special reports

Michael P. Hill: “All of the major networks have all broken into dayside programming multiple times in the past week (including twice within the span of just a few hours) to cover Trump administration press events or appearances. One has to question, however, is if such interruptions are even necessary in a world where live video streams of the same event (and, in many cases, thanks to pool cameras, the exact same video feed) are available everywhere from Facebook to Twitter to one of many 24-hour cable news channels.” Here are some suggestions for how to better present these not-that-important special reports.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune, on the strength of its product portfolio, has found success with digital sales, which now generates about 20% of the paper’s revenue. Its efforts offer lessons for newspapers and broadcasters alike. This is Part IV of a four-part series. Part I on what TV stations are doing to integrate digital ad selling into their sales processes appeared Tuesday; Part II on the automated buying of spot appeared on Wednesday; and Part III on improving digital sales operations appeared on Thursday.

In their search for digital revenue, many TV stations and newspapers have shifted toward a quasi-agency approach, acting as digital consultants to prospective buyers who may need a mobile site, better SEO, email marketing or all of the above. This is Part III of a four-part series. Part I on what TV stations are doing to integrate digital ad selling into their sales processes appeared Tuesday; Part II on the automated buying of spot appeared on Wednesday; and Part IV, on Friday, will offer a case study of a successful digital sales effort and the lessons it offers for broadcasters and newspapers alike.

Automated, or programmatic, systems allow agencies to purchase advertising directly online, either eliminating sales people or limiting their role. In some instances, the systems involve an auction with buyers bidding for time. Such systems are commonplace in digital media, but they had far less success in the broadcast spot market. Now, however, some station groups are seeing the possibilities. This is Part II of a four-part series. Part I on what TV stations are doing to integrate digital ad selling into their sales processes appeared Tuesday; Part III, on Thursday, will focus on improving digital sales operations; and Part IV, on Friday, will offer a case study of a successful digital sales effort and the lessons it offers for broadcasters and newspapers alike.

The rise of mobile viewing platforms means TV stations have new tools to offer advertisers who want to reach viewers no matter where they are. And it means stations can offer a greater variety of options — and price points — to potential advertisers, many of whom don’t buy time on traditional TV. This is Part I of a four-part series. Part II on the automated buying of spot will appear tomorrow; Part III on Thursday will focus on improving digital sales operations; and Part IV on Friday will offer a case study of a successful digital sales effort and the lessons it offers for broadcasters and newspapers alike.

New technology from AccuWeather and Weather Services International make it possible for TV stations to combine weather data and traffic maps. The new systems can show a storm rolling in over the real-time traffic map, pull up live Department of Transportation camera feeds capturing the backup and even display Twitter and Facebook updates from drivers stuck in the mess.

Responsive design, which ensures a consistent user experience across various devices, may be a hot topic at media companies these days, but the strategy does not necessarily mean the end of the road for apps. While some executives think that responsive design is a must, others warn that it’s not a catchall solution and apps still have a place in the media quiver. Part one of a two-part special report on local media’s mobile strategies.