Scripps Networks has launched a video-rich, online network for the building industry, HGTVPro.com.
HGTVPro is a decade-old dream of Ken Lowe, Home & Garden Television founder and president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Co., parent of Scripps Networks. Shortly after the launch of HGTV, Lowe saw the opportunity to bring professional-grade information to those in the building industry and to do it with the same visual impact characteristic of Scripps’ popular television networks – Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY Network, and Fine Living.
“The broadband technology of today lets us deliver information to the building trades in a way it could not be done before,” Lowe said. “Rich video content allows HGTVPro to bridge communications gaps by providing information visually the way most people learn best.”
The content of the informational, online network has been developed with professional builders, remodelers and contractors in mind. It includes professional-level best practices, tips and techniques of the industry, new product information, and an insider’s perspective on trends in the industry. The majority of the information is delivered in both video and downloadable print formats.
HGTVPro launches with more than 100 videos and articles available, with plans to add to and refresh the content regularly. Spanish-language versions of many of the elements will be added by mid-year. A companion HGTVPro e-newsletter will be distributed bi-monthly free to opt-in subscribers. More than 100,000 building trade professionals and 500,000 home enthusiasts have already registered to receive the newsletter, according to the company.
Features include the “Virtual Trade Show,” a year-round, online trade show comprised of three-minute video booth tours from the industry’s largest trade shows, including the International Builders Show and the National Kitchen and Bath Show. It offers the HGTVPro user the advantage of touring a number of different trade shows and accessing hundreds of manufacturers and distributors on one site.
Another feature is the unscripted “Contractor Stories” allow the HGTVPro visitors to sit in on roundtable conversations among contractors.
HGTVPro’s content is based upon the experiences and expertise of industry experts and real builders and contractors. The editorial team is led by industry veteran Bill Crosby. The video segments are hosted by professional builders, including DIY Network hosts Fuad Reveiz, former professional football player and now owner of a successful custom home construction firm in Tennessee, and Ed Del Grande, a triple master plumber and self-employed contractor with more than 20 years of experience in the construction business.
HGTVPro has strong partnerships with National Association of Home Builders and Build IQ, a think tank for best building practices.
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