WDIV has long been a ratings behemoth in ultra-competitive Detroit, but Marla Drutz, VP and general manager, had a different goal in mind for 2017. She wanted the station's website, ClickOnDetroit.com, to be tops in the market among all news and information sites in DMA No. 13, including potent Detroit Free Press site Freep.com and MLive.com.
We think, if you're No. 1 in broadcast, you have to be No. 1 in digital, she said.
The Graham Media Group station's longtime dedication to standout breaking news has helped, as has a new executive producer of digital, and an array of fresh online initiatives. WDIV has created a pair of daily live-streaming shows, including an extension of its noon news at 12:30.
While the end of the year isn't quite here, Drutz is happy to report that the WDIV site appears poised to win the 2017 title, thanks to an average of nearly 890,000 monthly unique visitors. The fat lady hasn't sung yet, Drutz said. But we're increasingly close to hearing her voice.
Local 4 has made the online efforts pay off. Digital revenue represents more than 10% of the station's core business.
A Fruitful Pet Project
One digital venture that has taken off is All 4 Pets, where residents can share their pet stories and photos, and consume animal-related content. With a high rate of home ownership in the market, Drutz says pet ownership is similarly high, with some 75% of residents claiming a pet. Besides its web component, there have been four All 4 Pets specials on air, with another slated for Dec. 20.
It's been a great opportunity to find something that links together a large percentage of the marketplace, Drutz said.
Another is a dedicated news and information site for Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, a lively restaurant and nightlife scene and boffo business and real estate beats as well. Ann Arbor is about 40 miles west of Detroit, and part of the DMA, but very much its own market. Launching in October, All About Ann Arbor has been a little bit outside our comfort zone, Drutz conceded. But the city of 350,000 residents, has been an underserved micro-market in terms of local content, she said. One charter sponsor was on board in late November, with others poised to sign up.
All About Ann Arbor can be a model for subsequent digital destinations, Drutz believes. We can take it to other communities, she said, or other affinity groups.
Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group, said no one is more dedicated to the Detroit scene than the WDIV general manager. Marla is a local broadcaster who loves, eats and breathes everything about living in a local market, she said. She's a huge motivator to the people she works with, and she's a motivator to me.
While many toiling in local television have an eye on a network or corporate job, Drutz's heart is truly in Detroit. I don't know where the national market is on the map, she said. I know where Detroit is on the map.
WDIV was a force in the November ratings. While Fox power WJBK won mornings, WDIV had decisive wins at 5 and 6 p.m., in both households and adults 25-54, and grabbed the 11 p.m. derby with a 6.6 household rating (ahead of E.W. Scripps Co.-owned WXYZ's 4.9) and 2.5 in 25-54 (WJBK and WXYZ were both at 1.6).
The station has ventured outside its own market to cover key stories. Three WDIV news-gatherers went to Houston to help Graham sibling KPRC as the hurricane loomed. They signed on for a week, and ended up staying for 15 days. Two others went to Orlando, Fla., to help WKMG with hurricane coverage. I'm really proud that we held up our hand real high, Drutz said.
WDIV has dedicated some of its most robust coverage to the water crisis in Flint, even though it's in a different DMA. The station got a Service to America award earlier this year from the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, with its Flint coverage - including a primetime special, Capitol Hill coverage and a statewide telethon that raised $1.4 million - central to being singled out.
Through news coverage, philanthropy and community service, WDIV puts the needs of viewers first, NABEF said.
Drutz was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the trade group's highest honor. She's flattered by the recognition, but would rather share it with the WDIV staffers. Forget about personal achievements, she said. What really matters is what we do every single day.
Barr is all ears whenever Drutz comes to her with a new idea. I don't reject too many of them, said Barr, who describes Drutz as very detail-oriented and very thoughtful.
Drutz said she can't get a new idea off the ground by herself. We have people who play at the top of their game here, she said of her WDIV colleagues. They know the importance we have every single day in serving our community.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
07/05/2024
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
07/05/2024
Share this article
width=32 height=32 loading=lazy data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/facebook-purple.svg />
wid...
07/05/2024
BURBANK, Calif. The Walt Disney Company has finally delivered some from profits from its hefty streaming investments, with the second quarter of its fiscal year...
07/05/2024
Bonnie Hammer, vice chair of NBCUniversal, and Jen Psaki, MSNBC host, read from their new books at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan Wednesday, May 8. Hammer's...
07/05/2024
Paramount Plus has ordered the series Crutch, a comedy that is a spinoff of CBS comedy The Neighborhood. Tracy Morgan stars....
07/05/2024
Edward J. and Melody Thomas Scott and Lidia Bastianich will receive Lifetime Achievement honors at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards in June, the National Aca...
07/05/2024
The 2024 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony happens in New York November 12, and the honorees are Al Roker, weather and featu...
07/05/2024
Dabl Network has added The Wayans Bros., The Jamie Foxx Show, Living Single and Everybody Hates Chris to its weekday and weekend lineups. Those shows join the l...
07/05/2024
After winning a proxy fight, The Walt Disney Co. said its entertainment business turned a profit and added subscribers in its fiscal second quarter....
07/05/2024
NBA Entertainment is closing out the second season of its series Pass the Rock with a look at Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, the league's rooki...
07/05/2024
Syncbak, which provides stations with streaming capabilities, said it is rebranding as Zeam Media....
07/05/2024
Samsung has made a deal with Magnolia Pictures that will bring titles from Magnolia to the Samsung TV Plus free streaming platform....
07/05/2024
Amazon, which has added commercials to Amazon Prime Video, is rolling out new interactive ad formats that will enable advertisers to engage streamers and sell s...
07/05/2024
Syncbak, a 15 year-old provider of streaming tech for local broadcast stations has rebranded itself, adopting the name of its streaming service launched in Febr...
07/05/2024
POST Luxembourgs journey with TAG Video underscores how finding a vendor who und...
07/05/2024
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. New findings from Hub Entertainment Research provides extensive data showing that the majority of consumers will opt for lower cost ad-supporte...
07/05/2024
NEW YORK The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has announced th...
07/05/2024
CBS News has named Lindsey Reiser an anchor and correspondent for CBS News 24/7, the network's live, streaming news service. Reiser, who was most recently a...
07/05/2024
NEEDHAM, Mass. After more than two years of decline, worldwide tablet shipments posted modest year-over-year growth of 0.5% in the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24),...
07/05/2024
ESPN is reporting that April was a record-setting month as the network delivered its best April prime time audience on record, dating back more than 30 years....
07/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced that Kirsten Donaldson has joined NAB as vice president of public policy. Donaldso...
07/05/2024
The Bulls are back home again this week from May 7-12! Don't miss out on any...
07/05/2024
Home News & Press Blancco Wins 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award
Blancco Wins 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award May 07, 2024
Blancco's v...
07/05/2024
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the all-new Logic Pro for iPad 2 and Logic Pro for Mac 11, delivering breakthrough professional experiences for songw...
07/05/2024
Apple's new Privacy Manifest requirement mandates that apps explicitly disclose the privacy-related data they collect, the purposes for this collection, and...
07/05/2024
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives to shake up EuropeHaving shaken four continents, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour finally brings the biggest pop culture icon o...
07/05/2024
Isiphetho: Destiny' beats Scandal!'E.tv's latest telenovela Isiphetho: Destiny' beat the channel's longest running soapie, Scandal!' ...
07/05/2024
Now there's HELP for ex-prisoners to find work in South AfricaNew initiative for ex-prisoners to find work in South Africa proves it's never too late fo...
07/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: Cohen is pulled into keeping a secretDon't miss Tuesday, 7 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! on e.tv on DStv c...
07/05/2024
Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 6 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soapie...
06/05/2024
By Ilyse McKimmie
Now, more than ever
That's a phrase so often used in the last few years that I've come to dread seeing it in notes like this one. A...
06/05/2024
alt= class=wp-image-12099 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Blog-Exabyte-Storage-Demand-960x540-1.jpg/> Demand for storage solutions has reached unprece...
06/05/2024
Around the world, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists continue to impact mu...
06/05/2024
Spotify is making it easier for booklovers to count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until a new audiobook releases. With Countdown Pages for audioboo...
06/05/2024
Get Ready to join Dan Hong as he hits the streets in his ultimate culinary journ...
06/05/2024
In this video, cinematographer Simon Rowling welcomes viewers behind the scenes as he lights a daytime-interior scene inside a coffee shop. Shooting on Panavisi...
06/05/2024
L3Harris is well positioned to support the complex and multifaceted nature of special operations forces in all domains through our agile and responsive technolo...
06/05/2024
OAKVILLE, Ontario As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, Alert Ready, Canadas national public alerting system, will be distributing a test alert to Canadians i...
06/05/2024
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Horowitz Research has released a new study on the viewing and media habits of U.S. Hispanic/Latine audiences that shows a dramatic decline in...
06/05/2024
RE:Vision Effects Autograph 2024.4 released! 50% Off Through May 9th
Brie Clayton May 6, 2024
0 Comments
New game-changing motion graphics & VFX featu...
06/05/2024
NBC has renewed Night Court for a third season. The courtroom comedy was on the network from 1984 to 1992, and NBC rebooted it in early 2023....
06/05/2024
ABC has revealed its summer schedule. The Bachelorette gets going Monday, July 8, with Jenn Tran the star in season 21. Celebrity Family Feud starts up Tuesday,...
06/05/2024
It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...
06/05/2024
Proximic by Comscore Recognized in AdExchanger's 2024 Top 50 Programmatic Po...
06/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: Deception is rife as a man places his trust in the unfaithfu...
06/05/2024
Rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar turns NASTYA long-simmering feud between rap titans Drake and Kendrick Lamar has exploded into allegations of pedophil...
06/05/2024
The Amazonas Digital initiative will see INRED leverage SES's MEO satellites...
WDIV has long been a ratings behemoth in ultra-competitive Detroit, but Marla Drutz, VP and general manager, had a different goal in mind for 2017. She wanted the station's website, ClickOnDetroit.com, to be tops in the market among all news and information sites in DMA No. 13, including potent Detroit Free Press site Freep.com and MLive.com.
