»Searching television for “breaking news”
Sometimes, we hear about cool and unexpected ways that our customers are using our TV search technology. This one example.
Local TV stations live and die by their local news operations. In their 2008 “State of the News Media”, The Project for Excellence in Journalism says:
Newsrooms are a big factor in the economic success of local television. They contributed 42% to a station’s total revenue, according to local news directors. And the majority of these news directors say their newsrooms are profitable.
So competitive intelligence for a local TV station is important — this means knowing who’s getting the scoop on local news stories and how other local TV stations are covering the local news. And that’s why one of our local TV station customers started using their SnapStream Server to scan for the words “breaking news” filtered on the names of their local news competitors.
This particular local TV station setup multiple SnapStream E-mail TV Alerts on the exact phrase “breaking news” for each of their local market competitors. And by setting the frequency to “as it happens”, the news director of this TV station now gets an e-mail alert everytime a competitive local station is reporting on “breaking news”!
For example, at 10pm yesterday, they might have received this mention of breaking news on our local ABC station:
>>> Breaking news tops the news, right now firefighters are battling a two-alarm warehouse fire. Authorities are not sure exactly what is burning at the elwood warehouse but they are evacuating that building. We have on the telephone assistant fire chief from the houston fire department omar longoria.
Channel: 13 (KTRK) – Show Length:34:27 - Play - View Transcript - Download Transcript - More
We thought this was pretty cool, so we’ve setup e-mail TV alerts on “breaking news” on a couple of the SnapStream Servers we are running here in our office.
So whether it’s sports news on ESPN:
The sentencing hearing will be carried live here on “sportscenter” at noon eastern. Roger cossack will return to discuss that. We appreciate the insights this morning. >> My pleasure.breaking news out of the nfl and it is about the new england patriots who have signed another player. You may have heard of him before, linebacker junior seau entering his 19th season. He’s returning to the patriots once again. He played for them in 2006 and in 2007, a 12-time pro bowler.
Channel: 33 (ESPN) – Show Length:59:42 - Play - View Transcript - Download Transcript - More
Or celebrity gossip on EXTRA (OK, maybe they shouldn’t be calling some of this stuff “breaking news”!):
I have a contrac through 2011. So right now that’s what I have. Until somebody wris me another one. Ok? >> We need you. >> No, you don’t. >> Oprah was in new york last night honoring susan taylor. Breaking news. She reveals there’s big time confusion about who’s throwing the party of all parties at obama’s inauguration next mom. >> Everybody is calling me about having a party.
Channel: 12 (KPRC) – Show Length:33:53 - Play - View Transcript - Download Transcript - More
Or national news on Fox News:
The next news break is about an hour away, “hannity and colmes” continues right now. breaking news tonight in the minnesota senate recount. While most of the votes are recounted norm coleman is sill in the lead. Yesterday 171 ballots turned up giving franken an extra 37 votes, and with thousands of challenged ballots, his 316 lead could easily change. According to the republican party of minnesota franken is calling for an investigation into a minneapolis church and could possibly be connected to more than a hundred missing votes.
Channel: 38 (FNC) – Show Length:1:03:53 - Play - View Transcript - Download Transcript - More
Searching on the term “breaking news” is one useful way to put your finger on the pulse of television!
January 9th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Would appreciate the video of the car accident on Rt. 60 Wednesday morning, January 7. Our sister-in-law was involved in the accident. Her name is Mary Webb.
Thanks,
Calvin Longacre
January 9th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Hi Calvin, SnapStream isn’t a clipping service — we don’t record television and then sell it per clip to users looking for individual clips. So we can’t help with your clip. You can check out http://www.tvclipsearch.com to find a clipping service in your area though.
SnapStream sells TV search technology that many clipping services use and that many organizations, who have frequent media monitoring needs, use. So, for example, if you used a clipping service and purchased 100 clips a month, you might be interested in purchasing a SnapStream Server (http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/) and your investment in our product would pay for itself within a few months. And most of our customers that come from clipping services end up doing a lot more searches and creating a lot more TV clips because we make it easy and because there’s no per clip cost.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:13 am
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February 25th, 2009 at 4:49 am
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