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Where On-Air Goes Online

Jul 31, 2006  •  Post A Comment

Internet Broadcasting celebrates a milestone this year: 10 years of building and hosting Web sites for TV stations, creating local online content and selling local and national advertising.

The business grew from a single station Web site, www.Channel4000.com in Minneapolis, which became the model for early expansion into five markets. Since then, Internet Broadcasting has grown to encompass 79 TV station Web sites, including stations in the NBC, Cox, Hearst-Argyle, McGraw-Hill, Post-Newsweek, Meredith, Scripps Howard and Capitol Broadcasting Co. groups.

It has a client list that includes stations in 24 of the nation’s top 25 markets and is the top publisher of local news online, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, reaching one in 12 online Americans monthly.

TelevisionWeek is helping to mark Internet Broadcasting’s anniversary with a detailed look at the company, beginning with three essential components of its remarkable story: sales, content and technology. On the following pages we will examine an advertising strategy that targets local and national advertisers with a new convergence model that blends online and on-air components; the content that Internet Broadcasting’s veteran journalists produce, giving the company a credible and vital product to meet the needs of the new media environment; and the technology that has enabled the company to keep up with-and to help shape-that rapidly evolving environment.

We also present an in-depth conversation with Internet Broadcasting founder, President and CEO Reid Johnson, examine the company’s coordinated effort with NBC to bring the Olympics online and offer a few examples of local stations that have worked hand in hand with the company to develop successful online strategies.