Cincinnati

In a new 60-second marketing and advertising message, WLWT Cincinnati takes its pitch directly to local businesses about the power of advertising on local TV, bringing the process from the board room to the living room and using the persuasive power of television to sell television.

Brendan Keefe, chief investigative reporter at WXIA, Tegna’s NBC affiliate in Atlanta, has pretty much been a one-man-band since he was hired as a news photographer in 1991.  Today, Keefe is the leader of the investigative team at WXIA, and the corporate trainer for all 60 Tegna stations.

“Our community needs us now more than ever,” said Trisha Rayner, Freestore Foodbank’s VP of externa affairs. “A virtual food drive helps keep everyone safe. For every dollar we can provide 3 meals and $25 helps provide groceries for a family.”

While initially it was big news—how could news people do the news from home?–the idea has become old hat, second nature, as staff have gotten used to having pets climb on their keyboards or kids eating crackers interrupt their reports. I want to share your story about how you and your station are covering the news from home remotely. Send me your examples, your stories, your thoughts. Contact me, phone and email at the top of the column.

On Dec. 3, 1979,  11 young people were killed before The Who concert started at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati. Band members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey share detailed personal accounts of what happened, and the pain of the losses they have lived with for 40 years.

New job openings posted to TVNewsCheck‘s Media Job Center include a managing editor position at a network O&O in Los Angeles, an account exec opening in Memphis and a general sales manager opening in Cincinnati.

Last week at the Promax Station Summit in Las Vegas, another Battle of the Promo Superstars took place. Four TV station creative services departments were given the same special report investigative story. Each department had 48 hours to turn around a 30-second promo with shorter versions, including one for social media. Check them out.

On Memorial Day, May 27^th, a record 18 tornadoes touched down in the Dayton area. On Thursday, May 30^th, WXIX, Gray’s Fox affiliate in Cincinnati, produced a telethon to help the victims. “Though Dayton isn’t in our DMA, WXIX serves a great deal of the southern Dayton market,” said Dom Nardo, WXIX’s creative services director.

In Cincinnati, WLWT, the Hearst NBC affiliate, polls its viewers and Facebook users for their favorites, then sends a news team out to try it out. “We’ve done 3 so far, with a combined 100,000+ views,” said Pete Salkowski, WLWT’s creative services director.

WLWT is broadcasting the hour-long debate between Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Jim Renacci without commercials. “This debate represents WLWT News 5’s commitment to voters, to have their questions answered by the candidates, live and unedited,” said Jeff Benscoter, WLWT’s news director.