Posts Tagged ‘blogging’

Poll: How soon for local HDTV?

January 25th, 2010 joel

Blogs are the thing to P&T readers.

When we asked how often you read Erie-based blogs, two-thirds of respondents said that they were connected to local blogs at least weekly.

Peyton Manning

So I’m watching the Colts put the hurt on the Jets on my sib’s 50″ 120 Hz HDTV. The WSEE/CBS pass-through looked amazing. The game footage, the graphics, replays and the commercials were sharp and effective.

But then they went local. Actually the upsampling of the standard def spots and promos didn’t totally fall apart, but compared to the net, the local origination left a lot to be desired.

Now I know that the cost of changing over the local side is in the millions, and considering that we are still in a recession, that kind of capital outlay is difficult. But if not now, then when?

How soon for local HDTV?

  • I can't see it happening in the foreseeable future (63%, 25 Votes)
  • It will take 3 years (23%, 9 Votes)
  • Between 12-24 months (13%, 5 Votes)
  • Sometime in 2010 (1%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 40

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , , , 13 Comments »

Poll: how often do you read blogs from Erie?

January 11th, 2010 joel

Dozens of readers weighed in on our year-end poll asking whether the traditional media outlets in Erie would survive the next decade.

Nearly two-thirds said that there’s either not a chance or not likely that every “press and tower” will still be functioning in 2020. Less than one-quarter had a positive take on the viability of newspaper, TV, and radio.

This week, let’s look at new media. In the past several months I’ve been writing a weekly post for ErieBlogs.com titled the ErieBlogs.com Post of the Week. It ’s a chance to spotlight the great writing and diverse viewpoints on dozens of blogs throughout the local area.

My question is, are you reading them?

Other than P&T, how often do you read any Erie-based blogs?

  • Daily (39%, 20 Votes)
  • Few times per week (20%, 10 Votes)
  • Only occasionally (18%, 9 Votes)
  • Never/no answer (12%, 6 Votes)
  • At least weekly (8%, 4 Votes)
  • Few times per month (3%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 51

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , 2 Comments »

Bremner’s blog booted

January 7th, 2010 joel

Screen capture of Scott Bremner's blog on GoErie.com

In a moment of very strange timing, the longest long-term blogger of them all, WSEE’s Scott Bremner has entered his last post for GoErie.com.

This comes just a day after I highlighted Scott’s blog for my weekly ErieBlogs Post-of-the-Week on the ErieBlogs.com site. Here’s a clip of what Scott said on Wednesday on his post, “This Week is Goodbye”:

As close as we can figure it, this is the 578th weekly column written for this space, a span that began with a handshake in November of 1998 and has continued uninterrupted for more than 11 years on GoErie until this week.

This week is goodbye.

Call it what you will; a “couldn’t come to terms” or an “inability to reach consensus” or an “agreement to move in different directions.”

It doesn’t matter.

What’s important is that sometimes the greatest journeys don’t begin with the first step but rather with a swift kick in the pants, and that’s what gets the first step going.

There are currently 18 other bloggers on the GoErie site, most of them current Times News staff members, but in 1998 few were willing to write original material in a little known corner of the Internet.

That’s what led to the almost unheard of relationship of a TV guy writing directly to a newspaper website, especially one where the author had the freedom to write op-ed pieces virtually unfettered.

Scott’s “web column” (we didn’t have the word ‘blogger’ back when he started) has been recognized with awards, including being named Best in the Nation by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in 2000.

Bremner says that he is bound to show up again somewhere on the ‘Net. We’ll be watching.

Posted in New Media Tags: , , , , 6 Comments »

Taking care of business

November 16th, 2009 joel

Over the past 14 months, Press and Tower has become one of the most read blogs in the region, averaging 2,500 page views per week, while doubling that at times in recent months.

We are the “go to” source for news about the media climate in Erie, and thousands are drawn to P&T because of our special coverage of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build in Erie.

My goal with the site is to provide community and communication, not to make money. However, it is significantly time-consuming and expensive to provide this service. That’s why I am looking for just four superior businesses to come along side to sponsor the site and reach out to our excellent reader-base.

Demographically, we lean female, 35+, affluent, and college-educated, according to Quantcast. I think we would be a great buy for a university (continuing ed), cell phone dealer, electronics store, health-care or fitness facility, professional services, or non-profit looking for annual gifts.

I have two packages to sell for 100% showing on our site:

  • Year-end BOGO: Buy 4 weeks of display ads, get 4 weeks half-price. All ads must end by Jan. 15, 2010. Cost of package: $150.00 ($10/1000 avg. page views)
  • Six for Six: Sign a six-month 2010 contract, and get six weeks free. Cost of contract: $25/week, monthly pre-paid from PayPal. All ads end by June 30, 2010. Free six weeks at end of contract.

We can have you live in hours with a contact to joel@nataliemedia.com or sign up now on our Advertise page.

Finally, if you are not an advertiser, you can help by purchasing items in our store. We feature great retailers such as Amazon, Sierra Trading Post, CompUSA, and the Apple iTunes store.

Thanks for taking the time in considering the value of Press and Tower.

Posted in From The Editor Tags: , , No Comments »

Phil English to blog on GlobalErie

September 10th, 2009 joel
Former Cong. Phil English

Former Cong. Phil English

Local blogging is about to take a huge leap in credibility.

Peter Panepento has announced that former US Rep. Phil English (R-PA) will begin a new blog on GlobalErie.com in the coming days. Panepento says English will tackle Erie issues looking through Beltway-framed glasses:

But he remains closely connected to Erie and I expect that he will be able to provide an interesting view of how what’s happening on the Hill affects life in northwestern Pennsylvania.

English has told me that he plans to be non-partisan in his approach — so don’t expect this site to be falling into the Republican party machine.

Rep. English is now a lobbyist employed by the Arent Fox law firm in Washington. With his 14 years of experience representing this Congressional district, including occupying a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, he will instantly become the highest-profile blogger on Erie issues. More than likely, he will also be one of the most controversial, as he accumulated a bevy of haters during his tenure in the Capitol.

The addition of English to the blogosphere in Erie further elevates a paradox in Erie blogging. For as strong as a Democratic foothold this area is, and with the natural bent of the blogging medium to be left-leaning, my anecdotal review of the local blog roster shows more conservative voices than liberal ones.  Is that just my perception, or are there fewer voices pounding for the progressives?

Posted in New Media Tags: , , , , 10 Comments »

Poll: should Chief Franklin resign over his media ‘tin ear’?

July 13th, 2009 joel

The results of our three-week poll of over-the-air digital television viewers were shocking to me.

The basics of communication theory indicate that a message can only be sent from sender to receiver if the medium/carrier can make the trip. In our non-scientific poll, 38% of DTV viewers said they couldn’t receive the station that transmits the number one broadcast network, CBS. In fact 1 of 4 respondents said they were having trouble watching any commercial broadcast television out of Erie.

That’s a huge problem (and great opportunity for satellite vendors) that station engineers don’t have a whole lot of answers for. In fact, my request for comment and advice for viewers from one station has gone unanswered for a week. DTV viewers…you really have to look at getting a big exterior antenna, and if you’ve already done that, maybe the days of free television are over for you.

Erie Bureau of Police Chief Steve Franklin is once again in the news over his nondisclosure of a series of late-night attacks on women in a lower west-side neighborhood. It wasn’t until Erie Times-News reporters hammered him with questions did he admit to the investigation, while letting his disdain for the local media slip through the process.

Generally the police have a love/hate relationship with the media; playing them when they run out of leads, while being tight-lipped when they deem necessary. But Franklin’s claim that public disclosure would create panic, tons of false leads while tipping off the perps is not enough for those now calling him to step down.

Do you think Franklin’s actions are the last straw?

Should Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin lose his job over his use/nonuse of the media?

  • Yes: he is putting people in danger by not fully disclosing crimes in the city (57%, 24 Votes)
  • No: he may have a "tin ear" for the media, but he's still a good chief (36%, 15 Votes)
  • I don't know/I'm ambivalent (7%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 42

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Posted in Polls Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 8 Comments »

Live Blog from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Erie Build Day 5

June 29th, 2009 joel

Posted in New Media Tags: , , No Comments »
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