Local TV Now!

Everywhere you turn TV and video original content is being produced – except locally. Local original programming still is dominated by news programming, business talk, and a smattering of sports.  Local original programming has the advantage of being more relevant to advertisers and the potential of more ad dollars from owning all the inventory to re-purposing the product via the internet.

Original content production appears to be the evolution for most every TV or video distribution channel.  National entities achieved the critical mass of audience necessary to underwrite the development of original programming either through anticipated advertising or subscription.

Live or time constrained programming such as sports and news is a staple for local TV as well as national cable franchises like CNN, Headline and ESPN.

For ad and subscriber supported cable channels their first non live programming efforts relied on the reruns of network programming as in the case of TBS or TNT or available music videos as in MTV.  Over time and against all odds  the TBS, USA and TNT cable channels have developed their own franchised original programming ranging from the Jersey Shores of MTV to The Closer of TNT.

Advertisers understand the strength of local market relevancy.  As a result focus on local markets continues to grow with CBS combining all radio and TV properties into one portal, AOL’s Patch working hyperlocal news and every app in the market integrating location-based targeting.  Mark Fratrik, VP BIA/Kelsey was quoted in Ad Age in (Nov 2010) as saying that the owners of local TV have discovered that “ they are local media companies, as opposed to TV stations,..”.

Now is the time to start a revolution in locally produced original programming – particularly in the top 30 markets where the audience size can capture ad dollars both on TV and online.

Room for discussion

What kinds of original programming could be produced locally? Brainstorm ideas, choose one, then take a shot at determining what the costs and expected returns could be.