Reuters TV aims for consumers

Eric Blattberg of Digiday writes about Reuters TV, which was unveiled Monday night at the company’s Times Square offices.

Blattberg writes, “Scheduled to launch in January on iPhone and iPad, Reuters TV aims to generate a relevant viewing experience for each subscriber. An algorithm pulls from a well of videos produced specifically for Reuters TV, assembling them into a coherent news show that considers viewers’ location, usage data and available time as well as the editorial value of each story.

“‘It’s a reinvention of some of the fundamental aspects of TV news,’ said Isaac Showman, managing director of Reuters TV. ‘We’re moving away from mass broadcasts to one that’s relevant for every single user.’

“Every Reuters TV segment comes in short, medium and long variations, so a subscriber who queues up a 20-minute broadcast will see more in-depth videos than someone who asks for a five-minute one (options range from 5 to 30 minutes). Past app usage and location also matter: A viewer in London is likely to receive a longer report on the U.K. prime minister than a New York subscriber, for example. Reuters TV will also offer live streams of major news events, like presidential addresses and protests.”

Read more here.