YouTube Lives: Scaling up livestreams with CBC News
While I was YouTube Producer at CBC News, I could see that livestreams consistently hit above their weight when I pulled monthly analytics. On the surface, they had less overall viewers — however, those viewers were watching for double or triple the amount of time.
Goal: Scale up livestreams to deliver breaking news when it happens, so the audience can stay informed. Below you can see just a few of the livestreams I drove on YouTube. When I first began on the team we averaged out at about 15 lives per month. One year later, we ran about 40 per month. The process of creating a livestream involves proactive planning with stakeholders, packaging copy and visuals, and working with encoder to set up the stream.
Broadcast > YouTube: I developed the packaging and content workflows for shows such as Power & Politics and Rosemary Barton Live on YouTube.
FAST 24/7 stream: I experimented with CBC’s FAST stream, repackaging their 24/7 livestream on YouTube. We developed a “set it and forget” type of packaging that ensured the look remained familiar for loyal viewers while being a light lift for producers.
Raw pressers: I coordinated livestreams with the web and politics teams daily to prioritize what live press conferences we’d take for YouTube. This could range from political announcements to police updates.
CBC Specials: I worked cross-functionally to ensure CBC News Specials were scheduled, promoted and delivered on YouTube. This included specials such as New Years Eve, the election and a papal live cam.
Moderated live Q&As: I collaborated with our Ask team on several YouTube and TikTok live Q&As between reporters and social producers. Topics included wildfires, tariffs and the budget. Comments were left open so the audience could ask questions live. I was involved in packaging and set up for YouTube.
In this livestream we kept live chat open and allowed viewers to ask their questions live about the recently dropped Canadian federal budget. The questions were answered live by reporters in the one-hour long Q&A.
