Newsroom Press Releases Hearst-Argyle Television Uses KickApps to Power Social Media Functionality
Hearst-Argyle Television Uses KickApps to Power Social Media Functionality |
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Hearst-Argyle TV Stations Add User-Generated Content Functionality to Drive 24/7 Engagement NEW YORK – March 4, 2009 – KickApps, the industry’s leading on-demand social media, video player and widget platform, today announced an agreement with Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. (NYSE: HTV) to power user-generated content and social-media functionality for the company’s nation-wide network of television-station websites. Branded ‘u local,’ the KickApps-powered features will enable local residents to engage in discussions about news topics most important to their community and upload their own photos and videos. The u local brand and platform will roll out to a total of 25 Hearst-Argyle Television websites throughout the first half of 2009. “Our newsrooms continue to evolve to accommodate 24/7 local coverage and viewer engagement,” said Jacques Natz, director of digital content for Hearst-Argyle Television. “The launch of u local is a step forward in opening up this process to Hearst-Argyle viewers. We’re excited to work with KickApps to meet the changing demands of our audiences on-air and online.” Implemented on Hearst-Argyle’s websites, the KickApps functionality leverages local television’s powerful marketing platform and brand equity to drive online engagement and community. Local residents can upload and share photos and videos on breaking news, weather, politics, school activity, and sports. User-generated content will be prevalent on the station websites, which are managed by Internet Broadcasting. Additionally, the social media platform creates incremental inventory for advertisers seeking local demographics. “Online participation through social media and user-generated content has flourished in the era of the Social Web,” said Alex Blum, CEO, KickApps. “The popularity of social media functionality shows that online audiences not only embrace it but there’s now an expectation from people to engage online in this manner. We’ve designed KickApps to help companies like Hearst-Argyle to meet this growing demand in a flexible and scalable way, and working with Hearst Argyle are able to very quickly and efficiently launch and manage any number of websites for their properties around the country.” Hearst-Argyle first launched the “u local” brand and platform at WMUR 9 in Manchester, New Hampshire (http://ulocal.wmur.com), in December 2008. An award-winning news organization known for its groundbreaking political coverage, WMUR’s u local roll-out garnered thousands of user registrations and tens of thousands of content submissions from users in its first week live. Hearst-Argyle will launch u local iteratively at its remaining stations over the ensuing months. Built within the framework of Hearst-Argyle’s existing websites, u local is designed and developed in collaboration with Hearst-Argyle Television Digital Media, Internet Broadcasting, and KickApps.
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