Miscellaneous Uses for a Blog

Many news organizations have been redistributing their already-run news packages on their websites for years now. A few national organizations have taken the step to distribute their newscast via podcasting (and I’ve been very surprised that more have not jumped on that bandwagon). While websites and podcasts are another convenient channel for people to receive content (and places for stations to sell), simply redistributing the content takes the personality and interaction out of the equation.

I have been waiting a long time for traditional media to jump on the new media bandwagon. Over the last 6-10 months, we’ve begun to see at least some snippets of traditional news organizations bringing this to the forefront to augment their current broadcast offerings. For most, it has been by implementing a news blog so people can discuss news stories in its comments. This enables the listeners to have dialog over the news that is presented to them. Those organizations that have been the most successful have not only created the blogs, but have spent the time to interact with them online and on-air.

Enter a brand new experiment being run by Fox News Chicago. LiveNewsCameras.com is taking live streaming to a new and very interesting level. They are aggregating news streams from Fox affiliates from around the country. While this in it’s own right is nothing new, a majority of the video being displayed is coming from each station’s off-air transmission channels; News conference transmissions, events, and news gathering being sent back to the station for recording. Internal video sources for radar, road conditions, even the graphics department or studio cameras. But nearly all of is raw, pre-broadcast video. Even live news shows are sent from a internal video source that exists before it reaches master control (where the signal is sent out on-air with the ads, etc.). It reminds me of sitting in the feed room when I was in television, watching what’s going on and coming in for all the things going on at the station.

Another HUGE component with LiveNewsCameras.com that has be even more excited from a new media standpoint, is that they have hired “moderators” that keep an eye on all the video feeds to let you know what is interesting to watch. They will often give you more information about what you are seeing on city channel X. It’s ads a personal interaction component to this entire service. If you have followed me and my thoughts on new media, you know that this is a HUGE part of new media. Add the ability for listeners to interact with the moderator (only email now, but they are working with others) and this has a ton of potential. I’d love to see them include the ability for listeners to interact not only with the moderator, but also the other listeners and this takes this to another level. The moderator also sends tidbits about what is playing via a Twitter feed. Get tired of the moderator all together, you can close them.

I’m SO thrilled to see a news organization that truly GETS IT. Kudos to Steve Baron and the management from Fox News Chicago for doing things RIGHT. It’s forward thinking about how important that personal interaction is in media today that makes me want to be involved in in a news organization again. Congratulations, and best of luck with the site!