When Dateline first launched on NBC News back in 1992, it was unclear whether this TV news magazine would fail after so many other NBC attempts had tanked. Now in it’s 20th season, the network is launching “Dateline Chatline,” a major social TV initiative aimed at merging “all viewer discussion surrounding Dateline into one easy-to-access, user-friendly online site.” NBC News and Supervising Producer of Digital Media for NBC Primetime News Anthony Galloway spoke to Lost Remote exclusively about the big launch.
On the linear side of the game, Dateline continues to lead the 9 p.m. slot on Friday nights. With the Olympics around the corner, NBC News in a great position to launch a brand new social TV initiative with the goal of making their broadcast more interactive. Chatline, a web app that will be accessible on all platforms, including tablets, will bring together their social communities on Facebook, Twitter, GetGlue (you’ll be able to check-in, in app) and DatelineNBC.com. Viewers will also be able to interact with anchor, Lester Holt and correspondents Chris Hansen, Hoda Kotb, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy.
Echo, one of the developers of the app also worked on WWE’s brand new social site. Chatline continues an important trend of TV sites becoming the second screen. USA Network has Character Chatter, HBO has Connect, as does CBS and Oxygen. No longer can a TV network’s website sit still as the social web rattles on. Here are further details from Galloway on Dateline Chatline.
Lost Remote: How does the web app work? Who built it?
Anthony Galloway: Chatline brings together all of the platforms that Dateline viewers use each week to communicate during the show. The web app takes Dateline-related activity on Twitter and Facebook and brings it together on one site, creating a two-screen experience that viewers can use to easily follow and join in on the conversation while watching our mysteries and investigations. Chatline also allows viewers to chat with our anchor and correspondents during the show and to check in on GetGlue for exclusive stickers every week. The web app was built by Echo and BLT, working with NBC’s digital media director Ryan Osborn, director of technology John Keegan and marketing brand manager Naomi Goldstein.
LR: How is this making Dateline more social?
Galloway: We estimate that 75-percent of Dateline’s social activity takes place while the show is on the air, as viewers follow along and comment, turning into armchair detectives of sorts during our Friday night mysteries and sharing personal experiences and observations during our investigations and special ‘America Now’ reports. Last Sunday’s ‘America Now’ special about the new suburban poor had so much activity that Dateline was the #2 most social show that night according to Trendrr. As our social presence has grown, we started hearing from viewers that they wanted a way to engage during the show without flipping between websites or hitting refresh on Facebook to see the latest comments. What we’ve created is a place where, in one stream, on one site, viewers can Tweet, Facebook, check-in and even answer live polls about the show they’re watching. The web app can be used on a computer, tablet and we’ve just finished developing a streamlined version for mobile. This means no matter what technology you’re using to ‘Dateline,’ there’s an easy way to follow along and participate.
LR: What are the key features? Social features?
Galloway: Chatline not only brings together all of Dateline’s social activity in one stream, there’s a separate tab for our diehard Facebook fans, as well as a tab to easily follow our anchor and correspondents. There’s a one-click button to check in GetGlue, as well as a live poll for viewers to participate by answering questions that relate to the story they’re seeing on-screen. We’ve included a leaderboard to spotlight the most socially-active Dateline fans and will be featuring the most creative and fun tweets on Chatline throughout the week.
LR: Anything else?
Galloway: We hope this is just the beginning of the social conversation with our viewers. Our plan is to be able to integrate social content from Chatline into our on-air broadcasts when it makes sense and also use what we learn from viewers as a starting point for new Dateline stories. One example is the ‘America Now’ series. We recently aired two hours of stories about the economy reported by Lester Holt and each time viewers have shared their own stories of economic hardship with us online. This allows us to hear directly from viewers about the types of topics we might look into in the future.
We’ve also used Facebook to give viewers the chance to pick their favorite Dateline mystery, which we aired as a special ‘Facebook Favorite’ edition of Dateline. Using Chatline’s poll function, we could expand on this idea and open it up to viewers using this new social web app. So the app is just the beginning and, as we take full advantage of it, we really see it allowing our audience to become part of Dateline’s production process.