1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast where 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: we talk with some of the brightest minds working in 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: media today. I'm Andrew Wallenstein with Variety. What if I 4 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: told you there was an all news network that actually 5 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: wasn't leaning to the political left or right. It sounds 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: like something that doesn't exist in our polarized Fox News, 7 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: MSNBC world, and yet CBS has been streaming such a 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: network for nearly five years, and it's overseen by my 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: next guest, Christy Tanner, Executive VP of CBS News Digital. 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for coming in, Christie. So let's start with the 11 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 1: basics and just first explain what CBS N is. For 12 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: those who aren't familiar. CBS N is a live, twenty 13 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: four hour streaming news service. It's available on more than 14 00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: twenty different devices, services, and platforms. We are taking the 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: best of CBS News, combining it with live coverage of 16 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: breaking news, and putting out a new type of news 17 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: programming that is resonating with viewers. Are media age is 18 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: thirty seven. I'm sure that's far younger than any TV 19 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: network these days. It's it's about two or three decades 20 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: younger than broadcast in cable news programming traditionally, and that's 21 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: kind of the whole point here, right, I mean, CBS 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: could certainly be doing lots of things beyond what it 23 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: does on its air, from the evening news or local 24 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: you're trying to get a different audience. Well, we we 25 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: realized five years ago when we invested in CBSN that 26 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: audience audience needs were changing. And this is I would say, UM, 27 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: this is an attempt to reach audiences wherever they are, 28 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: whatever they're doing, UM, to allow them to always be 29 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: able to reach the quality and trust of the news 30 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: programming that they associate with CBS News. At the same time, 31 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: we do things differently than broadcast and cable news programmers 32 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: do it. So, as you mentioned in your intro, uh, 33 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: we are all about facts. We are not about opinion. 34 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: We are taking people on deep dives into subject matter 35 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: that traditional news programmers might think the audience might not 36 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: have an appetite for. So we do topics such as 37 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: climate change in depth, and we have been doing it 38 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: for years, and it turns out that the audience is 39 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: very aware of what a CEO two level is and 40 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: what that means. So when we do our climate coverage, 41 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 1: it's not just pictures of polar bears floating away on icebergs. 42 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: It is how does climate change relate to your daily life, 43 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: to the extreme weather patterns that we're seeing, to social 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: and cultural issues in the US and around the world. 45 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: And what we have found is there is there's an 46 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: audience who is really hungry for that type of deep 47 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: dive into these important topics. Yeah. I mean it's such 48 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: a different road than we're seeing Fox News and what's 49 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: going on on linear television. Uh, what do you see 50 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: in terms of like the potential audience there, because these 51 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: days I'm tempted to think fifty percent of the audience 52 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: is Republican, fifty percent is is liberal, and there is 53 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: no zero percent. But you're saying quite the opposite. I 54 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: would say my point of view, and uh, this is 55 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: a point of view that is supported by research, is 56 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: that the the middle is much bigger than people think. Um, 57 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: the percentage of the US population that is not polarized 58 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: is much bigger than one would think if all you 59 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: did was listened to the media coverage of itself. And 60 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: I think that the narrative about news has become somewhat 61 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: skewed because we have very loud voices on the polarized 62 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: left and the polarized right. In the middle, we have 63 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: people who are identify as independence, who identify as moderate, 64 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: either moderate Republicans or moderate Democrats. We have people who 65 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: simply don't vote but are not polarized. And when you 66 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: add up all of those uh constituencies together, there's an 67 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: enormous mass market audience for news that is about fact 68 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: and not opinion. And that is what CBSN is tapping into. 69 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: Which isn't to say CBSN is politics all day. I mean, 70 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: I assume a lot of the breaking news that you're 71 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: covering is not. That we are not at all politics 72 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: all day. We have a daily politics show at five o'clock. 73 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: It's called Red and Blue. It's hosted by Lane Kahano, 74 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: who was the first Asian American journalist to Hosan Ho 75 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: to national debate. She was also the first digital only 76 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: journalist to host a national debate in two thousand sixteen. Uh. 77 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: She's an expert. She covered d C as a Washington 78 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: correspondent for years. That's our daily look at politics. But 79 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: that said, you will not find shouting panels at each other. 80 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: You you will also see us tap into local experts. 81 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: So during the mid terms, every time there was a 82 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: mid term primary, um or a local race that we 83 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: thought was important and would resonate, we were tapping into 84 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: our local CBS affiliates. We were tapping into local experts 85 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: and reporters who were able to illuminate what was really 86 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: going on in those communities. And and that is that's 87 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: an effort that we started. We call it Local Matters. 88 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: We started it after the last election when UM we 89 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: we found that this approach is really resonating with our audience. 90 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: But U asked about whether we do politics all the time? Uh. 91 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 1: We We have found that the audience is interested in 92 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: UH and eclectic mix and a variety of stories. We 93 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: see politics being table stakes. But as mentioned, people want 94 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: more coverage of climate because they feel it's not being 95 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: covered well elsewhere. They want more coverage of privacy and 96 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: technology because again it's viewed, I think by some other 97 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: outlets is too complicated for people to understand. We don't 98 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: see that at all. People really get it and they 99 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: want to know more about it. And so we have 100 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: now developed an expertise and reporting on those two topics 101 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: in particular. But I just bumped into somebody here on 102 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 1: the way to the podcast. Who told me he was 103 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: watching us when Notre Dame was burning, and he knows 104 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: that when there's something breaking, whether it's globally or domestic, 105 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: we're going to be up with it first. When the 106 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: New Zealand massacre happened, it was in the our time, 107 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: it was the evening on a Friday night. It was 108 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: around ten o'clock on a Friday night that we were 109 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: uplive with it and nobody else was. So our ability 110 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: to go live quickly, to tap into our network of 111 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: resources in the US and around the world, is enabling 112 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: us to deliver the public service of journalism that people 113 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: have associated with CBS News for decades, and I think 114 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: it's having the CBS brand is got to be a 115 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: tremendous advantage. I'm curious, are you getting promotional help on air? 116 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: Are they talking about CBSN on you know, the morning 117 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: show or the evening news. What's been great is that 118 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: we really have a team effort between the broadcast operation 119 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: and our digital operation, so we really do work together 120 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: on the big stories. So whether that's Gail King having 121 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: an exclusive with r Kelly or in the case of 122 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: digital breaking something we will we me break something in 123 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: digital first and see it move over to the broadcast shows. 124 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: So most recently we've broken a number of stories on 125 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: migrant detention centers. UM. John Kelly being on the board 126 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: of a company that UM that oversees migrreant detention centers 127 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: was broken by our digital team first and then ran 128 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: on the broadcast shows. So the way that we look 129 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: at it UM within CBS News is that CBS News 130 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: is a twenty four hour brand. Now we are looking 131 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: to do what's best for the the audience UM in 132 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: terms of the timing of where and when we break things. So, 133 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: and here's a descentively simple question, how do people find you? 134 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: I mean, yes, you are on lots of different platforms, UM, 135 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: but discover ability is such an issue for so many 136 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: different programmers given just the sheer volume of stuff out there, 137 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: especially in news. CBS and has a Truman this advantage 138 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: in that we started doing this five years ago, so 139 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: we have a what is now a thick playbook of 140 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: tactics for reaching the audience and letting them know how 141 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: to find us. It could be through mobile push notifications 142 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: on your phone, which would drive you right into our 143 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: mobile app. It could be working with our partners, and 144 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: it's everybody from Amazon to Apple, to Hulu to um 145 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 1: to Roku video Sam Sung to let them know when 146 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: we have a big story coming up. So you know 147 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: I mentioned the r. Kelly story, things like the Mueller 148 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: hearings or the Bar hearings. We're able to work with 149 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: them on stories that are on our editorial calendar to say, hey, 150 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: you should let your audience know that we're going to 151 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: be covering this on this day, and we have a 152 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: great playbook for that. At this point, I would also 153 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: say some very what are now tradition I tried in 154 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: true digital tactics. Every story also has a text version, 155 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: and so when you google a term, we have very 156 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: good s e O that will drive you straight into 157 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: that story. Every every little bit helps. What's also interesting 158 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: for you guys is now you're starting to splinter into 159 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: local editions. You had something in New York that started 160 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 1: some months ago, and Los Angeles wasn't just this week. 161 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: What's the strategy there? Well, among other things, we saw 162 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: how much our local coverage during the mid terms are 163 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: local matters, um deep dives into those areas. We saw 164 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: how much that resonated with the audience audiences trust their 165 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: local news providers, and we had the technology platform in 166 00:10:55,280 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: CBS N and we had the editorial playbook together at 167 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: this point that enabled us to spin up and roll 168 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: out CBS and New York and CBS in Los Angeles 169 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: relatively easily, and we have more versions planned. What I 170 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: would say is we look at it as a a 171 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: network or family of live streams. We also last year 172 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: rolled out UM Entertainment Tonight, which is called ET Live, 173 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: and CBS Sports rolled out Sports h Q, which also 174 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: are live streams. Right now, you can navigate among all 175 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: of those live streams on our various CBS properties, and 176 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: we're working on some UI changes to make it even 177 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: easier to discover all of these different live streams that 178 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: that we've that we've rolled out now. These are all 179 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: free products, right everything I just mentioned CBSN, CBS N 180 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, CBS SO New York, Sports HQ, and e 181 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: T Live are free and ad supported. I would say, 182 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: the other, you know, strategic reason for rolling them out 183 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: is that we're seeing tremendous demand for UH inventory for 184 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: advertisers in O T T and so the fact that 185 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: we have this great UH technology center of excellence in 186 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: CBS interactive and a team work ethic has made this possible. 187 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: And what is it like in terms of playing in 188 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: this sort of O T T advertising world, especially when 189 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: you know measurement isn't quite what it is what it 190 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: should be given. You know, at the end of the day, 191 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: you've got to tell advertisers how many people you're reaching, 192 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: and I don't know if third party capabilities are there. Well, 193 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: we're fortunate being CBS that are advertisers trust us to 194 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: deliver what we say we can deliver in O T T. 195 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,559 Speaker 1: For some upstarts it may be more difficult to sell 196 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: their TT inventory because there there is a lack of 197 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: third party measurement. The way that it really hurts us 198 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: is that we have a very good sense that CBS 199 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: N is the number one streaming news source, but we 200 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: can't prove it because there's no third party measurement right now. Well, 201 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: speaking of which you know numbers are the in terms 202 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: of measuring audience, makes you think about competition. What is 203 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: your competition out there? I mean, I know what CBS is. 204 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: Competition is on television, but maybe it's a different group online. 205 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that there's a head to head competitor 206 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: and streaming news right now, it would be very difficult 207 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: to compete with us launching today, given that we are 208 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: distributed in twenty different devices, service and services and platforms. Uh. 209 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 1: It would also be difficult to compete with us in 210 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: that we don't require authentication because we don't have uh 211 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: cable distribution relationships to protect. So when I think about competition, 212 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 1: it is it's something more uh broad just general competition 213 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,599 Speaker 1: for news eyeballs. When it comes to streaming video, we 214 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: we feel that there isn't a head to head competitor 215 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: at the moment. And you know, obviously you hear the 216 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: pejorative term fake news. It does seem like online there 217 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: are tremendous issues right now in terms of credibility and trust. 218 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: UH does that give CBS a big advantage given you know, 219 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: the brand is really all about trust built over many decades. 220 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: I think you said at best, the CBS brand is 221 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: associated strongly with trust in consumers minds, and it is 222 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: up to us to deliver on that every day. And 223 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: it's something that we think about when we hire people, 224 00:14:55,320 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: when we're putting together our programming plans. We I think 225 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: it's very important to maintain that trust with viewers, and 226 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: our whole our whole strategy is to take that trust, 227 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: take that uh legacy of news gathering excellence, and deliver 228 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: it and introduce it to new audiences wherever they are. So, 229 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: whether that's a Gen Z or millennial viewer, and we 230 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: do have them to get to a medium age of 231 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: thirty seven, you naturally have to have viewers in those categories, 232 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: or whether you're eight five and decided to cut the cord. 233 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: We're here to deliver on that for you, um and 234 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: and to not make it any sort of a question 235 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: in your mind about whether you can trust this news source. 236 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: Got it? And so for cbs N, I mean, yes, 237 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: it's on seven, but it's obviously not live seven. You 238 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: mentioned a few programs. What you know, what is sort 239 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: of the thrust of your programming plans for CBSN. Is 240 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: it about setting up more appointment shows? Is about just 241 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: you know that, breaking live stream, getting that going as 242 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: much as possible. Well, I think the streaming audience inherently 243 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: expects to find news on demand, and so we have 244 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: focused less on programming specific shows to specific times than 245 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: you would find in cable or broadcast. That said, we 246 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: have two daily branded shows right now. One is called 247 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: cbs N a m that's on at seven am. Um 248 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: at eight am. Actually we do a version of CBS 249 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: This Morning that you would have seen on broadcast. It 250 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: runs on CBSN. On the weekends, we run Face the 251 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: Nation and Sunday Morning and the Saturday Morning Show at 252 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: five o'clock. Every weekday, we have a show called Red 253 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: and Blue that I mentioned is hosted by a Lane Kihano. 254 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: Beyond that, we haven't really branded hours as you would 255 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,959 Speaker 1: um in more traditional news programming. We have found that 256 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: the audience expects to be able to come into the 257 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: stream and find the latest, most current news. It depends 258 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: on the day. Some days we are live much longer 259 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: than others. I would say on average we are live 260 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,199 Speaker 1: at least eight hours a day, and some days wor 261 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: will be live, you know, up to eighteen hours, depending 262 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: on what's breaking and what the what the news is. So, 263 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: in terms of the infrastructure, let's say a CNN has 264 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,640 Speaker 1: to be a news gathering operation seven monitoring the globe. 265 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: You know, I assume you're not quite at that level, 266 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: but it's also not you know, you know, one guy 267 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: at the controls either well, we're able to tap into 268 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: the CBS News uh uh programming resources wherever they sit. 269 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: So whether that's a local affiliate in Nashville, Tennessee, or 270 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: one of our own and operated stations in l A 271 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,120 Speaker 1: or New York or Baltimore, we're able to tap into 272 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:15,679 Speaker 1: those resources. We also have global bureaus and global correspondence, 273 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: so Asia, Europe, Africa, we have people who are stationed 274 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: there that we're able to tap into. We also have 275 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: some partnerships, have a partnership with the BBC, we have 276 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: a partnership with Network ten in Australia. So we have 277 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: not found ourselves unable to cover any story globally at 278 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: this point. CBS and as they mentioned, we were able 279 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: to tap into the New Zealand very immediately. We're able 280 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:51,199 Speaker 1: to cover almost any extreme weather incident in the United 281 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: States or Puerto Rico without trouble. So I think are 282 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,080 Speaker 1: our breaking news coverage is on par with with an 283 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: end or anybody else who would be providing global breaking 284 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: news coverage. So whether you're in Baltimore or in Paris, 285 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: if you're working at CBS News, CBSN is something you 286 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: have to service just as much, say the morning show 287 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: or evening news or I don't know, sixty minutes exactly. 288 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,239 Speaker 1: Though I would not frame it as as you have 289 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: to service it. I I would frame it as you 290 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: have the opportunity to reach audiences any any time, day 291 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: or night with our excellent news gathering, and we're no 292 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: longer time constrained by the evening news or the morning 293 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: show when it comes to breaking news. And that's that 294 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 1: was a really really solid strategy on the part of 295 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:49,399 Speaker 1: CBS five years ago to launch this streaming network. And 296 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: I would imagine also what it gives you the opportunity 297 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: is to season the on air talent, you know, whereas 298 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: in the past they might have had to have sort 299 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: of wait for their moment, and here they're logging kind 300 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 1: of like a lot of airtime and becoming better journalists 301 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 1: for it. Well, it's funny, Andy, I would say, we're 302 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: we're in an era when there's no distinction between a 303 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:22,719 Speaker 1: broadcast journalist and a digital journalist. And we have a 304 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: team that seamlessly moves back and forth between the broadcast 305 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: shows and the digital entity of cbsn IT. But you know, 306 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:38,159 Speaker 1: everybody globally contributes to it, some more than others. Um 307 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: those who have contributed more are well known and recognized, 308 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: in some cases more so than those who are unbroadcast. Wow, 309 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: that's really saying depending where you are and what you're doing, 310 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: so it really depends on the audience. But in the marketplace, 311 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: but I have heard from some of our journalists that, uh, 312 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: they were they were appearing on a broadcast show for 313 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: quite some time and rarely got recognized, and then they 314 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: started appearing regularly on CBSN and all of a sudden, Uh, 315 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: people were coming up to them in the farmers market. 316 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: So you know, there may be some demographic and geographic 317 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 1: elements to that, but it's it's really interesting we don't 318 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: see a distinction between the level of talent or the 319 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: level of journalistic excellence between broadcasts and digital. Yeah, I 320 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: think I kind of come to that question of with 321 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: some old time or bias. Uh. I remember going back 322 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 1: ten fifteen years where it just seemed like there was 323 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,399 Speaker 1: this endless question of why doesn't CBS have a twenty 324 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: four our network like MSNBC or and to be employing 325 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: this model in this day and age, it's you almost 326 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: have to wonder why, you know, the CNN's of the 327 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: world aren't well I guess they would argue that they're 328 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: just as much digital, but I guess the fact that 329 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: they don't have sort of a two seven stream unless 330 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: you're authenticating. Uh, it just kind of it's just interesting 331 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: that the market is sort of played out this way. 332 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: It is, uh, you know, who knows where it's all 333 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,640 Speaker 1: headed in in this crazy media world that we live in. 334 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: I would say that for the moment, CBS has had 335 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: a strategy in streaming that foresaw the trends that are 336 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: coming to pass now in a big way. And we're 337 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:37,680 Speaker 1: very well positioned between CBS All Access, which also UM 338 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: enables people to watch CBS N, and then our CBS 339 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: News apps which feature CBS N free and live. UM. 340 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: We're just super well positioned for the world that we're 341 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: living in right now. But surely you don't believe that 342 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 1: how we're doing this now represents some sort of end state. 343 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: I mean my feel is, for instance, that you know, 344 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: CBS has been very aggressive about getting there early, lots 345 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 1: of different brands. Who's to say though, by twenty one 346 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: it's just one CBS digital brand and it's all Access 347 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: plus N plus local plus entertainment plus h Q. Who knows? 348 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not saying that's the way it's going. 349 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 1: I'm just saying, don't you feel that whatever it is 350 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 1: that is now is going change anyway. I always say 351 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: digital changes every quarter, and if you're not in the game, 352 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 1: you don't know what's going on. So we're constantly looking 353 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: at viewer data, We're doing proprietary research. We are out 354 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 1: in the marketplace listening and watching to see around the corner. 355 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,399 Speaker 1: So far, our team has done a great job. I 356 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 1: really feel that I work with the best and brightest 357 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:56,360 Speaker 1: of digital within CBS Interactive, and nobody is so wedded 358 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: to any particular strategy that if we saw a marketplace need, 359 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: we wouldn't change on a dime. Got it. So from 360 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: a distribution perspective, you mentioned a bunch of different platforms 361 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: that you're on, and my guess is I could guess 362 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: most of them. But are there things that you still 363 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: need to do distribution wise? Places you need to be 364 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,719 Speaker 1: that I'm just curious, like, what's on your to do list? Well, 365 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: there are I mentioned Visio l G and Samsung TVs. 366 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 1: I think when you get beyond that to other brands 367 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: of televisions which are now connected devices, which which brands 368 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,959 Speaker 1: to prioritize is a question. If there are twenty more 369 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: connected TV brands that we need to develop for how 370 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 1: to prioritize those is a strategic question, because we really 371 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 1: want anyone buying a connected device to be able to 372 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: easily get to our CBS News app. That's one way 373 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: to look at it. I would just say, you know, 374 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: we we to be competitive for attention with all the 375 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:11,359 Speaker 1: other sources of of digital media that exists, whether that's 376 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: um Netflix and Amazon scripted content, or podcasts or such 377 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: as this, or reading reading things online. We we're competing 378 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: for attention with with all of that. Got it, Well, 379 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,399 Speaker 1: it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate. 380 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: It's going to be an interesting year ahead. Appreciate you 381 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: coming in and telling us about where CBS N is at. 382 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: Thank you great to be here. Great. This has been 383 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: another episode of Strictly Business. Tune in next week for 384 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: another helping of scintillating conversation with media movers and shakers, 385 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: and please make sure you subscribe to the podcast to 386 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: hear future episodes. Also leave a review in Apple Podcast 387 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: let us know how we're doing.