‘KARE OnLIVE’ dead
Michael Gay April 21st, 2008
We posted about this show about a year ago when it launched, but KARE OnLIVE is dead. The show promised to be interactive and live on-air and online, at 4PM. I never really understood how a TV show aimed at stay-at-home moms would attract an online audience at 4PM. I often saw segments that were clearly produced for home viewers, with the only interactive part being e-mail comments read by a secondary-talent (not even the main show talent).
The show started off with a good mission statement, it’s just too bad it wasn’t able to evolve into a new voice in a crowded market of also-run newscasts.
On a side note, today KSTP launched Twin Cities Live, a new daytime talk show. They have produced a nice website, but there isn’t a forced interactivity on-air. The show is a show, and the site is a site.
What do you all think? Is there a way to produce a live simulcast that can appeal to both audiences? In my experiences the viewers on both mediums are rarely the same, with the exception of sports. But if you’re trying to do daytime TV and daytime web, is there overlap?
6 Comments Add your own
1. Rico Suave | April 22nd, 2008 at 4:26 am
If KSTP brought back Steve and Sharon for “Good Company,” then we’d be all set.
2. Hussman | April 22nd, 2008 at 5:45 am
Just waving my wank in the dark on this one, but it seems to me that a show would have to be pretty damn good to be interactive as it happens, especially for stay-at-home Moms. A TV show forces you to watch if you want to participate. Radio programs do not. You can multitask during a radio call-in show. TV? Not so much.
3. Jason | April 22nd, 2008 at 6:21 am
I think it could work in the morning (many people have computers in their kitchens to check work e-mail). An interactive afternoon show could also work, but it would have to have a game element. I think people will play games online during the day as they watch TV.
Getting e-mails from viewers and sharing them on TV does not really equal interactivity, in my mind. Can viewers/online readers help drive the content? Shape the show? Play along or against contestants? Vote for their favorites? That’s interactivity.
I’ve tried using Twitter on the anchor desk before during breaks. It was fun — but not really additive in any way.
4. David Johnson | April 22nd, 2008 at 7:39 am
there are amazing ways to do this, but the key to being successful is understanding the participatory incentive. television is inherently passive or a background activity. i think the game concept is clearly apt, also could be commercially driven by a live auction concept.
in terms of fostering dialogue, call-in shows are far more interactive than much of what i’ve seen since mtv first started running chat crawls during their afternoon video countdown shows in the 90s.
so far, this is where radio broadcasters seem to be leading the edge, adopting ustream.tv and other platforms to extend their conversations.
perhaps instead of shouting at the screen, the successful model may be a platform where watchers can talk amongst themselves.
5. Amy Wood | April 24th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
We actually launched this concept of a platform where they can talk amongst themselves. I’m pioneering live chat with my audience in a chat room during my entire solo anchored 10pm show. You can read more about it on my blog and check it out through the links. I also do twitter fed into my facebook and myspace pages to keep folks updated on what I’ve got going on in my blogs and live chat.
It’s working well. We’re getting new folks in every night. I do it during my 10, but almost half stay through the top of the 11, or thru the whole 11pm show too. The instant reactions to stories is amazing!
6. Bob | May 27th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
The show still exists, as KARE 11 News at 4:00. The name was changed from OnLIVE due to copyright issues. You can chat and watch live feeds during commercials, etc.
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