Over the past 18 months, there have been many changes in the media environment that affect the viability of a PR person’s story and the potential for it to be placed effectively within a newscast. While independent watchdog groups cry for less “fake news” and the FCC threatens to probe stations’ news content, news directors and executive producers are more watchful than ever of their reporters and producers and what makes it on air. But the need is still there on both ends. It may be more of a challenge to get a story placed, but it is not impossible. When it comes to Broadcast Media Tours, the challenge can be even more intense. Asking for 3 minutes of free airtime to spread a message is something producers are not as receptive to as they once were… that is, unless there is a larger benefit for them and their viewers than there would be for the PR company requesting the airtime. The bottom line is: everything can work – it’s just a measure of how well. We recommend remembering these 5 items when planning your next Broadcast Media Tour:

More so than ever, this is the ultimate truth. Your story must be newsworthy! There has to be some relevance to current events and some timely hook. The segment being offered must hit viewers with impactful and worthwhile information. A phrase used constantly in the industry is “news my viewers can use.” Often the best advice that can be given to ensure your story is newsworthy is to ask yourself this question: what would this segment be if [I/my client] were not involved? If you cannot answer this question easily and still have a solid segment for viewers, then you probably want to revisit your story idea or schedule a brainstorm session with your vendor.

Another item that has more relevance than ever is the local angle that you can offer a station. Not only do stations want to know how the story affects viewers, they want to know how it affects THEIR viewers – the same people they talk to every day and that watch their newscasts day in and day out. In order for producers to run your segment, they need to feel that it is a story that will benefit their viewers in their community. Try having local contacts on hand to provide additional follow-up to the story, or as a means to cover the story if the station does not allow interviews via satellite. Have statistics ready that speak about their viewers. The more localized and specific information you can offer – the better!

One thing that all media pitchers have noticed lately is producers requesting up front whom the sponsor is and what the plug will be. In most cases, if you do not divulge the information freely up front, your pitch will not be read/heard – it will be deleted. Producers receive hundreds of email pitches a day and field endless phone calls; the commercial ones are the first to get passed on. The easiest way to make a producer feel comfortable with your segment is by having minimal sponsorship inclusion. Offer producers a solution to a newsworthy problem.  We find that the ideal plug is “company X sponsored research or survey and learned the following newsworthy information”….OR…”there is this problem that affects your viewers, this is how you solve the problem and company X can help.” Minimal sponsorship inclusion is much preferred to a blatant product plug that seems to come out of left field.

Despite the fact the environment has become more challenging, the number of broadcasts tours and/or local competing stories has tripled. Everyone wants his or her story on TV. In order to ensure maximum success, you must have maximum lead-time for pitching a story. We recommend 6-8 weeks. Having 8 weeks allows us to pitch the story to a small concentrated group of producers and, based on their feedback, alter or change the story/angle as necessary. Without this lead-time, not only will you be late in the game of competition for airtime, but also you will lose the margin of time for retooling the story.

TV is a visual medium. Therefore, it is essential that your story have proper visuals to tell the story. Whether it is a great setting on location, an interactive demonstration or even just b-roll, make sure you have the images to match the words. Being able to promise proper and outstanding visuals with your segment will show producers that you are doing all you can to properly and effective tell a story the way a journalist would. Again, having localized information is great, but be wary of creating your own graphics as many stations have their own formats and themes they must adhere to.

Those are the 5 items to remember when planning you next Broadcast Media Tour. But there is one more, and arguably it can be the most important tip: LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS. The vendor you chose to arrange your Broadcast Media Tour is an expert at their craft. They talk to the media about satellite tours regularly. They have their ear to the ground and can often provide valuable insight as to what will succeed in today’s marketplace. Listen to them and use the advice they have to offer to your advantage when planning your broadcast campaigns.

Authored by Kenny Shallcross Dec, 2006