News & Updates
News and Perspectives from Integrated Media Strategies
Video killed the radio star - and other technology shifts
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- Written by Norman Smit
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In the late 1990s, a technology change caused a massive shift in the way in which news organizations produced prime-time news. While most news organizations were shooting on the industry standard at the time - Betacam SP - and editing tape to tape to produce the nightly news, I helped usher in the digital revolution at a TV newsroom in South Africa called eNews. Although we shot on tape, the digital footage was imported to servers where it was accessible easily for viewing and editing on non-linear software. Commonplace today, the evening news, script, graphics and video was compiled and broadcast from server. Although our newscast was an hour earlier than the flagship SABC competition, our deadlines for airtime were very similar. It meant we could broadcast the same story as the competetition an hour earlier.
Server-based, nonlinear digital video was a key factor – along with a kick-ass team -- that allowed eNews to eclipse the SABC’s audience share within just a few months, overtaking their primetime evening news audience numbers.
No commentsIntegrated media biofuels public education campaign showcased
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- Written by Norman Smit
- Hits: 117
A powerful, integrated media, public education campaign I led that cost-effectively reached more than 80% of North Carolina has received a write-up by the NC Department of Commerce. It's being held up as a shining example of a ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment) energy project.
The biofuels education project was accomplished on a relatively tight budget and ran for a year. At the time, I was the Communications Director of the Biofuels Center and I was responsible for concept, budget development and management, and implementation of the campaign.
One example is embedded below.
Single point of failure connectivity for the small business
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- Written by Norman Smit
- Hits: 173
The storms that blew through yesterday with lightning that fried our company's modem and the data line from the road to our building reminded me of the old tech variant of the joke that 'real men don't do backups'. My many years as a skydiver has taught me the value of a reserve parachute and developing a plan B. What this means is examining processes for a single point of failure and then determining the cost/benefit that a failure at that point is likely to have for survival. Clearly, in skydiving, it's a really good idea.
Leaving a biofuels startup, now mature
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- Written by Norman Smit
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About 1,500 people I know received an email about my planned departure from the Biofuels Center at the end of June.
Four and a half years ago, I helped start up the organization. Earlier this year, I led the search for my replacement and provided transition support and change management assistance to the communications team and the Center. Since its startup, the Center has grown to maturity and strategic communications efforts have resulted in its being widely seen as a credible, technical and economic development agency for biofuels globally.
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