April 3, 2009, MADISON WI - Last week, as record-level cresting of the Red River threatened to decimate businesses and homes in Fargo, ND, local television stations KVLY and KXJB (ValleyNewsLive.com) labored around the clock to keep the community informed. Visitors to the website were able to view alerts from city and state officials, get updates on school and business closures, and learn about sandbagging and other volunteer efforts.
With many outlying rural areas already seeing localized flooding, the community of Fargo rallied to avert a major catastrophe. Many homeowners and volunteers captured footage of the ongoing battle against Mother Nature, and submitted their videos and photos to the YouNews™ section of ValleyNewsLive.com.
KVLY/KXJB General Manager Charley Johnson shares, “Viewer photo and video submissions continue to pour in, and we hit a record 70,000 YouNews daily pageviews last Thursday. We’re seeing photos and community stories with unprecedented immediacy and urgency.”
The user generated content (UGC) from the Fargo flooding is available to over 60 YouNews™ affiliates across the U.S. via a content exchange, powered by Broadcast Interactive Media. Station staff can log into a shared management system, access photos or videos in their native format, and slot this media into broadcasts.
KCRG in Cedar Rapids, IA (and no stranger to flooding emergencies), was one of the first YouNews™ affiliates to tap into this rich, local source. John Phelan, KCRG General Manager, adds, “It’s been invaluable to have quick and easy access to local news in other markets, essentially adding stringers across the country.”
Also included in the content exchange are multiple YouNews™ “webisodes” of the 2009 North Dakota Flooding. These short videos (2-3 minutes) were compiled solely from user submitted content and serve as a moving example of the power of community working together.
About KVLY-TV 11 and KXJB-TV 4
KVLY-TV 11 and KXJB-TV 4 (www.valleynewslive.com) are, respectively, NBC and CBS affiliate stations serving eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. Both channels have offices in Fargo, ND, and in Grand Forks, ND. KVLY is part of Hoak Media Corporation and KXJB is owned by Parker Broadcasting, Inc. In January 2007, Hoak entered into an agreement with Parker Broadcasting, Inc. to manage KXJB. Hoak Media owns, operates, or programs twenty-four television stations in ten markets in the states of Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana and Florida. Hoak Media’s television station group includes affiliates of CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, CW and MyNetworkTV.
About YouNews™
YouNews™ (www.younewstv.com) is a product of Broadcast Interactive Media, and provides a local social networking and user-generated video application. The service is currently live in over 60 markets throughout the US, with more than 60,000 registered YouNews users. Markets include San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Portland, and San Diego, with many more to follow. YouNews allows local media websites to accept user-submitted photo and video for web and broadcast distribution. Broadcast Interactive Media further guarantees the quality of the submissions for its clients by moderating and screening all incoming footage for any copyright infringement or inappropriate content.
About Broadcast Interactive Media
Based in Madison, WI, Broadcast Interactive Media (www.broadcast-interactive.com) is the leading provider of locally-focused Web solutions for more than 150 television, radio, and newspaper websites. Offerings include a comprehensive suite of revenue-generating programs and national sales support, video streaming, content feeds, and technology development. Customers include groups such as NBC, Fisher Communications, Journal Broadcast Group, Meredith Broadcasting, Schurz Communications, and Granite Broadcasting.
Contact:
Angela Wheaten
Director Marketing & Promotions
Broadcast Interactive Media
608-255-2852
awheaten@bimedia.net