Soon after our Election Night Show success two major events happened - The November ratings sweep was tabulated What are “sweeps”? Sweeps are time periods when television stations/networks typically schedule special programming designed to attract a larger than usual audience. The result - WWAC beat all three of the Philly UHF station in our ADI (Area of Demographic Influence). Our owners immediately heard the “ca-ching” of our cash register drawer opening. Our sales department raised our rock-bottom commercial rates to the level of our competition. This news was followed by another major kudo - The Atlantic City Press Best of South Jersey winners were announced. Headline: “WWAC Voted #1 TV Station”. And the frosting on our cake - Atlantic City Tonight was airing nationally of three cable networks - SPN, Cablevision and USA Network. Lynn and I were famous (almost our show was aired opposite Johnny Carson - but my grandmother was watching every night. She said it was, “like having you home again>”
)While our owners and my production staff celebrated with a cocktail Friday night cocktail party I worried! The hardest part of being a number ! is not always the work to get to the top - it’s staying there. What the hell would I do for an encore?
I produced four half hour call-in shows to air after the news. This was the “More” of News and More - with 5 live shows and adding a weekend new show - spending $100 bucks on talent fees which included hiring a number # WCBS NYC Radio personality. The lineup:
Trading Post - A trade or sell a live classified ad show hosted by a local PR person (free) who did the same show on local radio
Atlantic City Happenings - a call in show discussing local issues and promoting events hosted free by another local radio personality. (I was busting the radio monopoly on entertainment)
We Believe - hosted by a “charismatic priest” who never asked the caller to put their hands on the TV.
Sports RoundUp hosted by our sports guy.
After the first week of shows a local Bell Tel manager inquired about what we doing and said we were tying up the system - if this was an on-going weekly situation he would adjust the local networking. I said yes.
Within a few week our call-in shows were making money. And as Bob predicted - WWAC became a money making machine. (Next - The beginning of the end)
Comments
Post a Comment