Stations Make a Real Effort to Be More Social

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In an effort to keep their content top of mind for young consumers, Houston’s stations are delivering on social platforms. KRIV produces The Break, a “hip, funky, quick-info update,” in the words of VP and general manager D’Artagnan Bebel, for Instagram. That debuted in July 2018. “Fox26Houston” has 127,000 followers on Instagram. The Break averages around 8,000 views daily.

KRIV also does The News Edge at 10 p.m. nightly, which Bebel calls “a social-driven newscast.”

KXLN-KFTH has Upop, a studio in the building where viewers pay to shoot selfies from 18 themed rooms. Opening May 25, Upop rooms include the Golden Room, the Galaxy Room and one called Purple Haze. David Loving, KXLN-KFTH president and general manager, calls it an “interactive experiential space” that takes up around 10,000 square feet on the fifth floor.

Guests pay $25 for an hour. “So far we’ve gotten really good feedback on it,” Loving said.

Michael Malone
Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.