Comcast Business Solutions Keeps North of Boston Media Group Connected With Its Readers

Robust Network Infrastructure Helped Paper Publish Real-Time Developments During Recent Gas Explosions

BOSTON - February 6, 2019 - Comcast Business today announced that the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning North of Boston Media Group and its family of publications, including The Eagle-Tribune, rely on network solutions from Comcast Business to stand out in the new era of digital publishing.

The media company's network was put to the test in September when a gas line failure occurred in one of the communities the paper covers. The failure ignited fires and caused explosions, generating widespread concern across the community which turned to The Eagle-Tribune for timely information. Eagletribune.com website traffic soared during this time, leading to over 400K unique visitors and just under one million page views within a four-day span.

"Our community relies on our reporters for answers and updates during times like this, and we pride ourselves on being that critical resource and lifeline," said John Gregory, director of Information Technology at the North of Boston Media Group. "To do this effectively we need to be able to upload digital assets like photo and video quickly, post and edit stories as news breaks, share the news on social media in a timely manner, and manage influxes of web-traffic at any given time."

During this crisis, the other publications in the network had to operate as usual. With the advanced infrastructure supported by Comcast Business, Gregory's team was able to maintain the needed bandwidth at other sites and even relocate equipment to continue operations without missing a beat.

The Eagle-Tribune, the flagship of the North of Boston Media Group, delivers news across the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire with offices based in North Andover, Massachusetts and Derry, New Hampshire. The media group leverages Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI) and Ethernet Network Services (ENS) from Comcast Business to host its digital infrastructure and for strong bandwidth management and data flow between offices. The EDI and ENS services provide The Eagle-Tribune with the speed and scalability it needs to thrive while affording it cost-effective solutions.

"As the digital age continues to redefine the way users retrieve and receive news, Comcast Business is dedicated to helping organizations like The Eagle-Tribune expand their capabilities to help keep citizens informed and communities connected," said Barry Bader, Vice President of Comcast Business for the Greater Boston region.

The publication is also looking toward the future of media dissemination and identifies Comcast Business as a major provider in its transition into additional cloud-based solutions and capabilities. With a focus around internal improvements, Gregory and his team are looking to expand day-to-day bandwidth as organizations shift toward hosted services and cloud migration.

About North of Boston Media Group 
At North of Boston Media Group, we believe in the value of community journalism. We tell the stories of the people who live and work North of Boston, and we cover the news that is important and useful to them. Our award-winning community newspapers and digital websites include four dailies, one Sunday and four weeklies. But that's just the beginning. We also publish more than 200 targeted special sections a year, bringing added value to readers and advertisers. Our newspapers, lifestyle publications and digital products reach a highly desirable demographic audience in southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. Our news and advertising products reach more than 250,000 households every day. North of Boston Media Group also offers a full range of commercial printing services, including design, imaging, inserting and direct mail.

About Comcast Business 
Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation's largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the enterprise market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services.

For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

About Comcast Corporation 
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses:  Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky.  Comcast Cable is one of the United States' largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses.  It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand.  NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts.  Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services.  It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services.  Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content, and has exclusive content rights.  Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

 

Media Contacts:

Whitney McGoram
Finn Partners
Whitney.mcgoram@FinnPartners.com

Marc Goodman
Comcast, Great Boston Region
617-279-7521
Marc_goodman@comcast.com