Golden Opportunity for News Organizations to "Own" Eyeballs

I recall my parents, who were were not newspaper subscribers, buying the Sunday paper in order to get a TV guide. Those days are gone, but take a look at these stats about who is viewing, and desperately seeking a program guide, for TV shows. Surveying a group of adults who made at least one online purchase in the last six months, ChoiceStream found that more than half of these consumers who [still] watch television, are viewing it on mobiles or computers. The survey points out what I know from experience -- it takes too long to find content to watch online or on my mobile because there aren't effective guides to the what and where of online videos.

The astute local news organization ought to be able to get a clever programmer or a couple of interns to create a local TV guide, and while at it, why not take all of the clips stations are now putting on their websites and create online packages for the busy mobile viewer. Shorter than the typical 23 minutes or whatever the half-hour broadcasts are down to, cut out the anchor shots, and bundle up "Today's Sports Shorts," and "City Government at Work," or "The Downtown Discoverer" video packages that are short, composed to give someone an overview of what's going on, and last as long as a subway ride from the hip neighborhoods to downtown, perhaps about 8 minutes.

Merry Christmas and from the freezing Midwest, keep warm and be happy.