NAB's new technology arm, PILOT, has invested in a video news curating app, Haystack TV.
As part of the deal, NAB CTO Sam Matheny will become an advisor to the company.
Haystack, a product of Stanford''s new tech incubator, StartX, was launched in 2014. The app features news from hundreds of sources that can be selected by trending topics of interest and allows for navigation among multiple channels, as well as a customized headline channel.
The app is available on iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV and Chromecast (Google is among the charter members of NAB's PILOT tech investment effort).
The goal is to get in on the ground floor and make sure broadcast TV content will be among those online news sources.
"Haystack TV provides a platform for individuals to access the news most important to them in an efficient and personalized fashion,” said Matheny. “It combines three powerful forces: video content, social media, and personalization to create a compelling user experience across multiple devices. In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, America’s local broadcasters can potentially leverage this type of application to reach and engage an even larger audience.”
