Local TV affiliate tries free network programming on the Internet
In high-tech Raleigh, N.C., viewers soon will be able to watch the programs broadcast by CBS affiliate WRAL-TV on their computers through a live video stream. The station, which already streams some of its local news live, expects to become the first to deliver national programming live via the Internet.

Station owner Capitol Broadcasting Company explains on its Web site, "The global nature of the Internet has made distributing network content virtually impossible for local broadcasters, since affiliate agreements grant broadcasters an exclusive geographic license covering the signal area. As a result, networks have struck partnerships with other Internet-based distributors, cutting out their local affiliates." New technology, however, enables WRAL to feed its live programming only to those in its over-the-air territory, preserving its agreements with the network. People in Raleigh can enter their credit-card information online, and the billing address for the card will confirm that the owner lives within the station's normal viewing area. The live streaming video will be free, and for a fee viewers also will be able to download network programming to watch later.

"WRAL's plans carve another notch in the belt of the computer industry as convergence of media moves increasingly toward the Internet, rather than the TV screen," said Airfoil Director of Editorial Services Steve Friedman. "Already, iTunes is selling complete episodes of such popular network programs as Desperate Housewives, Commander in Chief and Lost, which can be downloaded for $1.99 per show, and Yahoo is offering free TV clips. If free live programming becomes generally available via the Web, we quickly will be watching live television not just on our desktops, but also on whatever mobile device we carry on our own belts. This phenomenon could toss the couch potato off the sofa as it transfers on-air TV business news, informational programming and entertainment to our fingertips."

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ECCs
In the last issue of Boarding Pass, I talked about ECCs-Emerging Channels of Communication-and asked about your familiarity of new tools such as podcasting, videocasting, blogs and other forms of ECC.

One leading-edge form of ECC is the increasingly popular RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed.

Go to any number of Web sites these days and it's likely you'll find an RSS or XML icon, which will allow a visitor (who would otherwise be tethered to the site itself) the ability to be updated automatically when new items are posted. In other words, it allows people to "opt-in" and to have news fed to them, as opposed to searching for news.

Here's how it works: Users simply add one of any number of RSS readers or "aggregators," most of which integrate with a Web browser, allowing the user to view the channels that were added (by clicking through to the RSS icon on a Web site).

And that's pretty much it. Once the RSS channel for a site has been added, new content appears when a user checks the list of RSS channels. Some of my favorite publications with organized categories and frequent updates include the Detroit Free Press, The Wall Street Journal and CNET.com.

Information is automatically sorted into the content categories defined by the publisher.

For those tasked with the job of media monitoring (clearly an important item in the researcher's toolbox), RSS not only is a great way of keeping track of news events, but also it's an effective way of sorting through an increasingly complex world of influencers, all of whom have the potential to impact the way a product or service is perceived.

At Airfoil, we're working on ways to help our clients better understand the impact of ECCs (including RSS feeds) and to use them to communicate key messages.

Stay tuned!

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Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur magazine and its companion, Entrepreneur.com, have done what every good media outlet should do-define its audiences.

In the case of Entrepreneur, those are four distinct groups, all of whom clearly have that most difficult to assuage of business bugs: the urge to start a business.

The shorthand version of Entrepreneur's four groups: small-business owners already in business for several years, those who'd like to be (or have been less than two years), home-based business owners, and people interested in buying a franchise or other business opportunity.

The print version, available relatively intact on Entrepreneur's Web site, is organized into several sections, starting with "Forward," which contains brief, punchy items on news and trends appealing to small-business owners. Topic headers include money, marketing, management, technology, viewpoint, and miscellaneous (like the typical filing system, for items that don't fit elsewhere).

Beyond the Forward section, Entrepreneur is equally to the point with its other sections: Money, Sell, Lead, Tech, and Innovation. Within each is a line-up that will keep readers coming back for more. There's a lot to digest.

"Entrepreneur and its online version are among the most valued resources for start-up businesses," said Airfoil Business-to-Business Vice President Eric Kushner. "By providing small-business tips and offering content for the publication's columns and features on behalf of our clients, we help to support their efforts to gain visibility as business experts and to provide thought leadership, two factors that can produce crucial competitive advantages."

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Starbucks brings welcome jolt to Airfoil client roster
Airfoil has recently begun providing public relations services to the Starbucks Coffee Company's Great Lakes, North Central Ohio and Allegheny Mountain regions. The Seattle-based company is the world's leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee, with more than 10,500 retail locations globally. Airfoil is responsible for supporting Starbucks' marketing and public relations initiatives through proactive media relations efforts in the regions' major cities, including Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburg.

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Two new Higher Thinkers join Airfoil
Laura Kelleher has been appointed to the new position of vice president of operations at Airfoil, where she is responsible for key functions relating to office operations and implementation of the agency's strategic plan.

Laura, an award-winning information technology manager, joined Airfoil from the University of Michigan Health Systems and previously was a vice president with Airfoil client Fry, Inc., one of America's top e-business integrators. Laura was one of the nation's early advocates for the Internet, even before development of the World Wide Web, traveling the country for a university consortium to encourage organizations to connect to the Internet.

Also joining Airfoil is Tanisha Leonard, a seasoned public relations professional with extensive experience in the automotive sector. As an account supervisor, she will be working with teams supporting the agency's accounts in the Automotive/Manufacturing and Industrial Technology practice.

Prior to joining Airfoil, Tanisha worked at GM R*Works, where she served as public relations manager for AutoShow in Motion. Her responsibilities in this previous capacity included event spokesperson and public relations programming roles. She holds a bachelor's degree in advertising from Michigan State University.

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