When disasters or catastrophes happen, manmade or natural, local TV news operations serve their markets the best. Rivalries are forgotten, profits become secondary, department lines are erased. Like sailors in a storm, it’s all hands on deck. Years ago, over the July 4 weekend, a massive, out-of-control wildfire caused the evacuation of an entire county […]
Texas Flooding Called The Worst Ever
I lived in Texas for about 10 years, and usually, it’s the lack of rain that makes news. In what the governor is calling the worst ever flooding in Texas, TV stations are covering conditions continuously. Homes have been swept away with people inside, roads are impassible, and the death toll is climbing. And the […]
WRAL.com Honored With Edward R. Murrow Award
WRAL, the Raleigh, N.C., CBS affiliate owned by Capitol Broadcasting, received two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. One of WRAL’s Murrows was in the Writing category for a story from its series, Tar Heel Traveler, written by Scott Mason. “It’s … great to see Scott Mason honored for his writing,” says Rick Gall, WRAL news director, […]
WMAR Reporter Wins 3rd Murrow Award In 4 Years
I would think winning one Edward R. Murrow Award for excellent writing would be a career accomplishment. But to win it three times is remarkable. WMAR’s Brian Kuebler won a 2015 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in writing, giving him a hat trick since he also won in 2013 and 2012. WMAR is […]
WOFL’s New Studio Seen As Marketing Tool
Local TV news operations are in the presentation business. When it comes to the news viewing experience, your station’s news set is prominent in a significant portion of your newscasts. I haven’t done the math, but in 22 minutes of news, viewers see your anchor talent on set about half the time maybe? Viewers expect […]
Why My Wife Is Glad Letterman Is Retiring
My wife is somewhat happy David Letterman is retiring. Because David Letterman has made me laugh out loud more times than I can count. And often, it’s woken my wife who’s sleeping next to me. The one time I remember the most is Dave doing the top 10 list of what McDonalds’ managers say. When […]
On KCPQ, Vietnam Vets Open Up About The War
Soldiers returning from the Vietnam War didn’t get the enthusiastic welcome home we see veterans get coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan. It’s wasn’t the soldiers fault. They were just serving their country. Sadly, many still feel the pain of returning to a country that wasn’t ready to celebrate their service. And in a week-long […]
WNCN Wins Murrows For Pollution And School Bus Stories
Coal ash. It doesn’t sound appealing and it isn’t. Coal ash is the waste material left behind when coal is burned for electricity. It contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and over a dozen other heavy metals, many of them toxic. It’s the second largest industrial waste stream in the country. It’s not camera friendly. It’s unsightly […]
KDFW’s News Scripts Help Set Guinness World Record
KDFW set the Guinness World Record for most amount of paper collected in a 24-hour period this past Saturday at KDFW’s fifth annual Shred Day DFW, sponsored by Comerica Bank and Iron Mountain. The news team at KDFW, the Fox O&O in Dallas, did their part to help the station set the record. They collected […]
PromaxBDA And Magid Test TV Station Promos
You’re hired to recruit news viewers for your station. You have 30 seconds, maybe a minute, to convince viewers that your station’s news is somehow better, or more valuable and superior to others in town. Or maybe you want to find the best way to engage TV viewers on other devices and platforms to get […]