NBC Reinvents Nonstop As National Diginet

NBC Owned Television Stations today unveiled a new strategy for its seven local Nonstop multicast channels, announcing that it would roll them up into a single national network — Nonstop Network — with a mix of national and local programming and seek affiliates beyond the 10 DMAs in which it now has stations.

The station group also appointed Meredith McGinn to run the network as VP of multi-station local programming.

In her role, McGinn will develop national programming to complement the existing local news and lifestyle content and work to secure “station partners” in other markets. McGinn will report to Greg Scholl, president of local integrated media.

“Throughout her career, Meredith has consistently delivered strong, compelling and informative content to viewers across many platforms,” said Scholl. “She was instrumental both in the launch of our first Nonstop channel in New York more than two years ago and the subsequent roll out of new channels in eight additional markets.”

Additionally, Marni Kupfer has been promoted to VP of lifestyle production; she will produce programs for the network and report to McGinn.

NBC’s seven local or regional Nonstop channels cover all of the NBC O&O markets except Hartford, Conn. With the change in strategy, WVIT Hartford will launch the Nonstop Network.

The move puts NBC in direct competition with ABC Owned Television Stations, whose Live Well multicast network with similar lifestyle programming is seeking affiliates in every market.

McGinn was formerly director of news and content at flagship WNBC New York, where she was responsible for overseeing news for the station’s broadcast channel and online site as well programming for its New York Nonstop digital channel, which she helped launch in 2009.

In this position, she spearheaded the creation of programming that included Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf, which appears on New York Nonstop.

Before joining WNBC, McGinn worked as a senior producer at MSNBC from 2003 to 2006, where she primarily focused on live weekday morning and breaking news coverage.

Previously, McGinn spent nearly a decade in news management at the Fox station group in New York and Philadelphia.

McGinn graduated with a BA from Temple University.

Kupfer has worked at NBC Owned Television Stations for the past four years, helping to launch Open House in 2007 and serving as executive producer of the show and its spin-off series George to the Rescue for the past three years. The shows are appear on WNBC’s main channel.

Before joining NBC, Kupfer worked as a producer for MTV Networks from 2003 to 2006, where she helped launch and produce original content for mtvU, MTV’s College Network.

Kupfer graduated with a BA from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where she also spent time working in production for Nickelodeon Studios.