Columnist Dianne Mermigas, whose insight has been a staple for TV execs for years, has written a blog post that examines the challenges facing local TV going into 2009. Beyond many of the numbers we’ve already reported here — and the usual trepidation about whether the networks will phase out the affiliate model (they say they won’t because local TV still drives high margins) — she offers this advice:
“(Finding new digital revenue) means reaching beyond cash retrans fees from cable and telco operators to linking their local franchise brands with consumer electronics manufacturers like Apple, GPS operators, wireless mobile telephone and PDA manufacturers (like RIMM). It also means leveraging their position with Google and other Internet players seeking to capitalize on selling their available ad inventory and launching new Wi-Fi services using unlicensed “white space” between their channels.”
Of course, none of these (at least initially) are likely to offset legacy revenue declines, but the point is that local TV needs to free its content beyonds its walls and explore technology partnerships that once were considered taboo.