Getting the news out as it hits the streets: The three major O&O broadcasters have partnered to reach a new generation of news viewers with a new interactive daily news program that debuts this fall. RightThisMinute will incorporate the Internet, mobile and social media, citizen journalists and new ways of storytelling to broaden the appeal of traditional television news and info. The hour-long show will be fresh every weekday, with no repeats.
Cox Media Group, Raycom Media, Inc., and The E.W. Scripps Company have partnered with MagicDust Television in the creation and ownership of the show. Their O&O stations will launch the program this fall in markets that cover up to 30 percent of American households and expect it to be available for national syndication.
RightThisMinute is a show designed for active viewers who want to stay informed. It is a fast-paced roundup of the most timely, engaging and explosive stories, as well as the stories that viewers determine are of most interest. The most-incredible video, the most-talked-about celebrity scandals, the stories that make people stop and think, compelling human-condition stories, and the next day’s popular “water cooler” stories will be covered in every episode.
RightThisMinute incorporates digital media into the formula for both determining and delivering content, providing the brand with the potential to be as popular with mobile and social audiences as it will be on air. In each broadcast, the RightThisMinute digital team scours new-media platforms to bring viewers the most up-to-the-minute information on the stories that matter most to the audience right this minute.
The RTM newsroom is being built from the ground up with the latest in Internet newsgathering technology, using the state-of-the-art facilities of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
“RightThisMinute breaks new ground in television,” said Doug Franklin, president of Cox Media Group. “Consumers have demonstrated a growing hunger for timely information, but no on-air product meets that need by harnessing the potential of social and digital technologies. RTM will exploit the vast opportunities presented by combining new-media platforms with the broad reach of broadcast television.”
“We believe RightThisMinute adds an exciting new twist to the news formula,” said Paul McTear, president and CEO of Raycom Media. “Having the audience influence the program’s content ensures that we deliver information that viewers want and need.
“All three of the station group owners are known for producing news that appeals to a broad local audience. RightThisMinute extends our expertise to an entirely new generation of viewers who have come to expect an interactive experience when accessing relevant news and information,” said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of television for Scripps.
RBR-TVBR observation: As the network news model continues to have its ratings troubles and issues reaching young audiences, the O&O stations are looking to fill that void with syndicated product—TMZ does a good job for some, but the new generations do want their real news as well, not just celeb news. And many still want TV news delivered by TV—just in a way that incorporates the new media they’ve grown up with and use every day. Adding social media and citizen journalists in a nationally-delivered program may just fit that bill.
