The Goal
Optimize the multi-channel experience for news viewers across Sinclair Broadcast Group’s network of stations and introduce interactive and seamless programing to engage their audience at all times of the day, not just during linear news coverage.
What We Did
- Daily interactive polls embedded on station websites, and live results displayed on linear broadcast
- QR code generation with Tagboard Builder to drive traffic from broadcast to digital properties
- Curation of real-time social content for breaking news coverage on national live desk and local channels
The Result
Sinclair built an efficient and interactive ecosystem for their audience to engage with at all hours of the day. Daily interactive polls routinely see 20,000+ votes, and their stations save time by using customized graphic templates to curate and feature an average of 3,000 posts a month with the click of a button – the quickest way to get breaking news on broadcast. As their Assistant Vice President of Publishing Manny Fantis puts it, “Tagboard makes it easy for us to get people from the big screen to the little screen in a seamless way”.
In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, where news consumption is no longer confined to traditional broadcast schedules, news outlets have taken on the responsibility to deliver news when and where their audience wants to consume it. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns and/or operates 185 stations across the country, has taken a significant step forward in reaching today’s audiences by optimizing its multi-channel experience. By harnessing the capabilities of Tagboard, they have been able to create an innovative and engaging ecosystem that integrates QR codes, daily polls, and curated social media content to interact with their audience across every screen.
“We say this thing, and my boss says this thing all the time, buy back time. Tagboard is a way to do that.”
Manny Fantis – Assistant Vice President of Publishing
“Tagboard makes it easy for us to get people from the big screen to the little screen in a seamless way,” said Manny Fantis, Assistant Vice President of Publishing for Sinclair. “People want news exactly when they want it, and that’s why our mobile devices and websites are so important. So, when Tagboard can interact with every single screen we have, it makes it super important because we want to be there when people want the news, not only when we are delivering it {on Linear} in the evening or morning.”
People want to vote, people want to interact
Through daily polls, Fantis and the team at Sinclair are able to create a meaningful moment for interactivity. Their polls will often see participation hit 20,000 votes, with some of the most popular activations even hitting 50,000. Strong participation allows their news team to gauge public opinion on various topics, subsequently shaping their news coverage to reflect the interests and concerns of their community.
“People want to vote, people want to interact, so we’re giving them an opportunity to,” said Fantis. “The QR code is one of those ways where they could very easily pick up their phone and scan it and go in and vote – that also gets them to our properties on their mobile device. What’s important to us is to listen to the viewer and then serve them more.”
Anything that saves time is great for us
Beyond interactive polls, Tagboard enables Sinclair to curate and display social media content in real-time during their newscasts. This feature is particularly crucial in an era where news often breaks on social media platforms. Tagboard empowers Sinclair to seize these breaking stories swiftly and integrate them seamlessly into their broadcasts, keeping their audience informed and engaged.
Tagboard offers the speed, reliability, and flexibility that Sinclair relies on for daily live content production. The broadcast technology is built on AWS technology, utilizing services such as AWS Fargate, EC2, S3, SQS, and many more.
“We were talking earlier about taking a screenshot, creating a graphic, uploading that graphic, sizing it just right, testing it out, testing it again. Well, Tagboard has that template set where all you do is press the button, push the air, and it’s really right there for you,” said Fantis. “Tagboard is that liaison to get it there without all that hard work. Anything that saves time is great for us.”
In essence, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s collaboration with Tagboard exemplifies the modern approach to broadcasting—dynamic, interactive, and responsive to the audience’s needs. By harnessing the power of Tagboard, Sinclair not only saves time on tight deadlines but also strengthens their connection with viewers, creating a more engaging and insightful news experience across screens of all sizes.