Innovation team launched at WDBJ7

By JIM McCABE

WDBJ7, Roanoke, VA

With the media world changing at moment’s notice, WDBJ7 kicked off 2013 by introducing an Innovation Team.

This team has representatives from each of the departments and has been charged with overseeing WDBJ7’s quest for station innovation.

Merriam-Webster defines innovation as the introduction of something new; a new idea, method, or device.

Trying to be innovative from a local television station’s perspective can be a bit overwhelming. With Mobile TV, Netflix, Aereo, Watch ABC app, and The Hopper (just to name a few) there are numerous concerns and opportunities within the industry.

To pull from Stephen Covey’s bestselling novel, ”The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,”  the problems, challenges, and opportunities we face fall into two areas–Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence. We could focus our efforts in the Circle of Concern–things over which we have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, Mobile TV, the Hopper, etc.

We choose to focus our efforts on our Circle of Influence.

WDBJ7’s Innovation team works on the things it can do something about: does this innovative idea save us money, make us money, and/or increase our viewership. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our energies is a giant step in becoming both proactive and innovative.

The team is now meeting on a bi-weekly basis and has reviewed over seventy-five ideas that have been submitted to the team from station employees.

Any employee submitting an idea and meeting the submission requirement of potentially saving us money, making us money or increasing viewership is automatically awarded a pair of movie tickets to a local theatre. Only the ideas that look like would have an immediate impact are pursued and advanced up to our General Manager, Jeff Marks.

During the 2013 1st quarter we had two winning ideas that were awarded an Idea Trophy along with a gift card. The winning ideas were:

–Live Stream all newscasts on website and mobile and sell/air different set of commercials to target people on the go.  (Brent Watts submitted)–this is going to be happening soon according to Kelly Zuber, we are going to be a test station. New commercials equal new revenue.

–Energy savings research with studio lights during peak times with peak rates on AEP bill; switching to LED studio lights. (Alan Novitsky — Already in process is switching lights to LED as well as compact fluorescent bulbs around the building thereby saving the station money).

The Innovation Team consists of Brian Britt, Gena Fuqua, Andy May, Jim McCabe, Lori Richardson, Brent Watts, and Kelly Zuber. The team welcomes any ideas from fellow Schurz properties, but I wouldn’t count on any movie tickets arriving in the mail.

The Innovation Team launched at WDBJ7 this is made up of representatives of different departments and meets bi-weekly. Left, to right are Jim McCabe, Lori Richardson, Brian Britt, Brent Watts and Gena Fuqua.