September 24, 2010

Cheshire Home Invasion Trial Front And Center

The Hayes trial has the full attention of Connecticut residents. CT1 Media is bringing it to them on every platform and unlike any other media company in the market. Courant Reporters Alaine Griffin and Helen Ubinas have been tweeting and providing web updates at breakneck pace to bring our online audience a virtual real-time account of the dramatic testimony at the trial. FOX CT Reporters Laurie Perez (who also tweets), Jim Altman and George Colli are also providing strong television coverage. And the addition of video packages to the online presentation has been critical. We also were first – online and News at 4 p.m. – to post and air the compelling surveillance video of Jennifer Petit at the bank as well as the 911 call thanks to the hard work of the web and TV staff.

Read more on the start of the trial on courant.com.





The Truth About Those Political Campaign Ads

CT1 Media has launched a new political series exploring the veracity of campaign ads – Claim Check – on all platforms. Courant Reporter Matt Kauffman’s piece on Linda McMahons’ latest anti-Blumenthal missive was translated into television by FOX CT Anchor Alison Morris.

See it online at courant.com.





Visuals Enhance Stories Across All Platforms

Great multi-platform visual work on several fronts this week: Courant Photographer Michael McAndrews shot stills for the paper, a photo gallery for the web and video for the morning newscast at the unveiling of the new High Rollers bowling alley at Foxwoods. And Courant Photographer Bettina Hansen’s online photo gallery of the “Little Monsters” outside the Lady Gaga concert was extraordinary. Her shots of the concert were used in print and on air as well.

See the photo gallery.

September 10, 2010

Making The Most Of A Good Story
FOX CT Videographer Jenn Bernstein located key characters in one of the more interesting stories to emerge on August 26 – a man charged with encouraging an 8-year-old to unleash a string of curses for a YouTube video. Bernstein made the most of it. She cut a package for the News at 4 p.m., recut it for the News at 10 p.m., filed a story for the web and newspaper and pulled a frame grab to run in the B section of the August 27 edition of The Courant.

Read about it on courant.com.






Story Develops Out Of Tragedy
An unusual story that surfaced early in the day on August 26 turned into a popular online piece and a good TV segment as well. Courant Reporter Christine Dempsey wrote the tragic story of a dementia patient who left a nursing home, fell out of his wheelchair, hit his head and died. The story generated strong traffic online for two days, while FOX CT Reporter Narmeen Choudhury transitioned the story into an interesting TV piece.

See the story on courant.com.






Getting Ready For Earl
FOX CT meteorologists Joe Furey and Garett Argianas provided continuous updates to the web for our large online hurricane audience to keep up with the latest on Earl as it barreled toward the Northeast. Breaking News Editor Steve Busemeyer also pulled together an online photo gallery featuring archival photos of hurricanes Gloria and Bob, which did well for several days on the web.

Check out the photo gallery on courant.com.

Follow the story on courant.com.

September 3, 2010

FOX CT Launches 4 p.m. Newscast

On August 23, FOX CT added a new one-hour newscast to its lineup. The show puts our cross-media capabilities on display with Courant reporters delivering local news, web producers checking in with the latest online stories, comments from readers and viewers via the web and Facebook, entertainment content developed by The Courant’s features staff, a video segment shot by Courant photo staff, and more. The newscast also features a number of innovative video approaches, including a filmstrip-style segment on national news and a calendar segment. Employees from all platforms worked together over the last several months to prepare for the show’s launch.

Read about the launch on courant.com.

See the photo gallery.



A Soldier Dies

Sad news broke on the morning of August 24 when a Glastonbury native was killed in Afghanistan while serving the last couple of weeks of his tour. Excellent coordination and execution came from Connecticut’s Newsroom to get the best information and images out to the public as quickly as possible. FOX CT Assignment Editor Joe Wenzel first posted the confirmed information online. He then worked closely with Courant Breaking News Editor Steve Busemeyer to develop the story for all platforms while Courant Photographer Rich Messina hustled to the Glastonbury Public Library to gather images of the soldier from his high school yearbook, which helped build the online package. FOX CT Reporter Jim Altman and Courant Reporter Shawn Beals teamed up for a powerful interview with the family, getting the text and video up quickly. By 3 p.m., the story had generated 6,000 local visits with the number still climbing.

Read the story on courant.com.





On The Road…

The Cars.com “On The Road” TV show recently aired its fourth episode. The show, which was shown on FOX CT and WCCT on August 21 and 22 and is produced by the CT1 Media Creative Services Group, featured a trip to a car show, information on how police catch speeders, new car reviews, “Drive Smart Tips” from Jim MacPherson and more. The creative services group promoted the show in print, on air and online. “On The Road” is a great vehicle for local car dealers who want more exposure in the marketplace; CT1 Media account executives continue to sell into the show.

August 20, 2010

Frame Grabs In Print Have Big Impact

Increasing attention is being paid to how and when we shoot frame grabs and it’s paying off in higher-quality images shot by FOX CT videographers. A prime example is FOX CT Videographer Jenn Bernstein’s image of a returning soldier reuniting with his family. The photo ran on page 1 of The Courant on August 7. Then on August 17, a frame grab by FOX CT Photographer Al Chaniewski depicting a fiery Senator Dodd speaking to organized labor also made the front page. On August 20, FOX CT Photographer Freddy Mathis’ portrait of a mom waiting for her son to come home from Iraq ran on page B8. All three are great example of using our talents across platforms.











Connecticut’s Newsroom Handles A Tough Situation With Grace

When word came into the Hub that two FOX CT crew members had been sprayed with insecticide while covering a court appearance, people in the newsroom pulled together to handle the situation. After it was determined that reporter George Colli and photographer Al Chaniewski were safe, the TV and newspaper staff worked closely together on the story. That story, along with Chaniewski’s dramatic video, were quickly posted to the web. A short time later, Colli gave a live standup for the News at 11am and talked about the attack.

Read about the incident on ctnow.com.



Exclusive Look Into HDI

On August 11, Courant Photographer Patrick Raycraft was allowed inside the HDI warehouse the first day workers returned after the shooting to capture the day’s events. Raycraft’s exclusive images –stills and video – offered viewers, readers and online users an inside look at this very emotional day.

Read more on ctnow.com.

August 13, 2010

Manchester Shooting Rampage Dominates Headlines

Hartford Distributors Inc. became the scene of a mass murder last week as a disgruntled employee gunned down eight people during the company’s morning shift change. The hub flew into action hastily providing viewers and online users with as much information as possible as it came into the newsroom. Our breaking news coverage was second to none. We were the first to provide any major details to the public on the shooting and the first to have a reporter and photographer on the scene (Tom Lewis and Al Chaniewski). Lewis’ reports and Chaniewski’s footage were promptly posted to the web and aired on the station. And CT1 Media continued its coverage throughout the day and over the next week in print, on air and online by providing Connecticut and beyond with profiles of the victims, information on the gunman and the latest details of this crime/tragedy as they were uncovered.

Find all of the coverage on courant.com.





CT1 Media Provides Connecticut With Comprehensive Primary Coverage

The primaries on August 10 truly illustrated the power of our cross media efforts. At 7 p.m., we began streaming the results live on courant.com and CTnow.com with help from our friends at CT-N. Connecticut’s Newsroom worked together throughout the evening to provide viewers and online users with the most up-to-date information. And later that evening, the FOX CT News at Ten was the number one choice for Connecticut Primary Election returns as more viewers chose our newscast over any other in the market. Several Courant reporters including Chris Keating and Rinker Buck appeared on FOX CT and CT-N to discuss the candidates, the results and what it all meant for the upcoming election season.

Read all of the Connecticut Primary Election results on courant.com.

August 6, 2010

Connecticut Idol Contest Big Hit With Fans

On July 26, FOX CT held an open call for its Connecticut Idol contest at Mohegan Sun's The Cabaret Theatre. The contest was a cross media marketing success with all three platforms promoting the opportunity for one lucky person to win an audition with an American Idol producer. On air promos, print ads and mentions during the newscast ran encouraging viewers and readers to pre-register or head down to Mohegan for the open call. And, CTnow.com featured a home page promo that linked to a landing page with contest and registration information. On the day of the contest, FOX CT Morning News Anchor Sarah French judged the competition while Reporter Jim Altman covered the story. And later that evening, the FOX CT News at Ten featured the big moment when host Lucia Nazzaro announced the winner, Henry Smith of Ellington. The following day the Hartford Courant used a frame grab to publicize Smith's new title as Connecticut Idol.

Visit the contest page on ctnow.com.









Happy Meal Toy Choking Makes Big News

Also on July 26, FOX CT Laurie Perez nailed a great interview with the mom at the center of the McDonald's Happy Meal choking episode. She packaged it as an exclusive for the FOX CT News at Ten and then created a version for the web and paper, which landed on Tuesday's A1 along with a frame grab by FOX CT Photographer Jeff Foss. This is another great example of a story that can be positioned across all platforms.

Read Perez's story on ctnow.com.

July 30, 2010

Storms Slam Connecticut

On July 21, Connecticut was hit by some pretty severe storms. The first cell powered into Litchfield on Wednesday afternoon and the hub went into action. Photographers and reporters were quickly dispatched and their reports posted to the web almost immediately. FOX CT went on air with a live-cut in that lasted three hours. For the remainder of the day, CT1 Media demonstrated great teamwork by keeping a steady flow of news, critical information and images available to our TV viewers and online users. Courant photographers and reporters shot video; viewer photos sent to the station were added to the web; meteorological information was used online and in print – much of it in real time as the storms moved through the state. The work of Connecticut’s Newsroom ensured that those relying on us had the information they needed to stay informed and safe.

Visit courant.com for more on the storms.





Bridgeport Firefighters Perish In The Line Of Duty

The Bridgeport Fire Department suffered a blow on Saturday after the tragic deaths of two comrades. CT1 Media stepped up to provide coordinated coverage across all platforms of this emotional story. Over the weekend, we drove Connecticut residents online with continuous updates to the web. FOX CT reporters in the field helped bolster the content in print and online while those working in house – both print reporters and assignment editors – worked closely to get what we needed quickly and efficiently.

To read more on the Bridgeport firefighters tragedy, visit ctnow.com.





Green Plays In Connecticut Open

Another big story for Connecticut and a great one for CT1 Media as golfer Ken Green appears at the 2010 Connecticut open. The story was shot for all platforms by Courant Photographer Mark Mirko, whose stills of Green (who lost his leg in a car accident that claimed the life of his brother and his girlfriend) ran as the A1 centerpiece on July 26. And Mirko's video interview with Green was featured on the FOX CT News at Ten.

Read more on ctnow.com.