Tag Archives: television

Why Viggle Will Change Television

Ever since Howdy Doody showed up in the 1950’s, PR and marketing folks have wanted to know how many people are watching a particular TV show. This sets advertising rates, actor salaries, and a million other things. Most of this is based on the Nielsen ratings, which is possibly the most laughable measurement tool in the history of everything. Nielsen selects a certain amount of people to wire a box to their TV that sends data OVER A PHONE LINE or to keep a journal about what they’ve been watching. Seriously. Starting to understand why CBS cleans up in the ratings? They target older demographics since older demographics are the ones most likely to use a systems like Nielsen. Enter Viggle. Continue reading

The New King of Late Night Television

The battle of late night television has been going on for years.  Whether it’s David Letterman or Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien or Jimmy Fallon.  Nevertheless, if I do flip on the television to fall asleep, I always turn Cartoon Network for a great Family Guy session. (Don’t judge, if you go to sleep smiling you wake up smiling – try it out)

I am now hooked on one late night television show, and it’s all because of one man – Andy Cohen.  Andy is the host of Watch What Happens LIVE! (WWHL) a live, late night talk show that airs on Bravo at 11 PM EST. WWHL started out once or twice a week, where Andy would have on different Bravo stars from their lineup of programs from Top Chef to the Real Housewives series.

Now WWHL has guests ranging from Questlove of the Roots, the regular Sandra Bernhard, all the way to the Mary J Blige.  What’s most exciting is that the show is now on five nights a week. Continue reading

Five Ways Media Training Can Help You…and Your Clients

In public relations, we are taught that preparation is key for any crisis or situation that may need our attention. But, it is equally important on how we train our clients. One of the integral parts to keeping a client prepared is media training.

How your client looks and sounds on television or comes across in a newspaper story can go a long way to showing they are credible. I entered public relations after a long career in television and radio. Taking that experience, I’ve been able to assist my clients in making sure they are well prepared for the media. Continue reading

The Morning Show Show-Down

Sunrise in the Florida Keys - Big Pine Key, FloridaAlright, I’ll admit it. I love PIX morning news. I watch it almost everyday. I feel that Sukanya Kristian is my sister and John Mueller is my uncle. I get sad when they are not on and are replaced by the 2nd tier anchors. Why more people don’t watch PIX morning news baffles me. It is the most fun and laid back pre-9am news program that gets me ready for my day while i’m putting on my underwear and otherwise getting ready for the day. I don’t understand why PIX news isn’t the preferred choice by all. I also don’t understand who watches Good Day New York, but that’s just me… Continue reading

The Mother of all PRBC Announcements:

Woman Crying in Empty Movie Theater
We're not really sure who she is either. If you know please come to the customer service desk.

Nota Bene: Please note the date on which this post was originally posted and enjoy it with appropriate grains of salt.

Fellow readers. The time has come for the big announcement. This announcement will go down in history as we are one of the first Web sites to ever make it big like this. From our beginning stages back in October, to our current status here in April, it is only suiting that we share our amazing venture with you all.

What started out as a joke and a tid bit of fun, has become a reality and a dream come true. Every PR pro has dreamed of this day, some have made it happen, others just hope and pray each day for it to come true.   Continue reading

Act of Nature and Lifetime TV

Television set in swimming poolEver wonder what would happen if the world ended? Well this past weekend the world almost did. For those of us in the northeast we all were exposed to the most disgusting form of weather…torrential downpours in a city. It’s not like torrential downpour in the country, its okay there…you always drive everywhere, in the city…Not so much. Life shuts down worse than when it snows.

I was totally ready to stay in and enjoy my time, save some money, do some work, catch up on TV, but I ran into a problem. For months a movie has been being pushed on Lifetime TV, “Who is Clark Rockefeller?” It’s based on a true story, seemingly dramatic, and appeared to be a night of entertainment, I was exciting to find out that the movie was debuting when I was stranded in my house! Continue reading

Television Advertising..Can I have a Bucket please?

Businesswoman Pointing To SignI’m not sure if anyone has noticed television commercials recently, but they have become the most unrealistic and stupid commercials that just make me annoyed while watching making me change the channel. Commercials used to be fun. What happened? Why can’t commercials these days be like the Coco Puffs commercials from the 90s? You know, the one with the coo-coo bird who goes coo-coo over cocoa puffs? Unfortunately, we have lost the creativity and are now all victims to see the abominations that ad agencies come up with. Below are two examples of the nonsense we endure every night. Continue reading

An Open Letter to NBC Universal President & CEO President Jeff Zucker

It's Complicated New York premiere

Dear Jeff:

Been a rough few weeks, eh? Between your network’s colossal short-sightedness and lack of foresight (hello, Big Three automakers!), plus an inability in the past 10 years to bring NBC back to relevancy after nearly two decades of being No. 1 in primetime ratings, first with the “Cosby Show,” then “Seinfeld” and ending a magnificent run with “Friends,” we recognize it ain’t easy being at the top of America’s No. 1 media punching bag. Continue reading

Street Dish: The Reality of Public Relations

Scene 1: Camera One pans to girls at door.  A faint voice states “thirty seconds till we air.” Final checks in place, Louboutins(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Louboutin) (check), black dress (check), clipboard (check), stern look (check.)  Let’s roll, 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . air.
Camera Two pans to X celebrity arriving in the black sedan and walks up to red carpet; she stops to pose for a few photos to hear cat-calling from paparazzi in the galley.  Cut to second scene.
Scene 2: Louboutin-wearing girls hovering around a VIP table having a cocktail (yes, at their own event) and hanging out with their friends they snuck in.  Drama begins to unfold.  Cut, end scene.
Okay, how many of us have watched reality and primetime television shows where this act is played over and over again? (Pause for all PR people to verbally grunt at the computer.) Exactly.
Recent turmoil has been unleashed in response to Kim Kardashian’s announcement (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20300835,00.html) of a PR reality show appropriately reported on People.com.  My immediate reaction was frustration and defense of the PR industry as a whole.  Then I wrote this blog post.  While my first draft is lying nicely in my trash can, I came to a realization that I can see the glass half full on this matter.  Please hear me out.
As Lauren Fernandez eloquently pointed out in her blog post (http://laurenafernandez.com/2009/08/31/the-difference-between-pr-and-publicity/ ) Monday, Publicity is different from PR. I concur on this matter with a footnote that publicity is still a form of public relations and has proven successful for corporate clients as well as the entertainment industry.
As I was emotionally ranting of the frustrations that PR is not just red carpets, designer duds, and celebrities, I found myself being a hypocrite.  Currently I finished a publicity/PR event that involved step and repeats while wearing a designer dress and shoes, clipboard in tow, and there was a celebrity involved.  How is this any different?  No, I am not having cocktails with J-Lo and having Versace designers knocking on my door with free gifts, but in some form I am producing the same type of a publicity event and exceeding the client’s expectations in the process. While my background primarily lies in events and launches, my day-to-day public relations duties consist of social media, writing, networking, and all the normal corporate communications.
Publicity events for corporate clients with celebrities, red carpets, and features in magazines are only the icing on the cake for this form of public relations.  Sure, the drama surrounding the on-site events holds the sex appeal to draw millions of viewers, but as PR professionals we all know where the REAL drama lies: behind the scenes.   I believe this is the sore spot with everyone in this industry.  Where are the cameras when the nuts and bolts to the campaign or event are being born?  Brainstorming sessions conducted a la Mad Men style (in no reference to Sunday’s episode), ideas being pitched to clients, hundreds of creative design ideas for invitations, step and repeats, Web sites, logos, press releases being written (and the twenty revisions), media lists compiled, talent negotiations, do I really need to keep going?  I think we understand all the hard work that happens behind the scenes that makes PR and publicity campaigns work.
So, one may ask, “Why are these scenes edited?” My guess: viewers, money, advertisement dollars, and TV executives.  Outside of the PR industry, we would lose the general public on the first draft of a press release.  The producers, and general public, want the glitz and glamor.  Is this necessarily the “right” thing to do? No, but PR isn’t the only industry in the same boat.  What about “Making the Band”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Making_the_Band) and “Project Runway?” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Runway) Is it really this easy to get a record label or a four-page feature in a major fashion magazine for up-and-coming artists? Are all the steps and dirty laundry revealed? No! Why? Million dollar word: viewers!
Bottom Line:
While some view publicity as Louboutin-wearing blondes with a clipboard obsession, publicity is a form of media relations that has proven successful for many clients.  Our problem lies more in the lack of education to the public on the different sectors that lie within the PR industry.  Trust me that a successful publicity event uses as much communication as a traditional press release launch, plus a few side orders of event logistics.  Now, I can’t say the individuals participating in Kim’s reality show hold these same standards, but they shouldn’t be held as the poster children to the Publicity ring either.
Therefore, PR flacks, I challenge you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the drama that someone else will be experiencing and revel in the fact you are sitting on the couch when their talent says the wrong name of the product!

Scene 1: Camera One pans to girls at door.  A faint voice states “thirty seconds till we air.” Final checks in place, Louboutins (check), black dress (check), clipboard (check), stern look (check.) Let’s roll, 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . air.

Camera Two pans to X celebrity arriving in the black sedan and walks up to red carpet; she stops to pose for a few photos to hear cat-calling from paparazzi in the galley.  Cut to second scene.

Scene 2: Louboutin-wearing girls hovering around a VIP table having a cocktail (yes, at their own event) and hanging out with their friends they snuck in.  Drama begins to unfold.  Cut, end scene.

Okay, how many of us have watched reality and primetime television shows where this act is played over and over again? (Pause for all PR people to verbally grunt at the computer.) Exactly.

Continue reading