How do you feel about banks? I know, not a subject that stirs deep emotion. If you feel anything, it might be irritation every time you have to withdraw your cash money and you have to pay that $3 fee when you can’t find your bank’s ATM. I think banks ought to build half as […]
Shine A Light On Localism
Broadcasters long ago abandoned localism. Localism is a myth. In a recent blog, Dumb Stuff Said in Washington, D.C, written by Dennis Wharton, EVP of communications at NAB, he writes that these were the sentiments of Wall Street investment analysts and academics expressed during a panel discussion about how over-the-top video delivery may one day put […]
PromaxBDA Takes Its Expertise On The Road
PromaxBDA members live all over the U.S. So in an effort to serve TV station marketing professionals, PromaxBDA is offering one-day sessions on the latest strategies and tactics these executives can execute at the stations and in their markets. The day-long events are dubbed, The Essentials, and two sessions took place last month in Lansing, Mich., […]
Local News, The Real Alaska Reality Show
There is no shortage of reality shows profiling life in the 49th state. The subjects are as diverse as the people, the terrain, the climate and the wildlife, both the animal and human kinds. There are Alaskan reality shows about being a wildlife officer, a state trooper and a city cop. There are Alaskan reality shows […]
WCMH Columbus Investigation Boosts Ratings
The Market Share column earlier this week about investigative sweeps stories that make their communities better generated this note from John Damschroder, a special projects producer at WCMH, the Media General NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. “Thanks for keeping the industry informed about the outstanding investigative work being done during sweeps. I would like to […]
It’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ On Monday Morning
When NBC’s Saturday Night Live came on the air back in 1975, (I know, many of you readers weren’t even born yet), it was truly must-see-TV. I can remember being at parties where the hosts would complain that the guests were watching TV instead of dancing. When I look at these skits from SNL and […]
WPSD Aids Local Business With New Media Solution
Most businesses that advertise on local TV want to reach the masses, the broadcast audience. For car dealers, furniture stores, fast food, etc., that makes sense. But what if you’re a local business in a mid-size market in say, Paducah, Ky., with a very narrowly-focused customer base and a modest, by TV standards, budget? Can […]
Fire Chiefs (And Hydrants) Behaving Badly
A local television news operation can be, and often is, a powerful change agent for good. I wrote that line in an earlier article about how a new image campaign from Global News in Canada is using its news team and resources to make Toronto greater. Since then, I’ve found some stories here in the […]
Don’t Call My Cell, I’m Busy Shopping
I know people use their cell phones to text, (that’s the only way I can communicate with my kids), to check their email and to see who’s doing what on Facebook. And occasionally, some people use their cell phone to actually talk to somebody. But when they’re not doing any of that, 60% of phone […]
KWQC Cleverly Promotes New Morning Meteorologist
In local TV news, people come and people go. So it’s not unusual for a station to move a meteorologist from weekends to weekday mornings to replace someone who’s moving on. Usually, it’s not done with a lot of fanfare. But KWQC, the Media General-owned NBC affiliate for the Quad Cities, (comprising Davenport and Bettendorf, […]