NBC Webcast "Today"

 
By Stacy May 05, 2006



NBC has begun to offer streaming ad-supported video of the morning news show Today. They have altered it just a little for the internet, only the first hour of the three hour program is available online. This is both a content and a marketing issue. The later hours general are less news heavy featuring music and entertainment guest. This is also part of NBC Universal Group’s continued plan to find or create more content that can be carried in an internet or mobile platform.

The Web project, led by NBC News VP of Digital Media Mark Lukasiewicz, will be supported by advertisements that viewers won't be able to skip.

Translating Today onto the Web requires changes to the show. NBC's MSNBC partner Microsoft Corp. will replace ads seen on the network with Internet spots. The webcast won't offer local news or weather windows because that kind of customization isn't yet feasible for a national show, Mr. Lukasiewicz said.

The Today webcast builds on other Internet offerings from NBC's news division, which in 2005 began streaming NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press. "We have gained a huge good will component from our users" with those Web programs, Mr. Lukasiewicz said.

Source: TV Week

The Today show webcast will be longer and have more material than that of ABC's Good Morning America or CBS's The Early Show both of which have more of a highlight style offering available. The way the Today show will be offered is pretty good from a marketing standpoint for NBC and for the users. The streams will be available around lunch time when more people might have a chance to be online in the US and there will only be four 15 second ads for the entire stream versus about 15 minutes if you would have watching on regular TV.

This is a continuing shift in the power of people to control when and where they watch TV. Now, even if you're not an early riser you can tune in.

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