The New York Times sees the future of news as online and extremely local and in response has launched The Local, two Web sites covering communities in suburban New Jersey and in Brooklyn. They're part of a broad strategy to extend New York Times content to every platform with a reasonable prospect of generating revenue.

Greenspun Corp., the publisher of the Las Vegas Sun and other area publications, is encroaching on the turf of TV stations with the launch of 702.TV. The venture's entertainment and lifestyle segments will be seen on the Web as well on on a station in which Greenspun has a stake. This is the first in a series of columns on the Web-driven convergence of local media.

Fusion Communications has bought what it hopes is the first in a chain of medium-market stations. With a heavy dose of local programing and centralizied newscasts, are its principals crafty or crazy?

Twice a year, the Media General NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, helps viewers protect privacy with this clever document shredding promotion.At this spring's event, over 4,000 vehicles dropped off 130 tons and donated $5,700 to a local children's hospital for the priviledge.

After months of depressing employment news, Raycom's WOIO Cleveland fights back with a huge regional effort to put Ohioans back to work.

Tribune has moved its TV, print and Web triopoly under one roof. Starting today, it's up to SouthFlorida.Com/Live to transform all that multi-platform efficiency into real live revenue. If successful, it may find its way to other Tribune TV-newspaper markets.

Despite budget cuts and layoffs, Belo's NBC affiliate in Seattle continues to draw big audiences and happy advertisers with its 23-year-old magazine show at 7 p.m. The fast-paced half hour features short intros and three or four stories and, because it's separate from news, the producers can work closely with the sales department and advertisers.

The NBC-ABC duopoly in the 107th DMA has been offering news around the clock by turning producers and shooters into on-screen reporters. INC Now is broadcast on a digital channel and streamed on the stations' Web site. "Now we're able to report breaking news or update a story at a moment's notice," says President-General Manager Jerry Gieseler.

New Vision's WJCL and WTGS in Savannah, Ga., are extending their footprint to the faster-growing outer regions. They've opened a spanking new sales and news bureau in South Carolina and GM Lynn Fairbanks (left) and Bureau Chief Ashley Olmstead plan to use it to spank the competition.

Viewers of the Meredith's Las Vegas Fox affiliate are earning points they can redeem for gifts by watching the station's newscasts and using a registered credit card to make purchases at participating advertisers. So far, more than 20,000 viewers are on board for the "win-win-win" program — the winners being the viewers, the advertisers and KVVU.

Belo's indy powerhouse in Phoenix has built its brand around strong community service, which included raising $5 million for good causes last year, and it doesn't intend to change the strategy in the face of hard times that have only made its efforts that much more necessary. It's how the station "stays relevent."

Clients with tight budgets need a good reason to buy advertising. Some stations have found a good reason can be customized sales promotions featuring goods and services obtained by trading airtime. No, not the desperate fire sales that fill hours of airtime with infomercials; I'm talking about strategically swapping just enough airtime to acquire the goods and services you need to attract cash clients in this economy.

As Pittsburgh rejoices over its sixth Super Bowl win, Cox's NBC affiliate celebrates a month-long windfall in sales and promotion. Its broadcast of the game scored a 79 share locally.

With just over a month until you pull the plug on analog, are you sure you're headed for a smooth digital transition? Here are five tips designed to reinforce what you've already done, target last-minute problems and reach out to special audiences or the just plain clueless.

How can you create new revenue in 2009? Review some of the best ideas from Market Share over the past 12 months and take action. This is a year-in-review column you can take to the bank.

Can stations fight the tough economy with the power of positive thinking? Withers' WDTV Clarksburg-Weston (DMA 166) thinks so. The CBS affiliate is putting its money where its mouth is, giving its best customers some free airtime.

What does it take to help today's local car dealers turn a profit? One innovative team-up of broadcast, cable and the Web just might have found the winning formula

The Ad Council offers full-service public service campaigns tailored for fourth quarter. They've even provided a gift-wrapped incentive — a good report card for your congressman and your boss.

Undaunted by the bursting of the real estate bubble, Ramar's KJTV has been running a successful multimedia sales campaign promoting a local real estate development and many of the builders and other companies involved in it."We're able to deliver revenue across our group — TV, our sister radio stations as well as our production department and our Web site," says Ramar's Chris Fleming.