Former WCTI GM Praises Staff’s Florence Coverage
September 26th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyLyle Schulze was once general manager of WCTI in New Bern, N.C. He emailed me to comment on how WCTI survived Hurricane Florence. “They are to all be commended for their perseverance and courage to continue to deliver life-saving information to the viewers of eastern North Carolina.”
Raycom Hopes Its Viewers Want More ‘Me Time’
September 25th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyInstead of looking at off-the-shelf syndicated programming, Raycom Media decided to tailor its own, a half-hour talk show featuring two comediennes. Me Time with Frangela features the team of Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton, who have been friends for more than 20 years. Ken Reiner, Raycom’s programming VP, sees the show as an opportunity “to really look at something that’s new, unique, fun and dynamic.”
How Sinclair’s WCTI Covered Hurricane Florence Despite Flooded Building
September 24th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyWith its building flooded out, Sinclair’s WCTI in New Bern, N.C., had to get creative to bring its viewers news coverage of Hurricane Florence. Facebook carried the load for a few days, and then when it got back on the air, producing newscasts from locations all over town kept viewers in the know. “We have a lot of young people here and I’m impressed by how well they’re taking it and how well they’re doing. They know they have a task,” said Sean Finn, WCTI’s creative services director.
WHO Turns Football Rivalry Into Week-Long Tailgate Party
September 7th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyAll this week, a team of WHO sports and weather anchors are traveling in a plush RV through Iowa to tailgate with college football fans ahead of the Iowa-Iowa State football rivalry. “We never know quite what to expect, which is part of the fun,” says Keith Murphy, WHO’s sports director.
In NYC, WNYW Is The Dominant Station On Facebook
September 5th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyThis week’s Social Scorecard covers the social media scene in New York City where broadcasters are vying for their share of engagement among 140 million actions. WNYW, the Fox O&O, is far ahead of all broadcasters there. Its secret? Fewer posts that appeal to their followers’ emotions. “Sometimes, less is more,” says Dan Carlin, the station’s programming and research VP.
Nexstar Goes All Out To Enhance KHON Hurricane Coverage
September 4th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyWith a rare Category 5 hurricane bearing down on the Hawaiian Islands, KHON Honolulu got coverage help from owner Nexstar’s Washington bureau and stations in California, Nevada and Pennsylvania. The effort led to an outpouring of support from the community. “I’ve never in my life seen anything like it,” said Kristina Lockwood, KHON’s general manager.
In Cedar Rapids, KCRG Rides Highest On Facebook
August 28th, 2018 by Paul GreeleySocial Scorecard this week comes from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about 100 miles east of Des Moines, where Gray’s KCRG is on top of social media. The key to its success on Facebook is reliable information, just like on television. “We are your trusted source regardless of the platform,” says Adam Carros, KCRG’s news director. “I think that’s really the value at the end of the day.”
A Few Stations That Stood Up To Anti-Press Rhetoric
August 24th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyPresident Trump’s attacks on the news media spurred the RTDNA to ask its members to run editorials stressing the importance of a free press. While many newspapers took up the cry, only a handful of TV stations did. Here why some that did felt the need to go public and what their viewers thought of it.
Bite-Size Content Puts WXMI Ahead On Facebook
August 21st, 2018 by Paul GreeleyThis week, Social Scorecard is in West Michigan’s largest city, Grand Rapids, just 30 miles east of Lake Michigan, to find out what WXMI is serving on Facebook to make it the most engaged. The secret ingredients are an appetite for food and short, easily digested videos.
KARK Goes RVing To Introduce New Anchor
August 20th, 2018 by Paul GreeleyKARK’s new morning news anchor took an RV tour of 36 counties covering 1,600 miles. I’ve seen many promos, and marketing and advertising campaigns that introduce a news personality to a newscast, many of them clever and memorable, but I’ve never seen one quite like this. It flat out works.