Bob Dylan told us, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
Maybe these days we do.
Last week, what read like a minor announcement probably slipped by most people. But in terms of the Hollywood publicity machine and how to make it work for you – how to land the best exposure and make your efforts pay off – it was significant.
The CBS TV station duopoly in Los Angeles announced that the weatherman on their early morning newscasts (starting at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m.) was promoted to “chief meteorologist.” In local TV-speak, the title – much like “sports director” or “senior anchor” – means the person holds the most important position on that particular newsroom beat.
But here’s what you might’ve missed: The promotion didn’t include an assignment change to the traditionally more important 6 p.m. or 11 p.m. evening newscasts. Simply put, he’s staying put.
That’s because in the local TV news business these days, the 6 and 11 shows have very little clout. The viewers … and the dollars following them … are now in the morning.
Over the last few years, while we watched newspapers shrink and magazines fold, local stations grew their newscasts. But almost exclusively in the early morning. Stations airing a half-hour of local news before “Today” or “Good Morning America” began advancing their start times to 6 a.m., then 5. Last spring, KNBC in L.A. launched a 4:30 a.m. newscast. And last week, New York’s WPIX upped the ante, announcing a 4 a.m. show beginning in September.
There are numerous reasons behind these moves. The one most often spun by station managers is that lifestyles have changed: They’ll cite market research showing people are waking earlier for longer commutes and also building in time for pre-work routines such as the gym. And they have research showing these people want fresh news and information.
The more important reason is that these early risers are advertisers’ darlings. They’re usually employed, interested in what’s going on in the world, younger than news’ aging audiences and have some money to spend – whether at McDonald’s, the home decorating store or the cineplex. That’s why you’ll see big-brand advertisers all over the 5 a.m. broadcasts, while bail bondsmen and truck-driving training commercials populate 5 p.m.
And local news remains one of the few playing fields where stations can still compete with the cable networks.
But aside from fewer AB Rocket and EZ Jet infomercials on those nights when you have insomnia, what does this all this mean for those in the entertainment industry with projects to promote?
A lot.
If you’ve got a film, TV series, digital concept or music release aimed at mainstream audiences, you really want those early morning local news viewers. (If you’re promoting a project aimed squarely at women, the midday newscasts catering to stay-at-home moms are an equally good fit. If you’re chasing teens, college kids or recent grads and your publicist books you on local TV news, change publicists.)
