There鈥檚 no escaping it: 2024 has been a difficult year across the media and technology sectors. Rounds of 鈥渞eduction in force鈥� actions have impacted some of the most notable names in the business: ABC News, Hulu, Paramount, Disney and E.W. Scripps, to name but a few.
On the other hand, smaller teams still face the challenge of producing and distributing increasing amounts of content across a growing variety of formats and channels. Broadcasters, like other media organizations, must balance this demand with the need to invest in the right technologies that can deliver efficient, revenue-generating results.
The mantra to 鈥渄o more with less鈥� is certainly not new. Indeed, the latest wave of pressure to transform and stay ahead has been building since the COVID-19 pandemic 鈥� if not before.
The global lockdowns caused by the pandemic significantly accelerated the need for digital transformation, as audiences confined to their homes turned to media and information across multiple platforms. While the shift toward digital was already underway in the media and broadcasting sectors, the crisis amplified both the urgency and the opportunities for change.
Brightspot improved the quality of life for our editorial team, who can now manage sites, collaborate, and publish experiences faster and more seamlessly than ever to meet the demands of our audience. It also empowered our development team, giving them total control over the look and feel of our platform.
In fact, the pressure to transform is something legacy broadcasters have been grappling with since the advent of digital. Business models have needed to adapt from linear, 鈥渁ppointment TV鈥� via broadcast and cable networks to a fragmented, asynchronous landscape of streaming platforms.
Now, consider that younger audiences are increasingly consuming content through social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Broadcasters not only need to tap into these channels to capture viewers and generate ad impressions, but they must also adapt to formats that differ greatly from traditional TV shows or news broadcasts.
Looking ahead, broadcast media organizations are grappling with many of the same macroeconomic challenges. They must manage the rising costs of complex and evolving operations, find solutions that enable teams to produce and distribute diverse content quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, and generate revenue from both new and existing network content.
It鈥檚 a challenging landscape, but at Brightspot, we鈥檝e successfully navigated digital transformation before. We have the tools and expertise to support the evolving needs of the next generation of broadcasters.
Playbook step 1: Establish a content platform that can scale and extend
As we鈥檝e mentioned, the CMSs designed to support broadcasters during the first wave of digital transformation are no longer keeping up with the demands of new formats and delivery channels.
Consider a nationwide broadcast network like E.W. Scripps. With a portfolio of over 60 television stations across dozens of local markets in the U.S., Scripps has a significant local media footprint that continues to expand through new acquisitions and market entries. In an industry where competition for audience engagement and advertising revenue is intense, network consolidation and growth have become a constant reality for broadcasters.
Brightspot is the piece of software sitting between every system we have. It is the digital brain of Univision.
Consolidation also surfaces challenges as the legacy systems of new acquisitions come into play. Technical complexity may require multiple content platforms to function separately but co-exist within the same tech stack. In this case, platform adaptability is key.
The content infrastructure to support such organizational evolution must be flexible and extensible at its core.
Chicago Public Media鈥檚 CMS implementation with Brightspot 鈥� supporting the Chicago Sun-Times, NPR station WBEZ.org and urban alternative music station Vocalo 鈥� is one such example of a content platform built to extend across uses.
Supporting WBEZ鈥檚 programming with show pages, podcasts and streaming audio, the radio station also benefits from being able to share content to its sister site, 鈥� and vice versa. This approach not only delivers significant cost savings but also effectively meets the audience needs of both the radio station and the newspaper with best-in-class content.
Playbook step 2: Give content teams the workflow tools and automation to handle large volumes of content at scale
Here are the key elements of digital transformation in broadcasting: Whether for major networks or local newsrooms, a modern broadcast CMS must provide time-strapped reporters, editors and producers with the tools they need to reach audiences quickly and effectively. Media organizations must decide whether to build in-house solutions or partner with enterprise-grade systems. Building internally can lead to ongoing costs for maintenance and development, often for capabilities that are already offered by commercial platforms 鈥� resulting in frequent cost re-evaluations.
Our editorial team can produce 2x the amount of content now that we have Brightspot.
To support real-time, uninterrupted programming, today鈥檚 broadcast CMS should centralize operations, streamlining organization, collaboration and content distribution for 24/7 news cycles, live events and multimedia content like podcasts and live streams.
The ideal CMS will handle high content volumes and complex demands without requiring intensive technical team support and last-minute risky development deployments. Workflow automation and collaboration tools can streamline content creation, approval and publishing, enabling teams to focus more on producing high-quality programming with greater efficiency.
In a landscape where personalization is increasingly crucial, the CMS must meet the challenge of delivering localized, multi-platform content tailored to diverse audiences. The same story elements, such as those from a national report, need to be repackaged to fit different formats, appeal to various audiences and suit multiple channels, all while highlighting the local angle.
Generative AI is emerging as a powerful tool to support content creation, ideation, automation, personalization and segmentation. This is especially valuable as teams are tasked with managing more channels while working with fewer resources. However, it's crucial to have a CMS where AI is seamlessly integrated, tracked and used to complement and enhance the editorial team's workflow, rather than replace it.
Beyond a core set of essential newsroom capabilities, resource-constrained editorial teams need a publishing platform that is both intuitive and easy to use. This includes the ability to seamlessly integrate essential assets from sources like external media libraries and Digital Asset Managers, ensuring teams can efficiently complete stories across multiple media formats. It also means building out content that is modular and reusable for different formats like web, email or social assets.
Finally, efficient distribution is essential to maximizing the impact of reporting efforts. By sharing content across a network of sites or local newsrooms 鈥� such as those at Univision, E.W. Scripps or NPR 鈥� broadcast organizations can extend their reach and achieve a better return on investment, all while making the most of limited resources.
Real-world examples are abundant across the work of our broadcasting customers: for example, the news announcement unveiling the statue of a legendary Kentucky singer-songwriter was shared across homepages and section fronts for regional radio stations; or, national and local public-radio news desks can quickly collaborate 鈥� and pool resources 鈥� in the event of breaking news stories with nationwide significance such as a mass shooting or emerging natural disaster like a hurricane.
Playbook step 3: Content distribution across every step of the content lifecycle
As we鈥檝e seen, the business model is shifting away from the linear delivery formats of old as audiences are moving from TV and cable to subscription-only (SVOD), tiered ad supported (AVOD), free ad supported (FAST) and other streaming platforms and monetization business models. This shift, coupled with a growing number of fragmented services, has made ad planning and campaign management more complex than ever.
Podcasting is one such example. projected that the number of people globally listening to podcasts would exceed 500 million by 2024. In the U.S. alone, 42% of people ages 12 and older reported listening to podcasts monthly, up from 32% five years ago. With this growth, ad revenue in podcasting has soared, surpassing $2 billion in 2022, with expectations to reach $4 billion by 2024.
For broadcasters, this dynamic market demands a competitive presence across a growing ecosystem of platforms, requiring them to innovate and engage audiences wherever they are.
Distribution is a key factor in today鈥檚 broadcasting landscape. Content platforms like Brightspot have evolved to support the revenue needs of major broadcasters such as Univision and NBC Sports. With a flexible, API-first architecture, Brightspot enables rapid, real-time publishing for live global events like the Olympics or PGA Championship, while also facilitating seamless distribution across mobile apps, websites, social media and OTT platforms.
Structured content, managed and fed through a CMS like Brightspot, plays a crucial role in enabling effective distribution and monetization, ensuring that content reaches audiences wherever they are, while also driving revenue.
Take SBS Australia, for example. The hybrid-funded public broadcaster uses Brightspot鈥檚 multisite content-management capabilities to organize and present its content across a wide variety of formats and languages. With support for 70 languages 鈥� including Cantonese, Greek, Hmong and Somali 鈥� SBS is able to engage its diverse audience more effectively. Brightspot's flexible roles and permissions system makes it easy to manage translations by program, brand and language. This streamlined workflow helps SBS not only serve multicultural communities but also generate significant revenue through advertising, all while staying aligned with its mission to promote cultural diversity across the country.
Without the adaptable content modeling and distribution capabilities of a platform like Brightspot, effectively monetizing content becomes a non-starter. Take shows like Friends or Frasier, for example 鈥� programs that continue to enjoy renewed relevance and value long after their original airings. Beyond the immediate impact of breaking news, trending information and fresh entertainment, the true value of a broadcaster鈥檚 archive catalog lies in its ability to be leveraged and monetized through a flexible digital platform, unlocking untapped potential without limitations.
Running the playbook: Balancing cost and complexity in the digital transformation journey
Implementing a new CMS and overhauling existing digital infrastructures can be a significant investment, both financially and in terms of the time and effort required for a successful transition. For broadcasters, especially in an environment of shrinking budgets and limited resources, the idea of adopting a new platform can feel overwhelming. The challenges of migrating content, training teams and ensuring operational continuity only add to the uncertainty.
However, the cost of inaction is far greater. Sticking with outdated, inefficient systems means slower content production, missed revenue opportunities and the inability to compete in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The return on investment from adopting the right CMS platform becomes clear when you factor in the long-term efficiencies gained through better publishing workflows and tools that equip content teams to produce faster, more impactful outcomes.
Breaking down costs and complexity: The long-term view
The real cost of doing nothing
In today鈥檚 competitive broadcasting space, maintaining legacy systems can be more expensive in the long run than investing in modern technology. Inefficiencies lead to lost opportunities, reduced audience engagement and ultimately lower revenue. A well-executed digital transformation plan, while involving initial costs, sets broadcasters up for future growth, resilience and flexibility in a world where agility is key.
