All of our promotional “stuff” sends out a message that sets attenders’ expectations. They come to have an experience with us and then leave with a taste in their mouth they compare to the expectations they had before the experience. What is that aftertaste? [this concept is via Shawn Wood].
Dallas has one of the nation’s better news markets. There are 4 major local newscasts and a couple of minor players. Here is the run down and the aftertaste:
Channel 5 KXAS NBC: Shocking Openers and Hooks
NBC runs story promos during the night that make you think the world is ending or you will die if you don’t watch. Here are some of the types of leads you could expect during sweeps :
Manicures That Kill (actual story was how getting a pedicure at a spa could cause some infections with statistically might, on a really bad day, actually kill you; one woman who already had severe health issues died).
Quit Exercising and Lose More Weight (actual story was to take a 30 minute break in your set, and you will lose more weight as your heart rate stays elevated)
They create a huge expectation and then leave you with a horrendously bad aftertaste as the content of their story falls miles short of the expectation they set. As a result they have fallen from first place but are trying to regain it with even more shock and awe promos.
Channel 8 WFAA ABC: Dancing on the Fringes of Goofiness or Greatness
They recently moved to the #1 spot. They have some solid reporters and yet, they felt a need to trick out the production for awhile. They would do crazy across the studio pitches where Gloria Campos would read a news story and then pitch to John McCaa standing by a plasma doing another story (not a special feature mind you). It was almost like they were saying, “Hey, watch what we can do. We don’t really know why we are doing it, but we have the capability to do it, so we will.” It took away from the story content. Recently, it appears that they have cut down on this. The did install a big outdoor screen complex called Victory Park outside of the American Airlines Arena where their studios are located. This actually seems like a smart move to broadcast the public square what is happening in the studio and inside people’s living rooms.
Channel 4 Fox News: Everything Else Around Them Makes them Irrelevant
Fox Four’s lead in programs, which are vital for successful newscast ratings, are usually so bad that they suffer (American Idol excluded). Their on air personalities don’t have the degree of name recognition that the other stations have, though they have a strong team. They will never be great until the Fox station sheds it shaky brand of being a hack network that mainly steals other people’s ideas (Skating with the Stars, Joe Millionaire, etc.)
Channel 11 KTVT CBS : Back to the Basics
To have full disclosure, this is my newscast of choice. They usually sit in 3rd place in the ratings. They do the basics behind a desk well with little flash and dash. Karen Borta, Tracy Rowlett and team deliver solid content news, not hype or “lite news.” In a recent independent study, their chief meteorologist, Kristine Kahanek, was the most accurate. Their lead sportscaster, Babe Laufenberg, was a former Cowboy, understands the athlete, and has a great, “I am not all that and a bag of chips” presence that is welcoming. I am betting, over time, this solid, no-frills platform will begin their climb to the pinnacle of the Dallas local news ratings if CBS can support them with solid programming. They under promise and over deliver consistently.
Which one of these is your church? And how?