WSJ Scores ‘Big Interview;’ Expands Online Programming

The Wall Street Journal is rapidly expanding its original, online video offerings.

Earlier this month, the right-leaning, financially-focused newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation expanded its live programming slate. The Journal launched Opinion Journal Live, featuring reporters from the newspaper’s editorial section commenting on top headlines every weekday at 12PM EST. This added to the newspaper’s online schedule, which already included the twice daily News Hub and the tech-centric Digits.

Last Friday, the Journal added yet another title to its growing content library. Dubbed The Big Interview, WSJ.com‘s latest offering will feature one interview every week with big guns in the world of finance and government.

The show differs from the newspaper’s other material in that episodes are pre-taped and do not air live, which is probably a necessity considering the high-profile individuals appearing on the program. You’re less likely to score an interview with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (to be released July 2) if you don’t give his people any degree of editorial control.

The first installment of The Big Interview features FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair. In the 19-minute episode, Bair speaks with WSJ’s economics editor David Wessel about “the concentration of financial power in fewer banking institutions over the course of the financial crisis, and the future of banks that are considered ‘too big to fail.'”