TitanTV is a former software solutions company for the broadcast industry that has become a media company, offering a variety of content on a Web player that can be used by broadcasters to augment their own content. Broadcasters will sell advertising for the content and split the revenue with Titan. Local TV stations have been slow to develop their sites and generate ad revenue from them and Titan’s effort seeks to change that. Keith Cutler, Titan’s senior VP of sales & business development, discusses Titan’s new model and the advertising opportunity it provides.
iSPOT: Can you provide background on TitanTV?
Cutler: The company’s been around for 12 or 13 years. It started off as a software solutions company servicing the broadcast industry. We found and identified many needs in the local broadcast community related to their programming and the transition to digital. We’re known for our electronic programming guides so if you go to a station’s website, you’ll see linear program guides, that was our legacy. Last summer we transformed ourselves into a media company. We opened a New York office last spring and evolved into a media company that uses our legacy products as a foot in the door to local broadcasters to create an online syndication model for them in addressing the broadband world.
iSPOT: You offer a mix of original and syndicated content?
Cutler: With broadcasters developing heavy video sites and selling advertising we launched a full function robust video player that is a conduit for content. They can bolster their own content with original content we create and produce, including an environmental green channel, movie reviews with a show we call RevYOU, a comedy channel that is still in development and more. There is also syndicated programming in two forms–regular half hour programs like Jury Duty and Animal Rescue and third party content that is more vertical in nature on strategic topics that are of interest to local markets, such as the legal community, health, food, entertainment, home improvement, parenting and high school sports. We’re offering the content not just to TV broadcasters but also local radio stations and newspapers, because they all have local websites.
iSPOT: Once a company works with you, how does the content play on their sites?
Cutler: On a special player, which can be embedded on any site. It features a simple content management system that’s very easy to upload videos. Each station gets the tools and can manage the content. They get all the content and can pick and choose what they want, content from other media affiliates, our content and the syndicated third party content. They can take it all or some of it.
iSPOT: How can individual stations make the content appear to be their own local content?
Cutler: They can play what they think is of interest to their viewers and they will sell local ads.
iSPOT: And they still have their original content on the site?
Cutler: Absolutely.
iSPOT: How many stations are using it?
Cutler: We have 26 total affiliates, 16 are stations and the others are content providers, such as Getlegaltv which is running its own video and showing some other content.
iSPOT: How is advertising being sold?
Cutler: Local stations sell it. Our success is rooted in local stations monetizing their own site because that’s where the revenue share comes into play. We don’t charge them for it up front, their back end charge is a revenue share on the advertising they sell. They commit to selling advertising and we agree on a fixed price they sell it for and we share the revenue with them.
iSPOT: What kinds of ads will they play?
Cutler: Standard 15 to 30 second pre-roll ads. I recommend 15 second pre-rolls if they can run a companion static ad along with it. That’s the ideal situation. Some may want :30s because that’s all their clients have. We don’t tell them what to do, but we can accommodate either one.
iSPOT: What kind of advertisers use it?
Cutler: Standard local advertisers, three or four categories have made a good commitment to running local online video–car dealers, retailers and financial services.
iSPOT: Local stations have had trouble selling advertising with their own content so if they have your additional content it will make it easier for them.
Cutler: Yes, and we’re also hoping that our content will bring more viewers to the sites more often so we’ll build ad inventory by building eyeballs. Right now unless it snows what’s the reason to go to a local site? People always say why would they go to the websites unless it has some robust content, which gives them a reason to go. We look at it as an opportunity to support local broadcasters. Then we said why only do it for broadcasters, so we’re making it available to radio and newspapers to get the additional content and player and share the ad revenue.
iSPOT: Do you create the original content?
Cutler: Yes, we create it in-house in a small studio. It’s as professionally done as anything out there, the content speaks for itself. The barriers are broken down in the video world now, all it takes is a green screen and a couple of creative producers and we can put together anything.
iSPOT: You said you have 26 affiliates, so you’ve just started?
Cutler: We’ve been doing it for two months. The NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) show was our coming out party. We met with station groups that represent over 100 stations last week and we’ll follow up with them.
iSPOT: Do you have a goal for the number of stations you’ll sign up?
Cutler: Sure, I just don’t know if I want share it with you in print, but I appreciate the question.
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