Local news in Chicago is a very competitive environment. With the promotional clamor to be one step ahead of the other, especially in superior picture quality, you would think broadcasters would understand the importance of streaming media on the internet. Unfortunately, I still wonder if they really do. With some video screens either smaller than youtube sizes, pushed to the side of visibility, or in some cases, difficult to find all together. Other broadcasting sites have a full screen mode, but the frame rate has been lowered to where it causes discomfort or nausea in less than a minute. Nearly all the sites read more akin to a newspaper site than a television station. Only one station appears to get it: ABC 7 Chicago. Interestingly, they also happen to be the number one station in Chicago as well. The site is laid out with video at the forefront and center of the homepage, large and easy to navigate. They also have a great zoom feature that scales the video to a larger size and dims the rest of the page for easier viewing. Something happens during the viewing: You actually feel like you are experiencing the television news on your computer. Although the video has compression artifacts, which is expected in today’s high bandwidth costs, the compression is manageable to where you can read the titles to the on-air graphics and map details that are a struggle to read on smaller screens. There is a greater user experience that draws viewers in - and even more important - does not frustrate your existing viewers who have certain expectations. Especially when many viewers are so accustomed to full screen video on television as it has been for decades. It is important to understand what your product is and it’s relation to your consumers and maintain it at all costs. When you visit a newspaper site, you expect them to have current articles for reading. When you turn to a television channel, you expect your news in a full screen video format. Your association to any other associated product, in any form, should be as close to that product as possible. When you can hardly find even a video stream without clicking a link, or the video is too small as in the case of some affiliates, you won’t find an audience either. (Disclaimer: author was a former employee of CBS 2 Chicago)
Tag Archive for 'news'
After hearing a snippet of the banned keynote speech by Tim Robbins last week, I can understand some people’s frustration towards network news. Having worked in an owned and operated CBS affiliate, I have seen the difficult balance that broadcasters play. It is important to note that most journalists I have had the pleasure to work with are truely dedicated to providing quality news stories, and do. Many great news stories are written every day, they just never air. The problem with today’s news is you the viewer. Say again? Let me step back for a moment if and try to follow me. Like everything in broadcasting, advertising funds the production of news. There is no billionaire financier throwing money at news. News has to stay competitive to survive. Because nielsen ratings drive the value of a network’s airtime, viewership is imperative to the station’s survival. The number one age group of consumer spending is 18-34. These age groups are mostly fascinated with stories that revolve around hollywood. In general, it is also easier for a station to get people to watch the local brownie troop 142 get a cat as a mascot then bloody gang violence where most of the footage is unsuitable for broadcast. It is also easier to watch, for some, Britney Spears make a fool of herself then the death toll pictures in Africa. Media buyers know it and would prefer to follow softer news than harder news. Face it, you find yourself unable to pay attention for a few moments after a difficult story airs that shakes your psyche for a bit. We’ve all seen network news struggle to find the right chemistry with six figure anchors that can make and break the competition’s stride. Salary pay continues to be competitive. I never met a professional journalist arriving to work eager to report a story of Paris Hilton crashing into a tree. You like those stories. Maybe not all of you - I certainly don’t care, but I have friends and family that find it entertaining. You can change covered topics if enough of you just refuse to watch. People are watching this smut - which means viewership - which means money to fund news for next month. Stop watching it. Refuse to watch any news that doesn’t meet your standards. Broadcasters will listen. They want you to care as much as they do about good journalism. They can’t do it for free.
Recent Comments