jobs.
We intend to create 6 to 10 jobs at $40k per year to start. And engage in training that will provide more jobs in the near future.
The jobs we intend to create will allow a diverse group of individuals from the neighborhoods we serve to have jobs with livable wages that help to accomplish the fulfilling mission of uplifting our communities. This will allow individuals to have a choice on where to live, the ability to afford health care and other amenities. Most importantly, they will gain skills that can be raised up to a high level with the tendency to stay in their neighborhood to keep assisting with the mission. Also, more conversation with other members of the community makes for a better community.
The ever-growing field of news, information and technology will bring long lasting benefits to the individuals involved in the work. These are areas in which growth is constant, which can lead to higher pay and positions. There will always be a need for an informed public.
With training we can expect improved knowledge with those we train, along with creating mid to high paying jobs in the field of news, information and technology. We plan to partner with the colleges to extend that training to actual degrees in journalism and broadcasting.
News organizations that now have a larger pool from which to hire from, including the broadcast TV news stations in front of and behind the camera.
Yes
The Reader/El Perico, Flatwater Free Press, the Documenter Program, KIOS, The Benson Theatre, Omaha Performing Arts. OINJ
The Reader, OINJ, KIOS
No
Within one or more QCTs
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Request: $1,844,300 Includes: 1. 2023 Operating/Programming/Events/Equipment – $511,100 2. 2024 Operating/Programming/Events/Equipment – $262,600 3. 2025 Operating/Programming/Events/Equipment – $170,600 4. 2026 Operating/Programming/Events/Equipment – $0 5. Building Purchase Option - $900,000 Rationale 2023 goals are set which mainly consists of building the team that will hire and train journalists. We have added in an occupancy section in this and subsequent years if the “Building Purchase Option” does not pan out. Building the team and building out a base of operations will allow us to add original news content to our website and social media outlets. Bringing on full time staff will allow us to grow sales, advertising, services, and digital products. We will also make major purchases of equipment in 2023. We estimate that our revenue will reach 264,500, and with a budget of $775,600 we need $511,100 to reach our personnel goals and pay for operating and professional services. With Julian Young’s consultation, we plan on doubling our revenue by 2024 and 2025. Each year is a doubling of our goals from the year before and heavily depends on the two founding directors going full time, putting together a solid team, and on procuring a space to gather all partners and train journalists and techs. We will reach sustainability by 2026. At that time, the team and the procedures will be in place to expand locally, and in the other states that we are connected to. The “Building purchase option” was added last minute in conjunction with other partner organizations that got wind about an important building in North Omaha that would become available and would work for a central hub for Black Media. The owner unofficially discussed with our team that the building would be for sale for $900,000. No other preliminary talks or work has been done on this deal as of yet. If we were able to procure the building, we would make the adjustment on the “Occupancy” portion of the budget. Given the timing, we are fully aware that this may not be a feasible situation, but we hope to be able to continue the conversation about the purchase. Owning the building would not only allow us to build of hub for Black Media but would also be a source of revenue with the rental of portions of the space, which would allow for the hiring of more staff to manage those endeavors. Without the purchase of the building, we would be asking for $944,300.
To hire the team, purchase new equipment and to secure a location.
Yes
We have a grant out to the Weitz Family Foundation and should hear back in January on whether or not it was won.
This proposal is over a three year span, and can be broken down into each year.
The budget reflects each year's need.
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
Data table of uses (breakdown of how the requested funds will be used for your proposal) Organizational Chart Pro Forma Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Request Rationale Documentation