Vacation Channel sold | Local News

One of Branson’s most iconic TV options is now in new hands.

The Vacation Channel recently announced a change in ownership. Scott and Lisa Earls have sold the video service to Ozark Mountain Adventure Properties, LLC, headed by President Chris Myer.

“We think the Vacation Channel enhances the things we can offer to our customers,” Myer told Branson Tri-Lakes News. “There’s also a big opportunity for the Vacation Channel to revisit programming, increasing awareness, and finding ways to combine it with digital. It’s a great opportunity.”

Myer, who hosts the Play Branson podcast, said they could bring a version of the Branson-centric program to the channel.

“We’ve been doing the Play Branson interviews for six years with over 250 episodes,” Myer said. “That show’s all about getting people to know Branson’s entertainers better, so of course we’ll look at finding a way to add that to the Vacation Channel. We’ll have to see how it changes, though, because before I didn’t have a set time and we were very flexible, and we’ll have to get more structured.”

Myer’s company has multiple media properties in the area including the Play Branson magazine, Flavor of Branson dining guide, Taste of Branson restaurant magazine, the Branson Restaurant Map, a Branson vacation guide and they publish the Ozark Trails publication.

“It’s a lot of print media, so the Vacation Channel is a nice compliment,” Myer said. 

The channel has been around since 1989 and Myer said the uniqueness of the channel is appealing.

“There aren’t many other places who have their own Vacation Channel,” Myer said. “It’s always an aspect of when you buy a business to look at the history, and we’re looking forward to adding to that history.”

Myer’s company has been in Branson since 1983, and they’re looking ahead to their 40th anniversary next year.

“As a family, we were here in 1972 and 1973 and owned the Branson Motor Court downtown,” Myer said. “That was the first time we were here, and they were building the ‘bypass,” or Highway 65, and so we thought traffic would fall and my dad sold the motel. But I’ve been in the Ozarks all my life.”

Myer said he had talked to Scott Earls previously about buying the channel, but they didn’t feel the time was right.

“Now, all the pieces fit,” Myer said.

He said the Earls coming to him personally to offer him the channel means a lot to him.

“It shows they have confidence in what we do,” Myer said. “People know we try to put out a good product and try to represent Branson well. We want to be a good community partner.”

He said he and Scott Earls have worked together on various boards and ministry projects, so they were comfortable working together.

The Vacation Channel can be found in Optimum Cable channel 6 and digital channel 36-1.