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The Walls are Coming Down - NBC No Longer in TV

by Rob Paterson

I was sent this email from a client. It comes from John Wallace, NBC executive VP, television operations and production services (TOPS), the head of what was NBC TV - It’s our new reality - No matter how faulty the steps and the tools - one way broadcast TV is DEAD.

I’m extremely pleased to announce an exciting next step in our evolution as local content providers …we’re changing our name. As of today, our group will be known as the NBC Local Media Division. This is a much better reflection of who we are as an organization and a greater indication of the full scope of our capabilities.

Our stations already produce local content for a multitude of media platforms beyond our primary television channels. These include our diverse broadband offerings, like digphilly.com and yourLA.com; our multicast digital products; our growing presence in mobile distribution and multiple media platforms outside of the home. Our old name - the NBC Television Stations Division - just doesn’t do all of this justice.

Our stations are the core of what we do. They provide a platform in terms of our credibility, our service and our community connection. Re-branding our group is not about moving away from the traditional broadcast medium, but more about putting an equal value on all of the other mediums with which we are involved.

Our new name also sends an important message to the marketplace. Our clients are asking for integrated marketing solutions that incorporate television, broadband and other emerging platforms. That’s exactly what NBC Local Media offers. We can grow our clients’ businesses by delivering the power of GE and NBCU combined with local content, customized messaging and marketing solutions that engage consumers where they live, work and play.

This is an extremely exciting time to be a part of the NBC Local Media Division. Whether you’re an employee, a consumer of any of our products on any of our growing platforms, or an advertiser looking to reach your customers in new and different ways, NBC Local Media is the place to be.

As part of our focus on local media expansion, I’d also like to highlight two key leadership roles that we’re announcing today. Brian Buchwald has been named Senior Vice President, Local Digital Media and Multiplatform, and Mark French, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NBC Everywhere, a new unit focusing on our growing digital place-based network, available on numerous out of home media platforms. They will work closely with our stations to ensure the division’s continued expansion beyond the limits of the traditional television space.

In his new role, Brian will be responsible for developing new business models and enterprises with a focus on local video content that extend NBCU’s knowledge of local media to a broader geographic footprint. He will also explore alternative content production models, as well as new formats and channels for content distribution.

As General Manager of NBC Everywhere, Mark will focus on expanding our presence on alternative distribution platforms through content and advertising partnerships with a focus on our local markets. He will also work closely with NBCU’s sales and marketing groups to integrate place-based opportunities into their 360-degree offerings and with the NBC Agency and the local stations to program the various out of home channels.

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2 Comments »

Jim LongNovember 23rd, 2007 at 4:50 pm

I’m a NBC News cameraman WELL versed in social media. I have a succesful blog, I enjoy a popular following on Twitter, and I have remarkable, intelligent friends on Facebook. I hope, that as NBC moves ahead with this initiaitive, they listen to their best and brightest who are already deeply engaged in social media, even if they come from the ranks of towers and transmitters.

NBC must create local media portals that allow the community to share, create, discover and program all kinds of content. I could not agree more with your assertion that one-way broadcast TV is DEAD! What gets built in its place needs to be deeply enriching and engaging.

Jevon MacDonaldNovember 29th, 2007 at 8:39 am

Jim: You are so right. I think one of the thing that successful companies understand when they are making “the transition” is that they have to make use of the talent they already have. Men and women like you on the front lines who have a deep understanding of what needs to be done.

Organizations that are unsuccessful are the ones who think they need to bring in some sort of new superstars who can magically transform things. Those people come and go faster than consultants and the one key thing they are missing is an understanding of the culture in the organization.

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