Swept Away TV looking for content By: Sandra Kraisirideja - North County Times

Any teenager with a video camera can get on television.

That's what the creators behind "Swept Away TV" are promising in exchange for content for their weekly music program that airs on more than 40 stations from coast to coast.

The show ---- written, edited, filmed, produced and promoted entirely by teenagers age 14 through 19 ---- can be seen locally on KOCT in Oceanside and DMTV in Del Mar.

Local teens are encouraged to submit clips directly to "Swept Away TV," which is produced in Boca Raton, Fla.

The show features interviews with famous artists, from Maroon 5 to John Mayer, concert footage and more.

Now that "Swept Away TV" can be seen across the country, the creators decided to let its audience submit footage to give the show a broader range.

"Before we did it locally, but people in Oceanside can't fly all the way down to Boca Raton for a shoot so they can make their own team right there where they are and film," said Zach Rich, 18, a producer on the show who is also the younger brother of Jamie and Amanda Rich, who started "Swept Away TV" in 1999.

The show's title comes from the sisters' former singing group known as Swept Away.

Submissions to the show are not limited to interviews, however, and can include CD, movie and video game reviews, and musical performances.

Basically, "anything they can conjure up that would be kind of cool to see put on the air," said Rich, suggesting the show would even accept a clip of interesting local sights to see.

When Rich heard that scenes from the film "Bring it On" were filmed at the band shell near the Oceanside Pier he said a submission re-enacting scenes from the movie would be acceptable.

The thing to remember is the show is for teens and made by teens, so it when it comes to content, the less serious the better.

Rich, who "takes a casual approach" to interviewing rock stars, makes it a point to do as little research as possible beforehand.

"Not only does it make more people at ease with whomever their interviewing, it makes them look like they are just sitting down, talking to a normal person and not star struck," Rich said.

"You might be their biggest fan, but you also have to keep your cool at the same time."

Rich's off-the-cuff style may make for great television, but it has its drawbacks. "If you ask the wrong question you can make yourself look like an idiot, but we definitely do not look down upon people making themselves look like idiots," he said.

At 18 Rich has only one more year left on "Swept Away TV." He hopes to pass the reins to his younger sister, Brittany, who has appeared on the show.

"If she doesn't want it I'll stay on as producer, but I won't be on camera," said Rich, who has aspirations to direct and produce feature films.

Since taking over from his sisters, who are now at the University of Miami, Rich has created his own look and feel for the show.

"Before it was really girly and it wasn't as slick or put together and now it looks like a real TV show," said Rich, who's leadership helped earn the show an Aegis Award in 2004 for outstanding video production, it's first such recognition.

Air dates for "Swept Away TV" on KOCT and DMTV vary. Consult program schedules for each station at www.koct.org and www.delmartv.com. For more information about "Swept Away TV," visit www.sweptawaytv.com.