NBC has toes in the online world right now, but the broadcast giant seems ready to make a big splash during the 2006-07 season.
During NBC's presentation about the upcoming season, given yesterday at Radio City Music Hall, Jeff Zucker, the CEO at NBC Universal Television Group, touted NBC's commitment to digital media offerings. Other networks have rolled out some big plans this week, including CNN.
From the New York Times:
We have put a ton of thought and a ton of effort into the digital world," Mr. Zucker told a theater filled with marketers and advertising agency employees and executives. "We want to be your digital partner."
NBC's plans, which involve ad sales, too, call for the creation of multiple online portals dedicated to different types of programming. In addition, the network intends to offer some special promotions, as well. Zucker professed NBC has "more than 100 ideas, ready to go."
The network's planned online offerings include such things as:
- DotComedy.com. This broadband comedy channel will give viewers access to old shows like Leave It to Beaver, while hyping current offerings on the network such as Saturday Night Live.
- NBCFirstLook.com, this broadband channel will preview new shows before they debut on NBC
- Webisodes of The Office will be found on NBC.com during the summer
- A digital comic book that will be based on Heroes, a series that will run Mondays at 9 p.m.
Zucker highlighted a score of other things, as well.
NBC might be lagging in the viewer ratings on the tube itself, but it sounds like it's poising itself to be an innovator in the online world. Next season should be interesting.
Article comments
1 - Ty
Until a network says that all of its current programming is available the next day for a small fee to download online (WITHOUT FREAKING ITUNES), no network is really taking a huge step.
For example, let's talk NBC. Until the day comes when I can miss ANY NBC primetime show and D/L the same or next day for 99 cents, nothing has been accomplished. Everything else is side dishes the main course we want.
2 - Tan The Man
NBC isn't doing THAT badly. It's still considered a more well-rounded network than ABC which is riding the waves of Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.