HD Connex Builds Conservative News Media Hub for Oklahoma Gubernatorial Nominee Jake Merrick
Case Study · 5 min read · · Updated
By Heath Daniel, Founder & AI Platform Architect, HD Connex · Published:
Direct answer: HD Connex designed and built The Colony OK, a custom news media platform for Oklahoma gubernatorial nominee Jake Merrick. It runs on Next.js 16 and TypeScript with a Supabase PostgreSQL backend, and combines investigative journalism, a five-show podcast network, a live broadcast studio, and a reader-funded membership model.
HD Connex has been awarded the contract to design, build, and launch The Colony OK — a full-featured conservative news media platform for Oklahoma gubernatorial nominee and former State Senator Jake Merrick.
The project, live at TheColonyOK.com, represents one of the most technically sophisticated independent media launches in the conservative landscape. The platform combines investigative journalism, a five-show podcast network, live broadcast programming, 24/7 streaming video, and a reader-funded membership model — all built on a modern AI-powered technology stack.
What HD Connex Built:
1. Enterprise-Grade Media Platform
Unlike typical WordPress news sites, The Colony OK is a fully custom Next.js 16 application with TypeScript. The backend runs on Supabase PostgreSQL with 31 database migrations handling authentication, content management, and real-time features. Every article, podcast episode, and live broadcast is managed through a custom content pipeline built from scratch.
2. Live Broadcast Studio with Chat & Polling
The platform includes a live broadcast studio with real-time chat and audience polling. Viewers can participate in live shows, submit questions, and see results update in real time — creating an interactive experience that traditional news sites can't match.
3. Five-Show Podcast Network
The Colony OK features a staff of five on-air journalists and personalities led by Merrick himself, who hosts the flagship "The Colony Report" as well as "Energy OK," a show focused on Oklahoma's oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors. The platform's editorial team includes an investigations editor, a former Marine Corps officer hosting "Patriot Hour," a field reporter covering rural Oklahoma, a pastor-hosted "Faith & Freedom" program, and an agriculture and energy correspondent.
4. 24/7 Streaming Channel
Mux video infrastructure powers high-definition live streaming, video-on-demand, and simulcast — with signed security tokens and AI-generated thumbnails. Members never miss a broadcast.
5. AI-Powered Member Experience
The platform features agentic AI capabilities including automated transcript summarization, an AI-powered daily member briefing, semantic search across all content, and a "Report Card" system that grades Oklahoma officials on civic performance by county.
The Technology Stack:
- Frontend: Next.js 16 with TypeScript
- Backend: Supabase PostgreSQL (31 migrations)
- Video: Mux (live streaming, VOD, simulcast, signed security tokens)
- Payments: Stripe recurring subscriptions ($4.99/month)
- Email: Resend for newsletters and member communications
- Analytics: Plausible (privacy-compliant)
- Deployment: Vercel with Sentry error monitoring
- AI: Automated transcript summarization, semantic search, daily briefings
Why This Matters for HD Connex:
For HD Connex, the project represents a major step beyond our core business of building AI-powered websites and custom AI agents for Florida businesses. The Colony OK proves we can compete with agencies in Austin, Nashville, and D.C. — and win.
"Most people think you need to be in Silicon Valley or New York to build something at this level," said Heath Daniel, founder of HD Connex. "We're proving you can do it from Daytona Beach. We built a national-grade media platform for a statewide political movement — and we did it with a team that lives right here in Volusia County."
The Business Model:
The Colony OK is reader-funded at $4.99 per month — a deliberate contrast to national conservative outlets that charge $9.99 to $14.99 monthly. Members receive ad-free access to all articles, podcasts, live broadcasts, replays, and the AI-generated daily briefing.
About Jake Merrick:
Jake Merrick is a Republican candidate for Governor of Oklahoma. A former Oklahoma State Senator, evangelical pastor, seminary graduate, business owner, and host of "The Jake Merrick Show" on Freedom 96.9 FM, Merrick operates JAM Media LLC and serves as founding publisher of The Colony OK. His campaign is built on a platform of biblical worldview and constitutional values, funded entirely by grassroots donations with zero PAC or special interest money.
The Bottom Line:
The Colony OK launched as a fully operational media platform — not a minimum viable product. HD Connex delivered an enterprise-grade news infrastructure that a statewide political movement uses to reach, engage, and grow its audience. From Daytona Beach to Oklahoma, we build platforms that matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What technology stack does The Colony OK run on?
A custom Next.js 16 application written in TypeScript, with a Supabase PostgreSQL backend carrying 31 database migrations for authentication, content management, and real-time features. It is not a WordPress theme or a hosted news template — the content pipeline was built from scratch.
Why build custom instead of using WordPress for a news site?
The requirements went past what a publishing CMS handles well: a live broadcast studio with real-time chat and audience polling, a five-show podcast network, 24/7 streaming, and a reader-funded membership tier with gated content. Each of those is a plugin compromise on WordPress and a first-class feature when the platform is purpose-built.
Does HD Connex work with clients outside Florida?
Yes. HD Connex is headquartered in Daytona Beach and serves Volusia County directly, but delivery is remote and project-based. The Colony OK is an Oklahoma platform built entirely from Daytona Beach.
Can a smaller business get this kind of build?
The Colony OK sits at the top end of scope. Most engagements are far smaller — website packages run $500 to $1,500, and AI agents start at $3,500 setup plus managed plans from $500/month. The stack and the approach are the same; the surface area is not.
Topics: Media Platform, Next.js, Oklahoma, News, AI
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