The inspiration for KTUL’s Shine A Light campaign is a touching story of a loved one no longer here. Luanne Stewart, KTUL’s the creative services director, saw it as a way to make viewers feel better about Covid restrictions.
The tradition of decorating Christmas trees with lights started out dangerously, way back before electricity: People would light candles and dangle them from their Christmas trees.
Luckily, a friend of lightbulb inventor Thomas Edison came up with a better idea, and by the 1920s, the packaged strings of lights became more accessible, and safer.
This year, maybe people need to see more Christmas lights in their neighborhoods to feel better, more festive, given the restrictions due to COVID.
And if Luanne Stewart has her way, every place in Tulsa, Okla., will be lit up for the holidays. Stewart is the creative services director for KTUL, Sinclair’s ABC affiliate there.
Stewart knew this wasn’t the year for the usual holiday promos. She said she noticed all the Christmas lights hung on the houses in her neighborhood, especially one, which had so many, it covered the lawn. She first thought they were a bit gaudy until she noticed a sign in the yard, In memory of Ron Alexander, loving husband, father and son.
“I knocked on her door, introduced myself and asked if her husband just passed. She said he died four years ago. Every year she puts up all the decorations in his memory, many of them he made by hand. She is shining a light to remember her husband of 50-plus years.”
That became the inspiration for KTUL’s Shine A Light campaign, asking viewers to send in their pictures of how they’re shining a light for the family members who they can’t share the holidays with and for the loved ones no longer here.
Thanks Luanne for sharing. And Happy Holidays to everyone.
WJLA, Sinclair’s ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. is in search of an assistant news director, a leader who is a creative storyteller with a multi-platform aggressive approach to ‘On Your Side’ storytelling, breaking news and enterprising investigative news content. The Assistant News Director works closely with the News Director and our entire News Management team to protect the station’s credibility, questioning the content, accuracy, and fairness of scripts and web stories. Click here for more specifics and how to apply.
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