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Lin TV snaps up domains, launches politics sites

Posted by Cory Bergman on January 18, 2008

Lin TV has launched politics sites in each of its 17 markets, such as MichiganPolitics.tv, but that’s just the beginning. The media group has bought up similar .tv domain names in each of the 50 states and the top DMAs, such as NYPolitics.tv and NewYorkPolitics.tv. The idea is to partner with other media companies to roll out the same site templates in their markets. Each of the sites features content from the partner TV station, AP stories, candidate bios as well as aggregated political news and blog posts (that include even “competitive” information sources.)

Not bad at all, and a smart way to expand reach beyond just 17 markets — assuming, of course, they’re able to ink deals with media partners. Press release below… (Thanks Steve for the tip!)

PROVIDENCE, RI (January 17, 2008) – LIN TV Corp. (NYSE: TVL), a local television and digital media company, today announced the launch of local political websites in each of the Company’s 17 markets.

LIN TV’s state-of-the-art political websites were designed to be a community hub and primary resource for news and in-depth coverage of local, regional, and national political races. LIN TV’s Interactive Department developed the first-of-its-kind product to provide viewers the most complete, non-partisan coverage of politics in the area.

“It is our mission to be the local source for information, both on-air and online,” said Robb Richter, LIN TV’s Vice President Internet. “Our viewers can find national content on many websites but our sites are unique in that they provide local, regional and national information from one trusted source.”

LIN TV owns each of the 50 states local politics.tv domain names, as well as all of the top DMA local politics.tv domain names, and its Interactive Department has built templates for these sites with plans to allow other stations in those markets to take advantage of this online opportunity.

Each local political website is comprised of news headline feeds from a variety of area media; blogs from political pundits, columnists and critics; local and national video; candidate profiles; a vast assortment of national and local information, including maps and information on where to vote; and research and polls. LIN TV’s new political web sites will be a permanent product within its growing suite of web properties.

Below are select market profiles:

Michiganpolitics.tv
Secondary URLs: mipolitics.tv, grandrapidspolitics.tv

Indianapolitics.tv
Secondary URLs: indianapolispolitics.tv, inpolitics.tv

Masspolitics.tv
Massachusettspolitics.tv, springfieldpolitics.tv, mapolitics.tv

  • Anonymous

    I tried to tip you earlier about another venture: the New York Observer is creating political sites for various states: Oregon, Maine, Maryland, etc. They’re all PolitickerXX.com, where XX is the state’s postal initials.

  • tdc

    at least in the early stages of “inking deals” this might be a good opportunity to employ the “free” use of the domain and template as a business strategy.

    the business model can …and will follow.

    and @ anonymous: i know “steve” and he said you can have the hat tip since you tried to alert cory earlier.

    keep those story ideas coming… everybody!

  • Rocker

    They’re a little late to be launching these things now…

  • tdc

    i take it you’re betting this will be the last election in the usa.

  • Rocker

    No, just that someone launching political sites in January’08 presumably has some thought about the current election cycle, which it appears may turn out to be of unprecedented interest (at least in terms of the last 30 years or so).

    But if this is about off-election years and the 2012 cycle, they’re right on sched, as you suggest tdc .

  • tdc

    i’m more impressed with the idea of a FRANCHISED vertical than the underlying subject of politics (yawn).

    if you’re a mcdonald’s lover you feel comfortable walking into one anywhere. it’s familiar. it’s intuitive.

    if lin can combine station groups who have a presence in cities c-to-c, this might work.

    as mentioned elsewhere, give them credit for thinking beyond the few markets they work.

    qtr. w/ cheese anyone?

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