Main   About the Author/Suggested Interview Questions   About the Contributors   Table of Contents   Sample Chapter   Book Introduction   News Release  

Sample Chapter

I was out fishing recently in a well-stocked lake. I hooked a big one, but it got away when my rod broke. As Larry Carlson explains, broadcasting is as well-stocked with opportunities for publicity as that lake was stocked with fish. However, you need to have good bait and the right rod to land the fish (a good project to promote and an interesting angle on it). Don't let the big one get away.

There's an Opportunity Born Every Minute
By Larry Carlson

P.T. Barnum would have loved today's electronic media stage and the hype that surrounded the onset of the new millennium. Not because there's a chance that more suckers than ever are being born each minute, but because contemporary life is spawning more pseudo-events and more media coverage of everything than even the master showman, publicist, and father of hype could have imagined.

Thankfully, those of us seeking publicity for our clients or ourselves don't have to tout Tom Thumb or a three-ring circus to garner radio and television coverage.

If you have a story to tell (and we all do!), there's never been a better time to showcase it on television and radio.

Whether we're considering national hosts such as Oprah Winfrey and Howard Stern or the noontime gardening show in Keokuk, Iowa, programmers are constantly faced with the challenge of attracting and holding viewers and listeners. If they don't come through, it's a case of "fifty-seven channels, and nothin' on," as Bruce Springsteen growled in protest of wasted airwaves.

In any given TV market, from New York, New York to Laredo, Texas, you have an abundance of local news programs. Less than thirty years ago, local television news was considered somewhat of a "loss leader" by many stations. They provided a couple of half-hour news programs, usually to usher in the network's afternoon news and later, to top off the prime-time slate. Federal Communications Commission regulations dictated that outlets serve up certain quantities of local news programming as part of their community responsibility.

Maybe it was the replacement of film by videotape, thus providing immediate playback and instant editing capabilities, that showed the purveyors of local news that their programs could be profitable.

A boom era erupted in the 1980s and continued through the 1990s, and many television stations in medium and large markets now supply viewers with five to eight locally produced news and "info-tainment" programs each day, some of them even lasting sixty minutes. Why? Because these programs have shown the capability to earn huge sums of money in advertising dollars.

Radio has undergone radical changes in recent years, most notably in the wake of FCC deregulation. Whereas all stations had previously kept some semblance of a news department-often with just one-minute news capsules several times each day- because of FCC regulations, now, for the most part, only news/talk formats offer local news, except in small, one-station cities.

In the larger markets, that means news programming on only one or two radio stations. That's bad news for promoting anything.

Here's the good news. Those stations are running news and talk, mostly talk, on a wall-to-wall basis, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That means there's more space available than before for us to gain publicity on concepts, products, and personalities, free of charge. And if you're just wishing to get the word out about an event, virtually all stations still run a community calendar.

Given all these factors, programmers are faced with a daily-sometimes hourly-quest to stack programs with hot topics and entertaining guests. They need content. They need fresh ideas and different faces.

That's your cue.

Strike a Match

Your first move is to strike a match between the available electronic media outlets and the target audience of your message. Eliminate the stations that don't fit. It doesn't make sense to scatter-shoot when it comes to publicity. A financial message won't match a top-forty radio format's listeners, and a notice about a ten-year high school reunion shouldn't be aimed at easy-listening or classical-music stations, which draw an older audience. Get to know your area's stations and programs. Then, pick your spots.

Don't forget that the time of day matters for broadcast exposure. When do you want your message to air, based on your target audience?

"Dayparts" is radio jargon for the different times of day, and programming is designed to reflect what listeners and viewers are doing at a particular time of day. Morning and afternoon "drive times" are still the most coveted radio slots for reaching adults on their way to and from work. The evening hours for television watching are known as "prime time" for good reason.

But remember. The work force and workplace evolve continually. It's not as easy to pigeonhole the public as it once seemed. There are millions of graveyard-shift workers listening to radio after midnight, and college students appear to have replaced June Cleaver and the idealized 1950s housewives as the key target audience for daytime television.

Who to Tell?

Once you've narrowed your list of desirable stations or programs within those stations, you need to reach the right people.

• If you're trying to place yourself or a client on a talk show, you need the producer or an assistant producer of the program.
• If you're trying to get on the news, you'll want the news director or assignment editor. It's also still possible that you'll seek a producer. These are the people who largely write the news and fit the whole program puzzle together.

An important note here: be certain to get correct spellings of your contacts' names from the receptionist you speak with. Get their titles and learn to pronounce their names. It's such a simple thing, but it can make or break the chance to tell your story.

Get Your Story Out

Now, it's crunch time. Your first message to someone in charge should be a brief news release, media advisory, or query letter sent via mail, e-mail, or fax, or hand delivered to the station lobby. They are very busy people, so it's crucial to get to the point. It's also important to give plenty of warning if you need coverage of an upcoming event. A month's notice is ideal.

Be brief, but DO attach enough information (in the form of a fact sheet, bio or the like) for them to understand the who, what, where, and when of what you're pitching. If you're stumping for a TV gig, enclose a photo or, if possible, a video clip of a previous television appearance. Similarly, send an audio tape to radio stations in order to create interest.

When soliciting television news coverage, not just a studio guest shot, it is imperative that you think visually. Television demands dramatic backdrops, color, and movement. Sell your TV contact on the visual aspects of your story. Ever notice how campaigning politicians are always seen with backgrounds of busy harbors, whistle-stop trains, and amber waves of grain? Think visually.

Here's another tip. If you have a prop that is pertinent to the story, sell that idea, as well. Television consultants have hammered it into reporters that, in a strong visual package or live shot, they must "show and tell," utilizing props, not just wild hand gestures or a slow stroll to dramatize the script. So uncover the artifacts, the evidence, or the spoils of victory. Providing the station with an interesting prop for your story could convince them just how compelling it is.

Follow Up

There are no absolutes when it comes to timing your follow-up phone call to check on the status of your mailed pitch. Generally, you should wait two to five days before trying to confirm the arrival of your initial message.

Two things here: first, do not even think about cold calling a news director, producer, or the like. Leave that to salespeople.

Second, be prepared. If you do get in contact with someone in charge, be ready to outline your proposal if they haven't seen it or their memory needs a jog. If the station is already somewhat interested, have the necessary information and phone presentation to close the deal. Go into your call with plenty of ammunition.

If you have trouble making contact with the desired person, persistence pays. Keep trying. Just don't leave 200 voice-mail messages in a single morning. Check in daily.

Eventually, you will get a "yes" or "no." Radio and television people are used to having to work themselves to track down sources and leads. Your persistence, within reason, is expected.

Preparation Pays

Once you succeed in landing coverage, there's no such thing as too much preparation. If you or a client will appear on television, wear appropriate apparel. Avoid white clothing and extremely busy patterns. Even more importantly, use mock interviews to practice and be ready for any questions.

If your story deals in controversy, beware of questions designed to put you on the spot. Regardless of the subject matter or the radio or TV outlet, much of what you say won't be used unless you are interviewed live. So make each remark count. Learn to speak in sound bites, as it were. That is to say, be clear and concise, and if appropriate, snappy with your answers. News stories require ten-second type responses. Talk-show guests can afford to elaborate and expand their responses. Stress poise and articulation in getting ready for coverage. The camera doesn't blink, and it's wise to always consider the microphone on. Always.

Attention-Getting Ideas

If you, your company, or clients don't have an obvious hook for catching media attention, that doesn't mean that coverage isn't available. Remember that most news and talk programs focus on planned events or pseudo-events such as meetings, celebrations, speeches, and press conferences. Except for fires, accidents and disasters, most stories don't "just happen." Most stories and individuals get attention because media outlets are contacted, cajoled, and convinced by publicity people doing their homework to match media with audience and sell a story or story angle.

There are dozens of ways to create opportunities that can earn media attention. Here are just a few reliable methods for steering the media your way:

• Link your story to current events and localize what might not otherwise be covered by area media.
• Tie in with a holiday.
• Put on a special event.
• Get on the agenda of a local governing body, with an award, commendation or grievance.
• Celebrate a company anniversary.

Opportunities Are Vast

Don't ever forget that there are more broadcast outlets than ever before, with more programming time to fill. Take advantage of it.

In the new millennium, every station is looking for good ideas and intriguing guests. P.T. Barnum would have it made. After all, only a sucker wouldn't take advantage of all this opportunity for publicity.

ISBN 978-1-877749-36-2
$ 19.95
Published by Five Star Publications, Inc.

Other related items that you might enjoy:
The Economical Guide to Self Publishing