KMPH Producing Daily Political Show For Calif. Stations

KMPH Fresno has an interesting venture going on. The station is producing the daily program California Vote 2010 for itself and stations all over California–around a dozen or so in total.

KMPH is part of the old Pappas Telecasting group now doing business as Titan Broadcast Group. It’s a Fox affiliate.

With the races just starting to heat up in the Golden State, including particularly high-profile campaigns for governor and senator, KMPH is following the big political players’ every move. “It’s all the California political news we can harvest,” says KMPH News Director Jim Turpin.

The half-hour program launched in April, and runs through Election Day. It’s got its own standalone site.

Other California stations airing California Vote 2010 include KUSI San Diego,  KDOC Los Angeles and KOFY San Francisco.

Turpin says the politicians are starting to buy ads on the show, which has focused on, among other things, California being well into its fiscal year without having passed its budget.

Turpin says the pace of California Votes 2010 is exhausting, but it sounds like he’s having the time of his life working on it. “I feel like we’re making a difference by holding [politicians] accountable for the job they do,” he says. “So many times in our business, you do your job every day and wondering if you make a difference. When I get home from work, I feel I have made a difference, and it’s really nice.”