Dramatically redefining how local television stations engage their audiences, The E.W. Scripps Company is deploying technology in all nine of its television markets that will allow its stations to deliver live video programming to virtually any mobile device.
“When it comes to delivering news and information, we already own live coverage on television and the Web. That’s what our audiences have come to expect of us. This move brings that level of commitment to the exploding smartphone and tablet consumer space,” said Adam Symson, vice president of interactive for the Scripps television division. “We’ll now close the gap and aggressively deliver live continuous coverage to the massive and growing on-the-go audience.”
The new platform works very simply. A user opens the mobile app of his or her favorite Scripps station. When circumstances warrant – such as periods of breaking news or severe weather – the app’s on-screen display will prompt users to view streaming content. Clicking on the prompt will open a live media player that may be a simulcast of the station’s on-air content or may be coverage that is unique to that stream. Users will also be notified of a live streaming event using push notifications as well as SMS and email alerts.
The new technology becomes available in September (check the local apps for each market’s debut) and will be accessible on devices with the Apple operating system (iPhones and iPads), the Android operating system (smartphones and tablets) select Blackberry devices, and via a mobile Web browser.
The markets included in this pioneering launch are:
While the app may sometimes feature a simulcast of the core news programming being transmitted by the station’s broadcast tower, the group will look to this technology to build out unique live content offerings designed specifically for the mobile audience.
“We weren’t content to follow the crowd and wait to see what others might do in the mobile space,” continued Symson. “Our live streaming functionality is an example of an entrepreneurial local station group leading the way to push our programming to wherever the audience is in a way that’s most convenient for the viewers. This isn’t a novelty for Scripps; it’s the core of what we do – we’re just devising new ways to do it.”
The stations’ live streaming content is the latest effort by Scripps to expand its capabilities in mobile content delivery. The company helped form Pearl Mobile DTV, which establishes the standards for mobile broadcasting using over-the-air towers to deliver a signal to specially equipped devices.
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media enterprise with interests in television stations, newspapers, local news and information Web sites, and syndication of news features and comics. For a full listing of Scripps media companies and their associated Web sites, visit https://www.scripps.com/.