Comments on: Local TV threat: Superpages adds video

By: Scott Wyffels

Scott Wyffels — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:13:29 +0000

Should local TV stations be using their sales force to sell inventory outside of their own sites? Hearst-Argyle Television seems to think so. They recently inked a deal with Google to become the first television industry reseller of the Google AdWords(TM) advertising program. Maybe local TV stations could be selling and producing these video ads as well?

Maybe the mistake is by trying to only sell their inventory to a fragment of the local audience?

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:29:32 +0000

Local TV stations didn’t made a strategic mistake by not becoming local directories. That’s simply not in their DNA. Viewers don’t turn on Channel 5 to see the latest commercial from Pete’s Pontiac. They want to watch local news or national programming. It’s not likely they would rethink that identity when they visit channel5.com. If stations ever had a chance it was to port their expertise in entertainment to the web. They didn’t so they don’t.

By: Biff Supprito

Biff Supprito — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:24:56 +0000

What the flip? You say local TV will die and it keeps on truckin’ like a ho at an interstate rest stop.

Come on, fellas. Stop shaving your legs and step into the reality that the mode of distribution is becoming a muted, pointless hissy fit.

The long tail belongs to the stars. (Stars that are determined by your research with unaided recall.)

Later.

By: tdc

tdc — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:11:14 +0000

local tv is simply taking a paragraph from the obit of the newspaper industry.

good luck. but i think cory’s “strategic mistake in years to come” might be better as “years too late”.

aloha.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:10:11 +0000

Cory, I would invite you to Check out SeekitLocal.com. This is a full blown directory and mapping application that is being rolled out to Broadcast sites accross the country. Clients can have VOD, email, Print application and more as a part of the program.

So yes, local stations are playing in this arena.

Thanks
Jason

By: Mel Taylor

Mel Taylor — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:45:20 +0000

Cory,

Just got back from Kelsey Interactive local media conference in L.A. (TurnHere was mentioned) Your points are pretty accurate as they relate to what I saw at the Kelsey show.

IYP’s (Internet Yellow pages) and other pure-play directories are hell bent on cracking the local online market. They are making serious inroads. They are well aware that TV’s greatest limitation is that it’s slow moving, and not nimble enough to move quickly into these spaces.

Yes, TV has decades of experience shooting pretty video. But that doesn’t mean they are capable of going after small businesses using a Rosenblum inspired VJ strategy of small cameras and quick turn around edits via a mac book.

Web based video for small business. BIG market. The Wall Street Journal did a story on this topic last week.

Mel Taylor