Rick Sanchez’s success with Twitter + TV
Kent Chapline October 6th, 2008
Today’s Miami Herald has a good article about the way Rick Sanchez’s afternoon CNN show integrates Twitter/Facebook/MySpace. No doubt many of the LR faithful have watched with interest as the show has unfolded over the past few weeks. It moves fast and jumps around a lot, especially for a network show (not that that’s a bad thing). But it’s always interesting.
According to the Herald, it’s working well with the audience: “Since its ’soft’ launch a month ago, Sanchez’s show has increased the time slot’s audience by nearly 25 percent, to almost 900,000.” And as I type this on Monday at 11:30 AM central, Sanchez’s Twitter account has 21,500 followers.
Successfully integrating the web and TV can be tough to do consistently. Sanchez and his team seem to be pulling it off, in part by marrying the social networking qualities of the two media. And the audience is responding. (Thanks to my buddy Dan Shelley at wcbstv.com for pointing out this article. Dan and I are both members of the CBS family.)
16 Comments Add your own
1. Rocker | October 6th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I”ll give Sanchez credit for trying something new, but honestly , I find the guy unwatchable.
2. Rod Overton | October 6th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Goodness gracious…
A lot of resemblance to Live@WRAL.com from more than two years ago…
Can someone enlighten me on how Twitter drives traffic or gains CNN one penny in this? Am I missing something?
Can’t a company like CNN actually build a similar product to Twitter that keeps traffic on their own site? I can’t figure out how this is so groundbreaking…
People going off your site to post snippets/comments on pages that resemble nothing of your own…
Can’t someone just duplicate that experience? It doesnt seem so groundbreaking… Just comments on a story are similar, right?
I’m lost here…
3. Rocker | October 7th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Rod, I don’t think the point is really about Twitter. I think the point is a program becoming very interactive with it’s audience. However you do that.
4. Dave | October 7th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Agree with #1.
Rick has this “douche bag frat boy” persona to me (sorry to be so blunt… maybe he’s not like that in real life I dunno). Almost pompous if you will… He’s gotten better in the afternoons but I used to not be able to stand him on the weekends.
Again, one of the reasons I love the web, there’s no personality reading the news to me. I don’t want personality. I want the news.
5. Rod Overton | October 7th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Got it Rocker…
It just seems so ridiculous that a company the size of CNN has to resort to Twitter to make that happen.
Could they not have their ARMY of programmers make similar functionality (it’s not that hard) and have people interact with THAT so it is a fully functional and complete experience with CNN.com instead of some strangely attached appendage of Twitter?
I get the goal… but, c’mon. CNN can’t create a product in three months that somewhat duplicates an “instant comment” function with a limit of characters?
Strange…
6. Rick Ellis | October 7th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Rod. Well, given the problems Twitter has had with their backend, I don’t blame them for wanting to take on the challenge of replicating Twitter. I suspect the other side of it is that replicating Twitter could be done, but the financial/cost benefit ratio probably doesn’t make sense for something that won’t be used company wide.
7. Beverly Campbell | October 7th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
It seems as though this campaign has taken a “downturn” since Palin entered. She seems to be good at attacks, lacks substance and appears to demonstrate a “beauty contest” level of mentality that has less to do with intellect and more to do with get the other competitors to look bad so you look good. Someone might want to mention her and Todd’s membership in the group that wants Alaska to succeed from the United States. She is a very negative influence.
8. Louise McPherson | October 8th, 2008 at 9:44 am
In my opinion, Rick Sanchez is doing a great job. I love his enthusiasm. Do you guys want boredom? He is smart, handsome, and exciting to listen to. What else can we ask for in a journalist? I am amazed at his grasp of the news, and how he knows what is going on in the world.I just hope CNN keeps him and adds more of him!!!
9. shannaya yazzie | October 9th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
dear Rick, I wish that ” that pailan person” stop been a pupett for the mccain people, she looks smart , doesn’t she know she’s been used? and really john mccain do us all a favor and check your self in to a nursing home. America needs a fresh brain, not one close expiration time, and for the black folks that think they’re conservatives. read history, ” the kkk” was the “today republicans ‘ conservatie = conserving of the race. read my fellow “prissioner” ( Americans)
10. Anonymous | October 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I have to do things all day. Honestly. I haven’t got time to watch TV all the time nor surt but a few well chosen sites, most of which suit my immediate needs.
Almost anything CNN can tell me that is of use is somewhere else, even in newspapers.
I found this site from a link and decided to look out of curiousity. You tube was introduced to me by a radio group that was linking reallt interesting old radio clips and then I was hooked by the simultaneous implosion of all the towers for the old Radio Liberty, I believe it was. I have been on some sites since before 9/11 including Usenet.
11. Larry Duncan | October 13th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
If Palin has used her power as governor, then she surely will do the same thing if she ever becomes VP of the United States. Also, how in the world could she unleash her husband on the ex-brother-in-law. NO PALIN!
12. jan | October 16th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
i think mccain made 2 big mistakes 1)he backed the ‘bail out ‘ 2) he put an air-head on the ticket 3) he missed too many of his anger-management classes.
i’ve been a republican all my life, until W ran for a second term. i’m now an independent.
who the hell are we supposed to trust????
13. dorina nicolescu | November 4th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
rick sanchez how come you did not ask barack hussein obama taf questions like you did with Joe the plumber ????? barack hussein obama is running to become the president of USA ???? JOE is only a citizen ???? SHAME ON YOU AND cnn and all the bias media …cnn become that crazy faar left msnbc that I will not trust the whether on that comunist propaganda for obama .cnn is the instigator between blacks and whites special u rick sanchez ….instead to have shows like ” beeing black in America ” what about beeing decent working cityzen that you don’t have to still or kill or dealing drugs. What about beeing onest legal emigrant working 2 jobs have kids in college, not having 10 kids starting at 13 beeing on welfare and still complaining that is racism????what about the RACISM against US the GOOD PEOPLE OF AMERICA THAT WE WOOOOORK and pay taxes for this LOW LIFE people that are to lazy and give a FUCK about WORK about decency school education ??? Go to DEPARTMENT CHILDREN & FAMILLY to see for yourself rick s. they are there full of gold with expansive cell.phones with 200$ shoes and here the language they used if they are not served fast…becouse they very bussy to go back to deall drugs…SHAME ON YOU cnn….SHAME ON YOU ..cnn
14. JIM | November 6th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Sanchez is another liberal CNN cronie.
15. dan hattery | November 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
there all wrong.im a country boy with a 6th grade education from south east missouri and i understand.this country has no goverment looking out for us anymore.america alould them to rape this country dry.where bailing out the causes of our trouble.there doing the same thing they did in the 1929 depretion.there spending our good money for bad money.it did not work then and it will not work now.we are doomed.the need to let bad buisness fall and start over thats what works learning from our mistakes.not creating more.
16. Minnie L Tensley | November 16th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I can’t wait to watch Rick each day,he is very handsome.very very smart,he realy make’s my day:
Please Rick keep up the good work,Cnn is very blessed to
Have a young man as knowledgeable as you,
God bless you,your work & family,
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