Download - The ROUNDTABLE 2013: Logan Molen
A First Look
at “First Look”
The Roundtable
Aug. 27, 2013
The Highlights
Simulcast radio-video show
delivers new audience and
revenue
Response has led to 5 new
webcasts launched in August.
Now have 23 hours of live
programming per week
Programming provides cost-
effective, multi-platform content
Extends our brand and positions
us for connected TVs, other
devices
Some Background
In 2011, we launched “Californian Radio” in partnership
with KERN, a separately owned AM newstalk station in
Bakersfield:
1 hour per day, Monday through Friday
Californian editors served as co-hosts
Ad inventory was split 50-50 with radio station.
Tinkered with two fixed webcams for raw simulcast.
Mixed Results
“Californian Radio” generated some revenue (about $50,000
annualized) but nearly all ad spots were bundled in “club”
packages. Our advertisers were not clamoring for radio
inventory and our print reps struggled with radio sales (and got
far less per spot than radio reps).
We were doing little cross-promotion to highlight news or
scoops from the show.
Webcams added little value.
Meanwhile ...
• We invested a little in streaming video gear and started
experimenting
Early Tests
• We used this low-fi
set-up to livestream:
Friday night prep highlights show
Live “infomercial” for local hockey team
Hard news: Obama speech, school shooting, community
forums
Election night analysis
Even 4 straight nights of on-track wrap-up from drag racing
event
Our Mindset
We do not want to mimic local TV; they’re good at what they
do.
Our small budget is one thing, but we purposely want to be a
little rough around the edges as we tackle niche programming
that is the antithesis of local TV.
We can steal TV ad spend by nibbling around the edges.
We can compete on mobile devices and connected TVs.
DON’T OVERTHINK the opportunity. Experiment and see
where it takes us.
Moving Quickly
Our experiments led to decision in mid-January to partner with
local radio group, and to simulcast a new radio show.
Goal was to go live before end of Q1 ratings book!
In 2 months, we transformed news conference room into a
studio at a minimum of cost and light polish.
Lots of “critical” details worked themselves out on the fly.
“First Look”
“First Look” is a 3-hour morning radio show from our newsroom
featuring a well-known local talk-show host.
Show is “radio first” and broadcast on 50,000-watt AM market
leader
Simulcast streaming HD video in prominent spot on
bakersfield.com, complemented by related B-roll, graphics, etc.
On-demand video highlights available on Bakersfield.com and
our YouTube channel.
We write stories from on-air interviews.
Prominent Position
Staffing
KERN pays for and
provides a host, a
newsreader and a
producer. We direct their
work but HR management
rests with KERN.
The Californian provides
day-to-day oversight, a
producer, breaking news
support (already in place to
feed our platforms) and
access to other Californian
staff.
Show Structure
7-8 a.m.: Traffic, weather, breaking news
8-9 a.m.: Scott Cox rants, chats with newsmakers, hot topics
9-10 a.m.: Specific Californian personalities host, interview
staffers and guests about the news of the day, major issues.
“Smart Talk without the yelling.”
The Californian drives the content in a tightly formatted show
that keeps moving, with an emphasis on breaking news, smart
talk and higher-quality interviews.
Added Benefit
With newsmakers in our studio
daily, we write stories when
appropriate.
Good exclusive content
Easy cross-promotion
Guests like the show because
they know our platforms extend
their reach
Two Show Streams
AM audio signal
broadcast over
50,000 watts
Live video and
B-Roll layered on
top of that signal.
Livestream
edited for later
on-demand
viewing
One Show = 3 Ad Layers
• 1) Audio stream: 16 30-second spots per hour on AM signal.
Newspaper receives 8 and radio station receives 40.
• 2) Live video and 3) on-demand video (The Californian
controls all of this inventory):
15-second preroll on all livestream views.
16 30-second video ads per hour run concurrently to audio
commercials. They can be completely different ads.
Pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll opportunities in on-demand
video seegments posted later.
Naming Rights
• In addition, we sold naming rights to our studio:
“We’re coming to you from the Dignity Health Studios at
The Bakersfield Californian ...”
Sponsorship includes fixed audio intro coming back from
breaks, all pre-roll for livestreams, 2 30-second video ads
per hour for all shows emanating from the studio and
significant presence in all show marketing.
We anticipate naming rights to sizably increase in the
future.
A Taste of the Show
Metrics
On-demand views = about 80% of livestreams.
Office audience: Traffic picks up after 8 a.m., peaks 9-10 a.m.
Very strong reach into B2B businesses we traditionally have
struggled to reach (oil-field services, telecommunications
infrastructure)
Mobile is 17% of viewership.
After 100 shows:
Steady audience of
2,600 total/1,900
uniques per day (peaks
3,600/2,700)
Our
Costs
Four HD cameras cost $459 each; $2,000 switcher offers 6 video
views.
Graphics built using $20 Keynote software
Furniture, wall hangings can easily move to fit needs, other
shows.
We spent $36,000
on gear and to
conference room
renovation:
Flexible Set-up
Editorial board meetings.
On the road: Mobile studio easily fits into Ford Transit van. We
have produced three-camera livestreams from remote locations,
broadcasting with wireless cards.
We can easily adjust
the set design for:
Live performances
Audiences
Different news
shows
The Good
Audience numbers exceeded expectations
Newsroom studio draws “outsiders” into our building to share
and add to the buzz
Lots of staffers have appeared on camera
New revenue: We have toehold into political ads and we’ve
ID’d interesting B2B opportunities (fleet sales, telecom, for
example)
Great tool to cross-promote our brands
The Not So Good
Getting core reps to focus on $15 per-spot sales; we plan to
hire a FT video sales rep
Haven’t yet monetized on-demand pre-roll
No traction with differentiated long-form ad spots
Cost controls mean we cut corners (manual ad serving, limited
analytics)
Trouble with low-hanging fruit: Our HD stream is better than
local cable -- we’ve had difficulty transcoding standard-
definition TV ads for our shows.
Costs Moving Forward
We’re in a position to add new programming at minimal cost.
Base per hour costs for programming can be as low as $35
per hour (staff, streaming, utilities).
At the extreme, we want the program sponsor to cover our
operating costs so that additional ad spots are gravy.
Once we get consistent sales traction, we will upgrade
equipment and explore additional staff.
New Web-only Shows
B Varsity Live prep sports:
30-minute preview show Thursday afternoons
Livestream of Game of the Week on Friday nights
Friday night highlights show 11 p.m. -12:30 a.m.
Two internal brands:
B-Well Live: Weekly 1-hour spinoff of our
quarterly health magazine
“Pay-to-Play” Shows
Replaced longstanding show on local radio station
CSUB pays weekly fee for studio, production staff
CSUB provides turnkey show (host, guests, B-roll video)
We let them embed live and on-demand video
Split ad inventory: CSUB gets 6, we get 12-18
RoadRunner Rundown: Weekly web-only show produced by CSU
Bakersfield athletics contracted to run 42 weeks:
RoadRunner Rundown
Around the Corner
CondorsTown: Weekly show produced by local minor-league
hockey team
Chamber of Commerce: Weekly business show
Non-profit foundation: Weekly show on neat people who
just happen to donate to charities
Livestreaming local events
Video classifieds
Questions? Better Ideas?
Logan Molen, SVP and Chief Operating Officer