Station to Station
By Allison Romano -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/16/2005 7:00:00 PM
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Tsunami Reports For Local Markets Reality Grabs Great Demos |
Tsunami Reports For Local Markets
On his first international assignment, ABC News' Alex Stone traveled to Thailand to report for the network's affiliate news service NewsOne, as well as ABC News Radio. Stone, 23, returned stateside Jan. 9 and spoke with B&C about covering the disaster.
How did your assignment differ from network correspondents'?
We focused on particular markets. When Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was touring the area, we gave Florida stations an extra angle and more attention. Stations could do a Q&A with me about local angles that impacted their audiences, instead of just getting a cut-and-dry report. We also did live shots during stations' fundraising specials, in places like Denver and Boston, telling viewers how the money was being used.
How were the working conditions?
Most of our time was spent near Patong Beach. One day, we went to Khao Lak, a site of complete devastation. Our hotel was still operational and untouched, complete with high-speed Internet and air conditioning. People were still there to vacation. We did live shots in a home donated by the owner, who didn't want any money. We used a satellite uplink and truck from Bangkok, which worked well. I always carried bottled water, power bars and packs of peanuts, which came in handy when we traveled.
Which stories stand out for you?
We met a family from Salt Lake City who just found their 15-year-old daughter's body in a morgue after searching all week. They looked at thousands of bodies. They waded into the ocean to look for her. There were incredible stories of amazing courage I'll never forget. I'll grow old remembering this trip.
Reality Grabs Great Demos
Reality shows offer more than exotic locales and hair-raising competitions. They also provide advertisers with the coveted 18-34 group. And in 75 TV markets, midsized Northeast and Midwestern cities are hotbeds of reality TV viewing.
According to a new study from Scarborough Research, 30% of Providence, R.I. residents typically watch, compared to the 23% national average. In Flint/Saginaw, Mich., and Cincinnati, 29% of residents tune in, while 28% watch in Oklahoma City, Grand Rapids, Mich. and Louisville, Ky.
Scarborough's findings help steer advertisers' local spot buys. Its latest report trumpets reality's youth hold and habits: The demo buys cars, cell phones and tickets to sporting events.
Strong showings
The report also detailed where particular reality genres play well. Adventure shows are popular in Cincinnati, where 21% of residents say they regularly tune in. WKRC Cincinnati is among the highest-rated markets for CBS' Survivor. Viewers in Spokane, Wash., Seattle and Portland, Ore. also favor adrenaline-pumping shows like Survivor and CBS' The Amazing Race.
Talent shows do well in Raleigh/Durham, N.C. and Providence, R.I. Fox affiliate WRAZ Raleigh was a top-three finisher among the network's stations with last year's American Idol finale.
By contrast, viewers in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Mo., and Grand Rapids, Iowa, prefer romance. In those cities, 14% of viewers tune into dating reality shows. ABC's The Bachelorette posted its highest debut ratings Jan. 10 in Columbus, Ohio (10.3/14), Atlanta (10.2/14) and Louisville (10.1/14).
“It is important to look at local habits, not just the national numbers,” says Cheryl Greenblatt, Scarborough's SVP of broadcast TV. “[Advertisers] may not have thought to target a market like Providence before.”
Markets with the smallest reality appetites: Fewer than 20% of viewers in Detroit, West Palm Beach, Fla., Albuquerque/Santa Fe, N.M., New York and Des Moines, Iowa, say they regularly watch. Of course, not every show conforms to trends. The Apprentice recently scored its best local ratings in Detroit and New York.
Send local station news to aromano@reedbusiness.com
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