Pass the Remote … er, the Mouse

With entire TV networks devoted to golf, poker and shipwrecks, it was just a matter of time before someone started a genealogy channel. Last fall, media producer Marcy Brown and genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak launched the independent media company Roots Television <rootstelevision.com>. Only this is TV you watch on the Internet.

Programs — both original and licensed — look similar to what you might see on the tube, but they’re aired in 3- to 8-minute chunks. Family Tree Magazine contributing editor Sharon DeBartolo Carmack interviews genealogy authors for Roots Books, a man recounts discovering his true identity through Y-DNA testing, and genealogist/comedian Jordan Auslander (aka Heir Jordan) yuks it up about the five stages of genealogy. You’ll also find how-to footage, storytellers’ recollections, episodes of PBS’ “Ancestors” series and more.