About two years ago Twin Cities Public Television announced a project dubbed Next Avenue:
Public Broadcasters to Launch 'Next Avenue(SM)' Multimedia Initiative to Super-Serve and Engage Baby Boomers
$5 million in grants from The Atlantic Philanthropies, the General Mills Foundation and the Medtronic Foundation will support Next Avenue's plans to embrace boomers…
I applauded the idea, but wasn’t thrilled with the way they were promoting it:
27 September 2010
Next Avenue: Baby Boomers & PBSMaybe this silly positioning will initially attract underwriters and PBS affiliates – but branding the project as a middle-aged pre-school when promoting it to the public…
I also warned about relying too much on the ‘multiplatform’ concept – not dismissing it altogether but knowing multiplatform is code for web sites, social media, etc. PBS should concentrate on what they do: Television.
In May, Next Avenue premiered with a bit of ballyhoo – but it’s only a website:
There’s some plucked video on the site, and under the Next Avenue umbrella are a handful of PBS/Create TV offerings that have aired for years.
How’s the website doing? Alexa tells us this:
Notice the tiny traffic bump in the beginning of July. I think this was when PBS began airing promos for the site.
Through the grapevine I’ve heard that it’s been difficult raising money and/or finding underwriters for Next Avenue television projects. Don’t take my word for it, except my word that it’s a rumor.
Let’s hope the $5 million in grants (promised or wishful thinking?) wasn’t all spent on the website.
