Don't watch and win
-- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/20/2000
KOB-TV Albuquerque, N.M.'s, contest giveaway is clearly designed to attract viewers during sweeps to the already top-rated station. But you don't have to watch to find out whether you won.
Rival station KRQE(TV) is also announcing KOB-TV 's winners. It's not exactly a courtesy. "I guess they need to do whatever they think is necessary," said KOB-TV News Director Chris Berg, "even if it's trying to steal another station's ideas. They're trying to manipulate the viewers. But our viewers are loyal to us anyway. This won't impact us."
KRQE News Director Dan Salamone says that "they're doing this as a gimmick to get ratings, and they're entitled to do whatever they want. But we're in November sweeps. I don't intend to lose viewers because somebody is running a contest in the middle of a newscast. This is my way of telling KOB not to expect to run a contest and expect us to just lay back and watch them. This has been done in other markets. We're doing this for our viewers."
