NAB Show Introduces “Programming Everywhere” Conference

NAB Show will host a new conference, presented by TVNewsCheck, titled “Programming Everywhere: The Content Event for Linear, Streaming and Syndication” on April 15 at the 2023 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

The one-day conference will feature panel discussions, programming showcases and networking opportunities, gathering industry leaders to talk about the evolving business of content creation and distribution.

“The abundance of content in media and entertainment has never been greater, nor has the demand for high quality assets that serve today’s multiplatform needs,” explains NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “We are thrilled to partner with TVNewsCheck to delve more deeply into the programming side of the business at NAB Show, where creative content and advanced technology take center stage.”

READ MORE: Celebrate 100 Years of All Things NAB and Register Now for 2023 NAB Show

Participants will take on issues including the changing economics of syndicated programming, the relationship between FAST channels and broadcasting, transforming television news, and strategies for a programming everywhere business.

“Programming Everywhere is the first event of its kind—a big tent consideration of content transcending all of its traditional silos of linear, syndicated and digital,” said Michael Depp, TVNewsCheck editor and chief content officer, NewsCheckMedia.

Executives in the free ad-supported television (FAST) space will share their strategies for programming FAST channels and what they see resonating with viewers in the Programming Everywhere session FAST Channels and the Evolution of Broadcasting (8:50-9:45 a.m.).

FAST participants in include Scott Ehrlich, chief innovation officer and head of corporate strategy, Sinclair Broadcast Group; Shawn Makhijani, SVP, business development and strategy, NBCUniversal Stations & NBC Spot On; Sarah Katt, SVP programming, The Hill; Marian Pittman, EVP content, product & innovation, Cox Media Group; and Takashi Nakano, senior director of business development and content acquisitions, Samsung. Continuous Media Founder Adam Wiener will moderate the discussion.

Industry leaders will also explore challenges facing the relationship between syndicated program producer/distributors and TV station groups in the panel Syndication’s Changing Business Model (11:00-11:45 a.m.).

Moderated by TVNewsCheck Contributing Editor Paige Albiniak, the session will feature panelists Frank Cicha, EVP programming, Fox Television Stations; Mort Marcus, co-president, Debmar-Mercury; Dave Howitt, SVP of programming, Sinclair Broadcast Group; and Jeffrey Wolf, chief distribution officer, The E.W. Scripps Co.

Additional sessions include:

• The Future of Sports on Broadcast TV (10:00-10:45a.m.): Top sports media executives discuss one of the brightest spots in TV broadcasting – sports. The latest national TV rights deals will keep the networks and their affiliates in the big games for years to come. And with relentless cord-cutting undermining cable, local broadcasters hope to reclaim TV rights and once again become the homes of the home teams.
• In Conversation: Anthony Zuiker on Creating New Shows that Break the Mold (11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.): Acclaimed television writer, producer and author Anthony Zuiker joins NewsCheckMedia Chief Content Officer Michael Depp for a conversation on how broadcasters can address their desperate need for fresh programming. The CSI franchise creator, who is now working with Sinclair Broadcast Group to develop a slate of new shows, will explain how he’s helping the broadcaster produce talk and game shows, documentaries and local news content with fresh eyes.
• Fresh Approaches to the News Franchise (1:15-2:00 p.m.): Whether on streaming or in busy innovation labs, TV station groups are experimenting like never before with their most important genre: the local newscast. What are programming, news and marketing leaders learning from experimentation? Are sought-after younger audiences taking notice and tuning in?
• Fireside Chat: Bright Innovation Is Key (2:00-2:15 p.m.): Bright comedy is in his DNA. Technology and innovation is his business. Byron Allen, founder, chairman & CEO of Allen Media Group and The Weather Channel, started in comedy and looks at the media industry from the point of view of an entertainer. Allen will showcase how The Weather Channel is leading climate news with unique, transformative and technology-driven programming. It engages a younger and wider audience and adapts easily to streaming, FAST, and app-driven distribution. No more “it bleeds, it leads”… bright and positive innovation makes a healthier business.
• Rethinking Genres: Games, Travel, Talk and More (2:15-3:00 p.m.): TV Station Groups are developing new approaches to game shows, talk, magazines, lifestyle, and destination programming. How are content sharing work with outside production companies and dedicated local production teams fueling new shows and channels? What new approaches are they creating for 2023-24? 
• Mining Your Archives for New Shows (3:15-4:00 p.m.): Unsolved crimes, regional history, culture and climate offer big opportunities for new shows with a distinctly local bent. How are TV station groups and other program producers mining their archives to create compelling new shows? Do they have the technology to efficiently mine their video archives and develop the best stories?
• Fireside Chat: How the AI Revolution Is Enhancing Video Indexing & Search (4:00-4:15 p.m.): Producers struggle to efficiently search video archives, often due to an overwhelming number of meaningless tags and false positives. AI-powered indexing is changing the game, and the latest advancements in AI specifically designed for media makes video indexing search and discovery more intuitive, accurate, and scalable than ever before.
• Strategies for Building a Content Everywhere Business (4:15-5:00 p.m.): How can station groups build a programming everywhere lineup, then brand it and promote it to consumers locally and around the world? How to manage audience measurement and targeted advertising? How does syndicated programming fit in and how will that affect the syndicated programming contract? What role do diginets play in this strategy?

Panelists will also address their biggest challenges: creating more content for a multimedia audience and using technologies to free up creative talent and streamline costs.

For more information on the conference and a full agenda, click here. To register, click here.

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