Thanks to Publicity Hound Shawne Duperon, a TV reporter, for reminding us that December is the very best month to pitch TV stations.
“Newsrooms are no longer in a busy Sweeps month, so many employees are taking time off,” she says. Fewer employees means they need your story in a big way. She suggests:
—Any gift ideas? Any new or interesting gadgets? Send them, along with a press release, to the anchors of the morning shows. They love to showcase gift ideas live on the set.
—Is it starting to snow in your area? Do you have any snow maintenance tips? How to shovel without hurting your back? Gloves that really keep your hands warm? Ways to lower heating bills?
—Every newsroom is looking for ways to beat the holiday blues. Do you have advice on how to beat depression? Cope with stress? Also, any advice on how to help people save time, money or deal with frustration during this busy holiday time?
—Financial folks, any last minute tax tips to save money before the end of the year?
—Are you doing anything unusual on Christmas? Newsrooms need stories on Dec. 25, badly!
—Don’t forget how to eat healthy or get your workouts in during the holidays. Newsrooms need expert advice.
Sign up for Shawne’s great monthly ezine at her website.
OK, so you’ve got a great idea. Now what do you do? Shawne explains how to track down the “Queen Bee” in the newsroom at your local TV station. That’s the person who decides which stories make it onto the air and which don’t. “How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow” explains everything Publicity Hounds need to know about how to get thousands of dollars in free publicity on the air—while the Media Mutts who haven’t figured out how to do it get stuck paying for expensive commercials. You can download the transcript and be reading it in a few minutes, or order the CD.