TVWeb Convergence

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TV-Web Convergence

• Lessons from MSNBC (print too)
• Michael Silberman
• Deputy Editor, East Coast

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Introduction MSNBC structure

• 24-hour cable and Web news service
• Web HQ Redmond, WA
• Cable HQ Secaucus, NJ
• Also, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Englewood Cliffs,
  Washington, DC, London
• About 160 employees, split between editorial
  business/technology/operations

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NBC Microsoft

• Each owns 50 of cable, 50 of Web
• 99-year partnership
• TV and Web are two separate businesses
• NBC is the managing partner of MSNBC TV
• Microsoft is the managing partner of MSNBC.com
• NBC News has editorial oversight of both

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Some History

• Conceived at the beginning as a converged
  operation with TV and Web executing joint
  coverage
• Assigned staff specifically to coordinate with TV
  programs 26 in the first year
• At launch, sent memo and A Guide to MSNBC on the
  Internet to everyone at NBC News, MSNBC TV and
  MSNBC.com

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History contd

• Early joint projects Decision 96, Tangled Web
• Initial converged programming The Site,
  Feedback
• Began to focus more on breaking news, daily
  integration and NBC News programs

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Types of convergence

• TV correspondents writing for web, Web reporters
  producing TV packages
• Repackaging
• Promotion
• Integrated stories and projects

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Barriers/Keys to success

• Top-level commitment
• Neal Shapiro, Rick Kaplan much more focused on
  convergence than their predecessors
• Resources
• Correspondents who arent as busy w/TV file for
  the Web more often
• Dedicate people to coordination execution
• Training/skills
• TV training, writing for the Web
• Creativity
• Particularly important for cross-platform
  programming

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Status

• Fully-integrated into NBC MSNBC TV editorial
  planning process
• 7-10 Web-specific stories per week from NBC
  correspondents producers
• 5-10 on air appearances per week by MSNBC.com
  reporters
• Routine on air mentions

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Joint project examples
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TodayWedding

• 4.3 million votes
• Doubled of votes two years in a row

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Nightly News Bazell heart disease

• Web content integrated into Nightly News story
• Promoted on air and on site in advance
• 300,000 came to our site
• 136,000 took the quiz

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Dateline Crime Story

• Over 100,000 votes
• TV rating increased from 9.2/15 to 10.2/17 from
  first ½ hour to second ½ hour

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Dateline IRS Refunds

• Lea Thompson shows database on air Dateline
  did what the IRS says they couldnt
• Database with 90,000 names on Web site
• 300,000 users on day 1 700,000 on day 2
• Over 100 users found on the site
• Did it again last month similar numbers

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Print partners same issues

• Top-level commitment
• Resources
• Skills (TV rewrite)
• Coordination planning (war coverage)

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Why converge?

• Leverage resources
• NBCs reputation is most productive/efficient
  news operation in TV
• Drive audience
• Cable network TV are effective traffic drivers
• Extend brand
• Powerful brands do matter online
• Its the future

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Brand loyalty March 04