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BOSS Interview: Ian Locke of Orion ONTV

(Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 16, 2023)

Lake Orion, MI – As Oakland County Times strives to share stories of the entrepreneurs and organizational leaders who inspire others, we’re happy to talk with Ian Locke who is the Executive Director of Orion ONTV, a public access studio providing a plethora of services for the Lake Orion community.

The station is known for their filming of government meetings, coverage of local news and events, a variety of entertaining and informative programs, and the chance for members of the public to try their hand at video and podcast production. There are classes and internship programs, plus the chance to learn from a whole community of creative folks of all ages, interests, and backgrounds.

Locke oversees and organization with five staffers and a whole bunch of community collaborators – including student interns from Oakland University as well as Lake Orion High School.  Plus there are 20-25 active volunteers, and over 100 who pop in periodically to work on projects or help with others.  Their work not only highlights the Orion community, but includes neighbors as well, like Oxford, Rochester, Waterford, and Auburn Hills both with content-sharing, and coverage of sports and events.

For Locke, the magic began when he was a child and his mother took him to see Star Wars in the theater.  “It changed my life,” he said.  “It was one of those things like what is this? What am I seeing? How is this happening? And it really made me aware at a young age of moving images and the impact it can have on your emotions.  It just made you feel different, the whole movie-going experience.”  And then, his father brought home a camcorder, and that’s when his passion really took off.  From there he built a career – not just one that satisfied his own creativity, but one that’s helped countless others as well.

Locke shared his journey as well as some of the ups and downs of managing a public access network in this Oakland County Times Business and Organizational Super Stars (BOSS) interview:

 

Stay tuned for more BOSS interviews and panel discussions with Oakland County Times advertisers to help inspire other entrepreneurs and local leaders.