In 1990, accused racketeer Democrat Edwin Edwards ran against the Republican candidate, Ku Klux Klan member and neo-Nazi David Duke, for governor of Louisiana. The election made national headlines. Edwards’ campaign slogan was a popular bumper sticker, “Vote for the Crook. It’s Important,” better a crook in the governor’s office than a racist. WDSU, the […]
It’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ On Monday Morning
You know his face, although he’s not exactly a household name yet. Most recognize J.K. Simmons as the pitch man for those ubiquitous TV ads for Farmer’s Insurance. But he’s also known for his roles in Law and Order, Oz, and The Closer. And in 2014, he earned a Golden Globe award and Academy Award […]
KARE Anchors Trespass In Super Bowl Promo
KARE, the Gannett-owned NBC affiliate in Minneapolis, created a special promo to air during half-time at yesterday’s Super Bowl. And then it created special messages to air and use on air and in social media to promote watching the special promo during half-time of yesterday’s Super Bowl, which aired on NBC. Erik Candiani, KARE’s marketing and creative […]
WXIA’s ‘Got-Cha’ Journalism Featured On Facebook
I like it when reporters are seen running down the street trying to interview someone who has something to hide. Let’s face it, if you do have something to hide, you’re not going to agree to a nice sit-down with a reporter who has some tough questions to ask, especially when you know she already […]
WTVO’s Teen Quiz Show’s All The Rage
Put your thinking cap on. The questions can be hard for rocket scientists, Rhodes scholars and Mensa members, let alone high school students. What country was the birthplace of the Nobel Prize-winning author Nadine Gortimer? Expo 1929 was held in what capital of Catalonia, the second most populous city in Spain? And believe me, these […]
WANTED: Your February Sweeps Promos And Stories
For most folks, today is just another Thursday. But radio listeners across America know something’s going on by all the radio ads they’re hearing from their local TV stations promoting special reports and stories they want you to watch. Must be sweeps. In November, many of you sent me your spots or links and I […]
Sarah Palin’s Wild Ride With Madman Rock Star
When most people think of Sarah Palin, they think, former governor of Alaska who was the vice presidential candidate in John McCain’s failed bid for the presidency, the woman with wacky theories and quirky quotes. Some know that she has a TV show. Whenever I see her on TV, I can’t tell if it’s the […]
Nuclear Promo Reveals Atomic Bomb Explosion
If you’re a regular reader of this column every day, (and really, why wouldn’t you be?), you know that I believe that something interesting is happening in the world of television news every day. And I’m constantly asking for you to share those stories. Take for instance this story. An atomic bomb is detonated in […]
WPSD’s Online Sales Contest Yields Great Results
We all know how advertising on TV stations can increase sales for local businesses. But what if a local client’s budget is modest and the results it’s looking for include growth in social media, useful data, and of course, sales? How can TV stations help businesses with more narrow, specific goals? How about an online […]
Watch First Episode of Docu-Soap About TV News
If a show airs on a cable network that calls itself truTV, then it has to be factual, real and authentic, right? Not exactly. Breaking Greenville describes itself as a character-driven, comedic docu-soap about the real-life rivalry between two TV stations (ABC affiliate WABG and CBS affiliate WXVT) in one of the country’s smallest TV […]