In 2022, there were 266 Market Share columns published which generated more than 255,000 views. Here are some of the most-read columns of 2022.
Market Share, the daily column about local TV news and its marketing, first appeared on TVNewsCheck in 2014. Since then, there have been 2,991 columns and counting.
In 2022, there were 266 Market Share columns published which generated more than 255,000 views.
Obviously, not all columns are viewed equally, so here are some of the top, most-read columns of 2022.
The most-read column of 2022, published in October, is about a station in the Atlanta market.
The station changed its call letters, established a brand, debuted a new set, new graphics, added 30 hours of news and was hiring 50 people.
One never knows what topic or story will generate readers. The second most-read Market Share column in 2022 is from Fort Wayne, Ind.
During production of a sports promo, a 6 feet tall, 215 pound high school football player in full uniform, tackled the sports anchor. The sports anchor didn’t know the player was going to hit him at full speed.
“He went full enough that it certainly hurt a little bit and I hit the ground hard,” says the sports anchor. The story behind the production is what made this column popular.
Market Share often covers retirement stories of on-air talent, especially those who have worked at one station for decades. The 3rd most-read column comes from Norfolk, Va., where a news anchor was retiring after 33 years.
His on-air longevity was highlighted in the column, but also his years of service to the community.
News ratings growth is a frequent topic for Market Share. In Miami, one station’s 6 a.m. newscast went from fifth place in the ratings to first in one year.
The column traced the factors that the station implemented to account for its meteoric ratings rise making it the 4th most-read column in 2022. Here’s just one example of the marketing campaign the station aired.
A column from December made 5th place. It was one of those stories that became a viral sensation across the country.
In Waterloo, Iowa, a sports reporter is sent out to cover a blizzard in the middle of the night. And he’s not exactly a happy camper. Click on the link to watch the video.
In October, a column from Washington, D.C. placed 6th. The column revealed how the news operations of two stations in different locations were combined to one location, and detailed the marketing efforts to brand it all. “A new name, new brand, new studio, set and graphics and new people creating more news has made the past 100 days “pretty wild and pretty awesome, too,” says Emily Mowers Kurtz, DC News Now’s director of marketing and creative services.
A ratings story from Indianapolis is next on the list of most-read in 2022. In April, this column traced the factors, from research to weather, from marketing to talent longevity, that led one station to be the top-rated news operation in every newscast.
The ratings in February don’t just “come out of the blue,” says Robyn Keeney, WXIN’s creative services director. She says the station looked at the research of what the audience wants and went in that direction.
In August, a column from Minneapolis placed 8th as the most-read in 2022. TV stations are constantly looking for staff to fill openings in every department. One station created a recruitment video, a wild musical, an eye-catching song and dance number starring the employees.
All of which makes one think: If a musical video is so potent for recruitment, perhaps it can also work for audiences as a general station promotion. You have to click on the column to watch the recruitment video.
My favorite column from 2022?
This column from March was personal best for me, as I was there, a witness to it all.
A Fort Myers sports anchor goes on strike. Why did he go on strike, and why did the station support him? Although it went on much longer than anyone thought it would, it was one of the the most original, inventive, creative and fun feats ever seen in local television. Of course, the strike had to end sometime. And when it did, the station needed an extravaganza, something special, taped in advance and ready to air if the strike ended suddenly.
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