Looking ahead, 2012 is going to be a good year -- a new beginning. Several years ago, I began to imagine a Native American cable TV channel here in the United States.

It would be called First Americans Cable Entertainment System or FACES TV. That was before the nation's economy took a big turn for the worse and investment capital shriveled up.

But I'm resurrecting the idea because 2012 is not only giving us a new Mayan calendar (after the old one expires Dec. 21, 2012) but it also offers new hope. Hope for a better future -- not just for myself but for everyone, including Native people.

FACES will be a cable channel with the purpose of enriching the nation (there are more than 140 million cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S.) and even international viewers with the multifaceted people, places and things that make up the unique cultures of Native America.

The vision is to utilize the highest form of technology and clearly the most dynamic entertainment format, high-definition TV, to bring viewers closer to the modern-day experience of the First Americans. The channel will be dedicated to sharing stories about the lives, the culture, the beliefs and traditions, the history, the music and other forms of entertainment. These stories will come alive with an intimacy and vividness that has never been witnessed on television.

FACES will be an advertising-supported, commercial niche market cable channel and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. American's collective thirst for quality TV entertainment continues to expand. Viewer ratings and television advertising trends show a migration from major networks to cable and satellite channels.

Further data shows niche market channels are having the greatest success at attracting television viewers and advertisers. There is still quite a steady push for continued development of niche programming and niche channels. Surveys show the top channels for valued advertising buys are niche channels like Discovery, A&E, CNN, The Learning Channel, History Channel, Lifetime, Home and Garden, ESPN channels, the Food Network ... and the list goes on. This is exactly where FACES TV fits into the picture.

There is a channel in Canada called the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) that is based in Winnipeg. It is subsidized, in part, by the Canadian government via a mandatory fee or tax charged to cable subscribers and direct-view subscribers. I think a small regulatory charge would be a boost to FACES, but again, almost all of the revenue would be generated through ad sales.

There is also a new channel that's been broadcasting out of Southern California. It's a joint effort between the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the local PBS station KVCR. I haven't seen it yet but am looking forward to viewing it when it comes online sometime later this year.

What type of programming will FACES show? There are dozens of Hollywood-produced movies, feature films and made-for-TV movies that are clearly identified as having Native themes. We can also look forward to the continuously emerging Native American film and TV production community. Trust me, they are out there. Securing the broadcast rights to these types of programs would be a top priority.

There are hundreds of documentaries, many produced by Native directors and filmmakers, but many are not. We will develop new and original programming such as a daily newscast, low-budget soap operas, game shows, variety shows, a shopping channel type show, live music, cultural programming, programs with a spiritual message.

That list can go on and on as well.

There are limitless options for a Native cable TV channel. There's no reason to set limits on ourselves, because it's time to get moving -- it's 2012.

Harlan McKosato, a Sauk/Ioway, is host of the syndicated radio show Native America Calling, which airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on KUNM, 89.9 FM.