I like to write about interesting developments at local TV stations in news, marketing, or sales. And I contend that something interesting happens at every local TV station every day. Especially these days.
COVID-19. Protests. Police abuse. Fake news. Media bashing. Food lines. Hotly contested elections. Black Lives Matter. Schools closed. Election interference. Working from home. Business bankruptcies. Unemployment and bailouts. Virtual learning. Mask controversies. Social distancing. Mail-in ballots. Post Office problems. Dining out, dining in. What’s open, what ain’t.
The lexicon heard on local TV news since March has added a slew of new words and phrases that reflect what’s driving your news coverage.
It’s been a wild year for news. In March and April, the coronavirus pandemic drove viewers who were stuck at home and thirsty for information to local TV news platforms. Then protests in cities and towns all across the country, some turning violent, kept local news viewers watching events on TV, online and on social platforms.
Viewership to local TV news across the country surged. And local TV marketers rallied to create messages of support for their communities.
Today, the headlines for local TV news coverage haven’t changed much since March. COVID is still surging, the election is getting closer, your people are still working from home, and there’s still controversy over masks, stimulus, and voting methods.
Today, network entertainment viewing is way down. According to a Sept. 29 Associated Press report, broadcast network viewership was down a whopping 61% from the premiere week last year, according to Nielsen.
Where did they go? Perhaps watching cable news. In October, an AP report said the news network ratings — CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC — were up 72% or more over the same week in 2019.
So what’s happening at your TV station?
Were you able to capitalize on the surge in viewership from March and April?
How has your news marketing evolved today?
How are you marketing your news coverage today vs. what you did in March and April?
What’s new, different, interesting, more relevant, more responsive, more meaningful at your shop these days?
Tell me. I like to write about interesting developments at local TV stations in news, marketing, or sales in my TVNewsCheck daily column, Market Share.
Great news coverage, ratings growth, new marketing campaigns, local commercial production, or a genius sales idea.
And I contend that something interesting happens at every local TV station every day. Especially these days.
So what’s news at your shop?
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