Michael Gay VP of Interactive Media, Journal Broadcast Group Michael Gay joined Journal Broadcast Group in 2012 and oversees the digital sales and product development strategies for the company’s more than 100 websites, mobile apps and social channels. Gay led the relaunch of Journal’s TV and radio websites to improve the mobile experience for their users, which resulted in significant traffic increases. With the recent launch of national sites NowTrending.com and NashvilleEdge.com, mobile and social experiences were emphasized. Prior to Journal Broadcast Group, Gay served in roles at Hearst Television, CBS Television and Young Broadcasting.

1. 2013: The Year Mobile Took Over
Journal Broadcast Group!
Michael Gay, VP Interactive Media
mgay@jrn.com

2. Where we started
• Native apps available, but no
mobile websites!
• No on-air marketing or support for
downloading of apps!
• No use of app notifications for
breaking news alerts

4. 2013: Mobile Shift
0
25
50
75
100
Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec
Mobile Desktop

6. The problem:
Monetizing mobile

7. Comparing platform value
Before redesign of mobile
Desktop Mobile Site Mobile App
Ads per page 5 1 1
Total CPM $35CPM $3CPM $3CPM
PVs/Session 3 2 6
Value/Session $105CPM $6CPM $18CPM

8. Comparing platform value
After redesign of mobile
Desktop Mobile Site Mobile App
Ads per page 5 1 → 2 1 → 2
Total CPM $35CPM $3CPM → $12CPM $3CPM → $12CPM
PVs/Session 3 2 → 5 6 → 8
Value/Session $105CPM $6CPM → $60CPM $18CPM → $96CPM

9. Significance of user reviews
• Users weren’t a fan of our efforts that added more and larger ads
• We’re constantly working to find the balance between the need to monetize
and the need to satisfy our users
• Currently minimizing use of prominent ads that are below a certain CPM

10. Premiere

11. NewsChannel 5
mobile site premiere
• This weekend we relaunched mobile
site for NewsChannel5.com
• Phase 1 features:
• Infinite scrolling of content
• Image-dominant design
• Quick-load story pages
• Geo-based weather content
• Live streaming video of shows
• Shared URLs
Before After

13. Michael Gay
VP Interactive Media
mgay@jrn.com