Today on the Bay

Today on the Bay ( [http://www.todayonthebay.com at www.todayonthebay.com] ) is a free, internet-based open news and community information source serving the Houston-Galveston metropolitan areas. This online publication is produced by KJB Media, a privately-held company based out of Webster, Texas, which is located 7 miles southeast of Houston. Today on the Bay produces several forms of content targeted toward its audience communities, including: locally pertinent feature stories, RSS news feeds, community announcements, family and lifestyle editorials, local dining reviews, new movie release information, local night life information, and business/organization directories. Today on the Bay targets its content and readership to the Mainland Galveston County and South Harris County communities, commonly referred to by locals as the “bay area” due to its proximity with Galveston Bay. The publication is currently updated on a weekly cycle, with immediate updates as priority dictates.

History

Today on the Bay started as a sideline development for KJB Media (then operating under the name of KJB Productions) back in the Spring of 2005. The initial focus was to develop a website that would support local night life and live entertainment. As the initial design concept developed, so did the business model for the online publication. By August 2005, the Today on the Bay concept had grown to include regularly published feature articles, RSS news feeds, local dining reviews, and an online classified ad section. The beta release of Today on the Bay went live on September 5th, 2005, with a feature story entitled "Annual Gulf Coast Film Festival Coming To Nassau Bay."

Two weeks after the inauguration of Today on the Bay, its first major news story came in from the Mediterranean. The Houston Metroplex was already straining from the vast resources aiding Hurricane Katrina victims from the Eastern Louisiana and Mississippi coastal communities. Now, all eyes were on a newly developing storm, Hurricane Rita. Throughout the ordeal, Today on the Bay released frequent alerts concerning weather conditions, storm preparations, hurricane coordinates, business & school closures, and evacuation requests. Today on the Bay’s only interruption in coverage came during a loss of power on the night of September 23rd.

Another early highlight of Today on the Bay coverage came in mid October 2005. For the first time in the club’s 44 year history, the Houston Astros captured the National League Pennant, sending them to the World Series. Today on the Bay coverage began with a pre-game primer covering the history of the World Series and highlights from the Astros and Chicago White Sox franchises. The following week was filled with World Series post-game coverage and highlights. While the White Sox swept the Astros in the series, Today on the Bay maintained their pride in the hometown team.

While all of this local news was going on, awareness for the rookie publication was small. Not until the last week of October did Today on the Bay reach its one-thousandth website visitor. However, the quality of writing and the mass of content leading into the holidays turned the tide that would multiply the publication’s viewers twelve-fold by the end of the year. This would be a trend that would bring Today on the Bay to 100,000-plus viewers by the beginning of Summer 2006.

Best of the Bay

Recognizing the struggles of starting a small business, Today on the Bay set to work on a program that would reward small businesses in the local communities, primarily in the dining and entertainment industries. Best of the Bay 2006 was launched on June 1, 2006. The program took the form of an online survey that allowed local residents to vote for their favorite businesses and entertainers in twenty key categories. Honorees in each category took pride in knowing that their recognition came from the residents they served. Today on the Bay has plans to make this an annual event.

Specifics

Today on the Bay is developed on an HTML 4.0 framework, utilizing active content and graphic imagery. KJB Media staff writers develop all content, with the exception of RSS feeds and movie information. KJB Media employs staff graphic artists to develop visual content for the site. Revenues are generated through the sale of commercial advertising space throughout the site. As of September 2006, Today on the Bay has been enjoying an average monthly visitation exceeding 91,000.