This is Local TV News? Really?

November 15th, 2010

A news release about a new “local” newscast in Gainesville, Florida caught my eye the other day. It stated “stories are produced locally by a Gainesville staff, but its anchors and production facilities are based in Iowa.”

Say what? This is a “local” newscast? Really?

I dug a little further and found that the company – International News Network – is based in Davenport, Iowa. They apparently produce and anchor newscasts for TV stations in Omaha, to Montgomery, Alabama to Alexandria, Louisiana. While it may be admirable to want a small market newscast to have a larger market look and feel – I have major problems with this approach.

First off, we at AR&D believe that local news anchors need to be much more than “talking heads” somewhere hundreds of miles away from the market they are serving. In our book, Live, Local, Broken News – we espouse the idea that local TV news anchors need to be the Chief Journalists at their stations. It is impossible to know your market, and be the lead journalist in the newsroom when you are simply reading copy for several stations a day many states away from the market you are supposedly serving.

Secondly, I have a real problem with how these stations are not being up front with their customers about the “distant anchor” situation. For instance, the bio for anchor Bryan Latham – who anchors the news in Gainesville from Iowa – states that he “looks forward to meeting new people and making new friends.” How is he going to do that? Is he going to Skype some viewers in Florida?

Cathy Catlett – an anchor from the International News Network in Iowa – appears on the websites of at least three different stations that I found. Once again the stations are not very forthcoming in explaining this “distant anchor” arrangement.

Catlett’s bio on KPTM in Omaha says, “She’s thrilled to be serving the Omaha community.” It doesn’t say anything about – “while sitting in an anchor chair hundreds of miles away.” On the KLAX website her bio reads, “after spending three years with Indiana 9, Cacky left to pursue her current position as anchor/producer for KLAX-TV.” Once again there’s no mention that her anchor chair is nowhere near Alexandria.

There was a company that started providing “local” weather for smaller markets about a decade ago – also from a distant studio. I believed then, and I more strongly believe now, that if a local TV station is truly serving their market – they can’t have part of their newscast – especially important staff members like anchors and meteorologists – based hundreds of miles away but appearing to be onsite. That is pure deception – plain and simple.

Now, I understand that these “local” newscasts served by the Iowa Company generate their own local stories, and have their own local news director. So apparently the TV stations feel that at least that much localism is important. So, why not let those local folks also anchor the newscasts? That’s how we built the next generations of anchors for over 50 years.

That’s how stations have served their communities – and in many cases – become the dominant station in their market. I have no use for these distant talking heads – especially when the stations deceive their viewers. Doesn’t exactly build trust does it?

Jim

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Question: So who REALLY is America’s team?

October 26th, 2010

The two stadiums sit about a quarter of a mile apart in Arlington, Texas.  The one to the east houses a group of underpaid overachievers who truly believe in TEAM and everything it encompasses.  The stadium to the west houses a group of overpaid underachievers who believe in ENTITLEMENT and everything that encompasses.

The Texas Rangers – the overachievers – will be playing in their first ever World Series on Sunday night.  The Dallas Cowboys – the underachievers – will be trying to get their second win of the season Sunday afternoon at their posh one-billion dollar stadium – to go along with five losses.

The face of the Texas Rangers is a good ‘ole Texas country boy who pitched 7 no-hitters in his Hall Of Fame career – and believes in hard work, team work, treating his fans well, and letting his manager manage.  The face-lifted face of the Dallas Cowboys believes in hiring coaches who do what he tells them to do on a daily basis, thinks he is entitled to win championships, and gouges fans with by far the highest ticket prices in the NFL.  Just the parking fee – $75 – is higher than many game tickets across the NFL.

The Texas Rangers have one of the lowest payrolls in the major leagues – the team they beat for the American League title – the Yankees – had a payroll 4-to-5 times higher than the Rangers.  Their MVP has battled serious drug addiction, one of their pitchers (who won two games in the Yankee series) was playing in Japan last year after failing in the major leagues.  Their manager instills a love of the game in his team – and has a plan to win through aggressive base running.

The Dallas Cowboys have the highest payroll in the NFL.  They have a coach who never pushes his players and has become their chief apologist.  No strong coach will come to the Cowboys because they know the owner is a control freak.  This team has the most penalties – by far – in the league and are all in it for themselves.   Hmm….just like their owner!

So – this all begs the question:  Who really should be America’s team?  Which team would you use for a role model for your children or employees?   That’s what I thought.

As you may have surmised by now – for the first time one of my blogs really has nothing to do with the business – or does it?  You be the judge.

Jim

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Move Beyond Your 1-Screen Focus – You Must Have A 3-Screen Strategy

October 7th, 2010

This has been the year of Re-Engineering at AR&D – as we help enlightened stations and groups move to Multiple Platform News.  Clearly, your customers have expanded their news and information sources far beyond just one screen – the television set.  They want the news when they want it – and where they want it.  You must have a 3-screen strategy (TV, Internet, Mobile) to meet their new demands.

Does it work?  Absolutely.

KPHO – the Meredith TV station in Phoenix – is making a strong transformation to Continuous News on multiple platforms.  Unusual storms – hail and even tornadoes – hit Phoenix and Arizona this week – and the KPHO website had 300,000 page views in one day – double their usual average.  The next day – they hit 440,000 page views.  Creativity drove a great deal of those views – as they built special slide-shows of pictures sent back to the station from their crews in the field using Droids – and from their customers’ cellphones.  47% of the KPHO.com page views on that stormy day came from slide-shows.  In fact, 75,000 page views looked at a special slide-show put together after a monster hail storm that hit Phoenix at 4:45 p.m.  Their TV news ratings also spiked with their special coverage on the web and on their newscasts.  Of course, they also alerted their customers with text and mobile alerts.

WLEX – the Cordillera station in Lexington – has been moving smartly forward on multiple news platforms, and social media in 2010.  AR&D helped WLEX launch a strong Continuous News effort on their LEX18.com website – one that has been embraced by the entire news department.  Quickly updating local news throughout the day – WLEX doubled their story count on the web.  Their website – which had 26 million page views in 2009 – is on track to hit 40 million page views in 2010.  Their website revenue is on pace to triple last year’s number.

WLEX also has a very aggressive Facebook strategy.  It has driven them to over 32,000 fans – making WLEX the number 2 TV station Facebook page in the country.   They find that Facebook is the #2 driver sending customers to their station website.  In fact, during major flooding in the market this spring – WLEX customers flocked to the station’s Facebook page to swap information to help each other get around the flooded streets – it was social media at its finest.

But amidst all this online and social media growth – WLEX – the TV news leader in the Lexington market – has not taken their eyes off the TV screen.  In the past few months they have launched a 4 p.m. and a 7 p.m. newscast.  Both of these news programs make heavy use of Facebook to interact with their audience.  Clearly this Lexington news and information source is being strongly positioned to be THE multiple platform news leader in the market in the years ahead.

These are but two examples of the AR&D clients who “get it” – and are moving smartly ahead in delivering Continuous News on multiple platforms – wherever and whenever their customers want to access it.

What’s your 3-screen strategy?

Jim

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I am one “connected” old dude!

September 14th, 2010

I love technology!  Beginning my third decade of consulting I am instantly connected to my clients, my family and my friends all over the country.  What a blast – and something I would never had dreamed of when I started in this business in 1989.  Back then I relied on airport payphones to stay in touch with clients, and wrote notes down on the good ole’ yellow legal pad.

Now – I am armed with a Blackberry Storm (soon to upgrade to a Droid X), iPad, Slingbox, wireless Internet for my Apple computer and I connect via email, text, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and, oh yeah – cellphone.  I can see my client newscasts whenever and wherever I am.  Last night I watched a reporter audition tape on You Tube for a client.

A few years ago my client in Hawaii was debuting a morning newscast.  I had just landed at O’Hare airport and was in a car heading to South Bend with a colleague driving.  With the four hour time difference, the newscast was just beginning in Honolulu.  So, I used my wireless Internet card in my laptop, and my Slingbox to watch the debut while we were driving through Chicago.  I was on the phone talking to the news director too.  That’s pretty cool.

Last week, I was in Columbus, Ohio at a horse track (Hey – it was Friday night!) – watching the newscast from my Phoenix client on my iPad, using the mobile Slingbox app – and exchanging tweets with one of the anchors during commercial breaks.  He was telling me about his brother being the grand marshal at the NASCAR race that night in Richmond.

Recently I was about to board a flight at DFW airport when a client general manager called.  He wanted me to look at the latest rendition of their evolving website home page.  I turned on my iPad – he mailed it to me – and we instantly had a conversation about the new look.  It took less than five minutes from beginning to end.

This technology also allows for instant feedback to clients when there is breaking news – or if they have a big story they want me to see.  They just drop me an email and let me know what’s happening, and I can usually get on the Slingbox and take a look.  A quick email or phone call then allows me to weigh in with thoughts and suggestions.

Of course, my instant feedback isn’t always appreciated – as you can imagine.  I was watching new weather graphics on a noon newscast for a client in Nashville a few years ago – and sent the news director an email noting that the names of towns were missing.  That resulted in a email from the news director – “Geez Willi I’m at lunch and didn’t see it.  I’ll check it out when I get back to the station.”  Sometimes technology can be a pain in the ass I guess!

I have had a Facebook page for quite awhile, but have been relatively slow to embrace Twitter.  But I am hooked on it now.  It seems like a really good way for TV stations and especially anchors to connect with followers throughout the day.  I use it to keep pace with what is happening in all my client markets – and there are also some good chuckles along the way too.  Since I’m new at Twitter – I need more followers – hop on board @ARDJim.

So what’s my message in this blog?  It is a simple one – many more anchors need to embrace new ways to connect, listen and interact with their customers.  There are a few exceptions – but in many markets it seems that anchors feel they’re too busy to use this new technology.  That’s a mistake.  In these days of diminished loyalty to TV newscasts, anchors must create their own personal brand.  You do that by being very active on your TV station website, Facebook and Twitter.  If you don’t – you are missing a wonderful opportunity to insure your future growth where you need to be known – on multiple platforms.

After all, if an ancient soul such as myself can embrace all this new fangled stuff what the heck is your excuse for standing on the sidelines?

Jim

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You MUST Give Your Viewers A COMPLETE Newscast

September 5th, 2010

Do you frustrate your viewers in an attempt to send them to your website? If so, you’re not alone – I see this huge mistake made in newscasts across the country. This ill-advised practice was spotlighted in a recent article in the New York Daily News.  New Yorkers were frustrated by commuting problems with the Long Island Railroad – and the local TV newscasts made a bad situation worse.

The article cited numerous examples. WPIX telling viewers, “We have a full list of all the delays and cancellations at WPIX.com.” Huh? And, WNBC told local news viewers, “Before you head out, you do want to take a look at the MTA website.” Huh? I’m sure viewers were saying, “Why in the hell am I watching this local newscast when they aren’t giving me the important information?” And we wonder why viewers keep saying local TV newscasts are not relevant to their lives.

I was watching a local TV newscast recently when they teased a story on the worst places to live in America. I sat through the commercial break, and they came on and gave the one worst city – and said, “For a complete list go to our website.” Huh? You owe it to your viewers to at least give them a top ten list, before sending them away. This kind of gaffe is committed by stations that have a poor strategy – or no strategy at all – for sending viewers to their websites.

So let me outline a solid, basic strategy for meeting your viewer’s needs while also trying to drive traffic to your website. First off – viewers come to your newscast to get COMPLETE information and you must give it to them in a clear, easy to follow manner. It is also important to drive traffic on your website – but the BEST way to achieve that is to promise deeper, richer content that is IN ADDITION to your complete newscast report. You must also be very specific in what they’ll get if they check out your website. Unfortunately, many stations still say, “For more information visit our website.” That does not work. Give them very specific information instead, “To read the complete search warrant,” OR “To see a list of all the suspect’s felony convictions over the years” etc.

Here is an excellent litmus test. It was offered by New York Daily News TV News Editor Richard Huff, “When local stations push viewers to find other avenues to answer their basic questions, well, they’ve failed.” Amen brother!

Jim

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Time-Shifting – Enemy Of Primetime Topicals

August 26th, 2010

We all know that it is increasingly difficult to reach local TV news viewers during daytime because there are so many two-income families these days. Now, the DVR has become your enemy as you attempt to drive viewers from network primetime programming to your late newscasts.

A Comcast survey shows that – for the first time – a majority of primetime television viewers – 61% in fact – say they use their DVR to record and time-shift their favorite programs. 40% of them say they now regularly record their favorite programs and watch them later – at their convenience. In effect, your viewers are now programming their own “network” of their favorite shows. That means your primetime topicals are no longer reaching these viewers the same day – or same time – within an hour or two of your late newscast.

For instance, about a third of the people who watch NBC’s “Parenthood” time-shift the program. That program leads into affiliate’s late newscasts this fall. Fox’s hit program – “Fringe” – gains 39% more viewers through time-shifting. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” is time-shifted buy a third of its audience. Those are big chunks of potential late news viewers who are not getting your late news topicals in a timely manner.

So – what to do? I believe the first step is to make better use of the one constant platform you can rely on – your early evening and afternoon local newscasts. Typically – these are the higher rated programs during the broadcast day. Many stations try to sell ahead to the late news in these newscasts – but it is a haphazard effort with no special showcasing that makes it pop. It is time to take these “sells” out of the hands of your newscast producers – and have the marketing department create a special promo that will grab the viewer’s attention.

Don’t forget the Internet too. Many people are online in the evening – and it is a great opportunity to use your website to drive them to the late newscast. Social media is also another strong marketing avenue for you. One of my clients produces a 7:30 p.m. local entertainment program – and the host is texting and tweeting and online an hour or so before the program – letting people know what’s coming up.

The bottom line: It is time to be creative in new ways with your late news topicals – using better marketing tools and multiple platforms to battle the newest enemy – DVR time-shifting.

Jim

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GASP! I’ve Lost Interest in Television News!

August 10th, 2010

Now that I have your attention. It struck me today that I have pretty much lost interest in following – not only the local news in Dallas, where I live, but also the national news too. The reason is simple – and it is something I’ve been hearing from viewers for a decade or more – Television news is just not relevant to my life. I am not getting enough of a return on the investment of my precious time to fit it into my busy days.

Here’s my situation regarding television news. The local newscasts continue to focus on crime – I, fortunately, live in a quiet neighborhood where the terrible things I see on the local TV news pretty much never happen. Then they give me the usual allotment of politics, and other – to me – lesser interest items that once again have little relevance to my life and family – but fill the space between the commercial breaks. As a very insightful friend of mine noted – first they scare the hell out of you -and then they give you puppies. Think about it! That describes local television news.

And then there’s the national half-hour dinosaurs offered by NBC, ABC and CBS. If I hear another story about the fishermen in the Gulf it would be too soon. I get it. I feel sorry for them. But -give me some fresh news. So the guy who got bounced out of BP received a multimillion dollar pay off. Well, duh! Happens all the time. The stock market went way up or way down too – yeah, already knew that I get a text to my cellphone when the market closes and breaking news alerts on my mobile from CNN.

Wow – as I write this I am surprised at the venom coming out. I guess that I have finally become the perfect consultant – I TOTALLY understand where television news customers stand – and apparently I’ve become one of them! I am plugged in all day on my mobile, my iPad, my laptop and my national cable channels. I know what the news IS – now would someone please tell me what it all MEANS TO ME! If you don’t, I’ll just have to dig into the stories that interest me by plugging into the Internet. And, I can get the info on my time – don’t have to wait for a scheduled newscast time.

So, from this day forward, I vow to push my client television stations even harder to become more relevant in their markets. To be fair – and I am most likely more than a little biased here – many of my clients are striving – and most days – delivering newscasts that are meaningful and relevant to their customers. Many of them understand what their customers are saying in the research we conduct in their markets – and are crafting their newscasts to meet those needs.

They have become advocates on behalf of their customers – holding the unreachable (for the average person) politician or official accountable; asking demanding questions to get answers that their customers seek – but again have no access to get them; and explaining the news and how it affects people in their market. Do they do it in every newscast, every day? Of course not. But they are reaching for that goal – and it is setting them apart from the competition. As I reflect, I am proud of my beloved clients efforts to become viewer advocates.

Maybe that’s why I enjoy watching their newscasts on the Slingbox more than the local channels where I live? But beware beloved clients – after today’s epiphany I will be pushing you harder than ever to become totally relevant in every story in every newscast! That’s a promise from your most critical viewer!

Jim

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Holy Cow! Nielsen Finally Sees It My Way!

July 20th, 2010

If you are a regular reader of this blog you are well aware of my disdain for the unscientific ratings monopoly that is Mother Nielsen. So, imagine my shock and awe when I saw an article in something called “Media News” today that showed the ratings juggernaut is in agreement with my Baby Boomer demo campaign.

I have been advocating for years that television advertisers – and NSI – must jettison their pursuit of the 18-49 or 25-54 demo and go after the real spenders – that huge Baby Boomer bubble. Well, “Media News” reports that Nielsen is now saying that by focusing on the younger demos – “advertisers and consumer goods manufacturers are overlooking a group that has tremendous buying power.” The article says “There are an estimated 78 million boomers, where the oldest are about 64 and the youngest around 46, meaning they are about to age out of the advertiser-coveted demos.”

Eureka! That has been my very point for years. Check out my blog from June of 2008 (“Change the Key Demo to 30-to-60″), or my blog from August of 2009 (“C’mon move that key demo to 30-to-60″). I wouldn’t expect Nielsen and I to agree totally on some issue – but we are close on this one – I say the key advertiser demo for TV should be 30-to-60, Nielsen is now advocating 46-to-64.

We are in total agreement on the spending power of those Baby Boomers. They have all the disposable income – and there are 78 million of them between the ages of 46-to-64. But, NSI estimates that less than 5% of all TV ad dollars are aimed at those aged 35-to-64.

So once again I climb on my soapbox – this time with the backing of Nielsen – and say, as I did in 2008 and 2009 – TV groups and general managers need to join together to move that key advertising demo to 30-to-60 year-olds. Your bottom-line will thank you for it!

Oh – and if Mother Nielsen and I agree on something – can world peace be far behind?

Jim

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OMG! It’s hot in NYC! Alert the media!

July 6th, 2010

For years we have all known that no story is really a national story unless it occurs east of the Potomac. That is certainly proven once again this week because – OMG! – it’s hot in New York City! It makes me laugh to watch the national news media fall over themselves to talk about the “dangerous heat” that is sweeping the East Coast.

I happen to live in Dallas where it has been in the high 90′s – and OMG! – even reached 100 degrees a few times already this summer. Amazingly we all survived – and the national media failed to swoop into town to breathlessly report on the “dangerous heat” we were experiencing.

In fact, there have been many cities throughout the Midwest that have flirted with – or actually dipped over 100 degrees – this summer. But there was no national correspondent standing on the dust swept streets in Kansas to warn us how to protect ourselves from the oppressing temperatures.

Of course, it is the same story with flooding which gets short shrift on the national newscasts and channels – unless it affects the suits at the networks. Then it becomes BIG national news. I see it, and chuckle to myself. And they wonder why those East Coast-centric national newscasts continue to lose relevancy with the viewers across America. Duh!

It reminds me of the time I spent as a news director in Buffalo back in the day. It was a few years after the big Blizzard of ’77. We noticed that winter never officially started anywhere in the country – until we had a blizzard-like storm in Buffalo. The national media would come to town and make a big deal out of it – Buffalonians would laugh at the coverage – and get back to their shoveling and plowing – comforted by the knowledge that once again they had helped the country officially move into the winter snow season. It was our civic duty apparently.

And so it is – now that the East Coast has reached sweltering temperatures – the summer heat season has officially begun. That’s good to know.

Jim

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Non-Relevant Newscasts = Ratings Erosion

June 21st, 2010

Once again this May ratings erosion was the bane of many TV markets across the country. A number of stations jumped to #1 simply by losing fewer viewers than the competition. Now there are reasons for this – many more newscasts to choose from in numerous time periods, the Internet – and what I believe to be the main culprit – newscasts that are simply not relevant to the audience.

Too many newscasts just continue to fill time between the commercial breaks with the same meaningless stories they have been chasing for decades. I reviewed the morning newscasts from all the stations in a major market recently – five days worth – and the only “overnight news” was one-on-one crime. I couldn’t tell you what any of the stories were about – but I have an imagine of darkness broken only by yellow crime tape video and flashing blue lights on police cruisers seared into my brain. None of the stories were relevant to 99% of the morning viewers.

As we head into the dog days of summer, I encourage you to step back from the daily grind – and assess your news coverage. Check it against this list based on thousands and thousands of discussion with local TV news viewers.

Viewers keep asking for:
— News that affects their lives
— A balance of positive news amid all the gloom and doom
— Context – what does it mean?
— Less crime – they feel safe
— A return for the investment of their very precious time

Most local TV newscasts keep giving them:
— Content that has little or no effect on their lives or families
— Gloom and doom
— No context just one disconnected story following another
— More meaningless one-on-one crime
— The same few stories from newscast to newscast – so why tune in?

So, grab some time with your news managers and producers and review a week’s worth of newscasts from all time periods. See where you fall on the “desires” versus “delivery” check list. And then create a plan moving forward to make your newscasts relevant to viewers on a day in, day out basis so they feel compelled to invest their precious time in your newscasts.

Jim

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