When anchoring those 5:30 a.m. newscasts, I was convinced that it was just me looking at the red light on the camera...and no one else was awake, much less watching.
The big bucks were "supposed" to be in the evening newscasts. (I anchored those, too). But, times are changing. Early news is important, and savvy CEOs recognize that publicity early can be a bigger bang for the buck later. Are you targeting the early shows with your PR?
It's not just my opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal, quoting now:
"The latest round of morning-show skirmishing comes as the programs buck the trend in network news: They are actually growing. The long-term outlook for evening news broadcasts is grim and prime-time news shows are struggling: ABC's fall schedule has no time slot for "Primetime," and NBC shunted "Dateline" to the purgatory of Saturday. But the morning shows have inched up 6% in combined viewers since 2003, compared with a comparable drop of 9% for the three evening news programs in that period, according to Nielsen.
"The trend is mirrored at local stations, where early-morning news -- even newscasts starting as early as 5:30 a.m. -- are gaining viewers and ad revenue."
The CEO's Takeaway:
"News" is now a 24-hour, seven-day a week, year-long cycle. It is also global. Have you seen the early-morning show on CNBC featuring three people co-anchoring business news from three continents? With viewership of the once flagship (and expensive) "evening newscasts" -- coupled with declining ratings for evening, local news -- don't forget about the other opportunities to showcase your organization and its achievements throughout the day.
If someone has not already said so, I will: There is a "channel" for everything and it is always "on." Target the early news shows. They are not early overseas. And the early shows in America are "bucking the trend" and solidifying viewer loyalty (and ratings).
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