WDIV

How WDIV Detroit’s investigation into an underwater oil pipeline became a broadcasting and digital event is the result of quality content delivered where people want to be served.

Graham Media’s WDIV launched a Help Desk to provide answers to every one of viewers’ questions. “It has been wildly successful so far,” says Stephanie Slagle, the company’s VP and chief innovation officer.

Devin Scillian, a news anchor on WDIV in Detroit, shared how misinformation was being posted on various social media sites, and the station was being “so pushed and prodded to share disinformation.”

WDIV, Graham Media’s NBC affiliate in Detroit, saw that a story on its website about an upcoming bridge opening got tremendous engagement. The station doubled down and sent a crew of three people four hours away to make it a promotable event for its broadcast viewers.

Try to imagine the beginning of television. Images and sound floating through the air to land inside a little box in your living room. It must have appeared magical. Going 4 It, is a nostalgic retrospective revealing the inside story of the rise of WDIV Detroit.

Local TV station news organizations are stepping up to provide coverage on many of the tangled issues this year when it comes to ‘back to school’. How is your station covering ‘back to school’? Send me your examples and any promotion for your coverage.

“We wanted to further our Juneteenth efforts this year by creating opportunities for learning and outreach that support the cause of combatting injustice and racism,” says Emily Barr, Graham Media’s president.

Ken Haddad says he began the “Vaccine Hunter” project when he noticed a huge influx of emails and viewer feedback to the Graham Media NBC affiliate from people having trouble finding vaccines. “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to offer life-saving information to our viewers,” he says.

WDIV, Graham Media’s NBC affiliate in Detroit, was named “Station of the Year” for the seventh year in a row by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

Consistent branding that resonated with viewers, effective synergy between broadcast and digital and a simple, free marketing tool helped WDIV have a 2020 to remember.