Is TV the answer for newspapers trying to counter the (negative) effect of Craigslist on their classifieds? Here’s a story from MediaPost about a new program by the San Francisco Chronicle that offers some of its classifieds in 30-second video form on a half-hour TV program, as well as streaming online.
The show’s focus is on employment ads, for now, and it’s set to run
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays on UPN Bay Area Channel 44 at 5:30
a.m. (That’s an odd time; let’s hope job seekers who might wish to
watch have TiVo.)
This is the latest move from the newspaper industry to respond to
threats to their classifieds livelihood. Expect to see lots more
innovation in the next year or two. The status quo on classifieds won’t cut it much
longer.