TVN Webinar: Producing More Programming Without Breaking The Bank (Or Your Staff)

Leaders from Fox Television Stations, Gray Television, Tegna, Blackbird and the E.W. Scripps Co. will share their strategies for weaning off syndication with original programming for both their linear and streaming channels in a TVNewsCheck Working Lunch Webinar, Producing More Programming Without Breaking the Bank (Or Your Staff) on April 14 at 1 p.m. ET.

The discussion will focus on what formats are proving successful and how shows are being produced efficiently; where purely local shows are connecting with audiences; and how both streaming and linear content needs are fueling creative programming solutions.

“More than ever, broadcasters are finding the need to spin up more original programming out of their stations and across their groups to fill the gaps created by syndication holes that need filling and streaming channels that need to be fed,” said TVNewsCheck Editor Michael Depp, the webinar’s moderator. “We’ve brought together leaders from programming, news, digital and local to share their own responses to that need, and they’ll explain how they’ve managed to create new shows without blowing their budgets or squeezing their staffs to impossible degrees.”

Register here.

Speakers:

Frank Cicha

Frank Cicha, EVP, Programming, Fox Television Stations — He has been with Fox Television Stations since 1997. In this role, he oversees all programming, program testing and scheduling for the station group. The testing strategy has proven to be successful, yielding such programs as The Wendy Williams Show, TMZ Live, The Real, Dish Nation and most recently, Central Ave.

Cicha also spearheads the company’s D2 programming efforts and oversees programming for the MyNetwork TV programming service.

Earlier in his career, Cicha served in various research/marketing roles at Twentieth Television Domestic Distribution. Before that, he held positions at Warner Bros. Domestic Distribution, Seltel Inc. and MTV.

He is a graduate of Queens College, CUNY.

Adam Ostrow

Adam Ostrow, Chief Digital Officer, Tegna — He joined Tegna Inc. in August 2017 as chief digital officer responsible for creating, evangelizing and implementing the company’s digital vision and strategy. Ostrow was previously the chief strategy officer at Mashable, a role in which he was responsible for defining and implementing strategic initiatives across the organization.

He joined Mashable as its second employee and editor in chief in 2007, a role in which he directed day-to-day news coverage, authored more than 2,500 articles and built the editorial staff from 3 to 25 employees. During his tenure as editor in chief, the site’s audience grew more than twofold. After moving into an executive position in 2011, Ostrow led the development of Mashable’s video program, publisher platform, branded content offerings, international expansion and its licensing and distribution strategy.

Ostrow has been frequently quoted by numerous major media outlets. His TED Talk, “After Your Final Status Update,” has been viewed more than 1 million times.

Ostrow is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is a member of the University of Maryland’s Merrill College of Journalism’s Board of Visitors.

Sean McLaughlin

Sean McLaughlin, VP of News, Local Division, The E.W. Scripps Co. — He is responsible for developing and overseeing company-wide strategy for news operations in 41 local television markets. McLaughlin works with stations to customize content strategies across broadcast, OTT, digital and social media platforms using qualitative and quantitative market research. He has helped lead initiatives related to diversity in newsrooms and diversity in news coverage with a commitment to high-impact community journalism.

McLaughlin has been with Scripps for eight years. Previously, he was executive news director and creative services director for KMOV St. Louis for over six-and-a-half years. He also served as news director at KTUL and KOKI, both in Tulsa. He graduated from Minnesota State University.

Matt Jaquint

Matt Jaquint, SVP Local Media, Gray Television — He oversees 24 of Gray’s television markets and also heads up the company’s programming department. Before becoming SVP of Local Media, Jaquint was a regional VP for Gray, and had GM positions in South Bend, Ind.; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Charleston-Huntington, W.Va.

Daniel Webster, VP Strategic Accounts Americas, Blackbird — His career spans traditional to direct to consumer media, first as an executive at CBS, Fox and ABC, and then as a leader and innovator at several digital video technology companies including The FeedRoom, Synaptic Digital, Limelight Networks, Kaltura and now Blackbird.

Daniel Webster

Webster has helped develop transformative platforms and video strategies for many sports, media, and entertainment companies including Disney and ESPN, Vodafone, Paramount/VCBS, NBCU, Bloomberg and Warner Brothers, The New York Times, Gannett, Condé Nast, Reuters, Univision and The Economist and others.

Creating sustainable business models for powerful video storytelling has been a career-long endeavor.

Michael Depp, Editor, TVNewsCheck, is the moderator.